The Nightcrawler

The is an excellent route that should not be missed- some of the best 5.10 climbing in red rocks. P3,4 offer some incredible stemming, laybacking, and jamming on perfect varnished rock. P2 has great climbing as well- varied.

P1: Start below the right side of the Hourglass on a left-trending low-angled crack. End on a ledge at the base of a right-facing corner with a two bolt anchor. 5.6, 150 ft. The length of this pitch will vary depending on how high you are willing to climb unroped.

P2: Step left into the right-facing crack that widens quickly to a chimney. After the chimney ends, make face moves up to the right-leaning, right-facing crack above. This pitch ends at another pretty good ledge with a two bolt anchor. This pitch protects well without large gear. 5.9, 120 ft.

P3: Stunning. Leave the belay with a right facing dihedral fist crack on your left and a perfect finger crack on the right wall. Ascend the corner using both these features until the crack on the right tapers out. Continue up the thin right-facing corner to a ledge with two bolts. This is incredible climbing in a mostly tips corner with occasional face holds. This pitch has many bolts of various ages and variety. Small wires and tcu's are necessary to supplement the bolts. 5.10b, 110 ft.

4. The excellence continues. Keep climbing up the right-facing corner and wonder why there aren't more routes like this. End on a ledge with a two-bolt anchor. 5.10b, 80 ft.

5. Resist the temptation to rap. Climb up a splitter crack of varying sizes on black rock. Overcome the roof, then trend right and up a polished groove to a two-bolt anchor. 80 ft, 5.8R?.

Notes: P3,4 combine easily with a 70, and it would appear the same with a 60m as well. If you do this with a standard rack, be ready to skip bolts and make things a bit sporty. P5 is apparently runout, but didn't seem to protect all that poorly. Above P5 is loose, sandy, difficult to protect and not so great. Enjoy.

Descent: The best option is to rap from the top of P5. The P5 anchors are 1/4" equalized with cord. Then rap from the top of P4 to the top of P2. Continue the route as described above. 2 60 m cords are required to rap. If not for the P3 anchors, it would be easy to rap with a single 70m from the top of P5 (with a small amount of easy downclimb on P1). P3 anchors are not rap equipped. Of course, the other option is the Gunsight Notch. This involves some unpleasant 5th class climbing past the P5 anchors. We did this and won't do it again.

Approach as for Brownstone Wall. After coming up the slabs, continue up and right to the base of the wall, right of the Hourglass feature. This route takes on the right-facing dihedral that forms the right side of the Hourglass.

Double rack .3-# 4 camalot, nuts, and a lot of slings.