Rock Atrocity

This history of this route is infamously documented in the 2002 book

Climb!: The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado.

According to Colin Lantz, most of the information found in the book regarding this route is incorrect. Quoting Colin, “A number of different people were working on the route at the same time. Someone did bolt an artificial climbing wall hold to the wall. I removed the hold from the wall and I tried my best to patch the bolt hole so you could not see any evidence that it had been there. The quality of the rock on the lower wall is very bad and some of the holds are very loose. Another party used what appeared to be clear epoxy glue and coated the outside of some of the loose flakes on the lower wall with it. The result was horrible and very noticeable when the sun shined on the wall. It was impossible to remove the glue because the rock was so porous that the glue had soaked into the rock. I got some special resin from my roommate Chas Fisher who owned Bolder Holds that had rock texture and pigment in it and tried my best to repair and hide the damage that had been done. By this time I knew the route would always have a stigma attached to it, but I figured the route deserved to be climbed as the bolts were already there and the damage already done. The top half of the route is actually quite beautiful and the sequence of the moves and the proud position were worthy in my opinion. I named the route Rock Atrocity to call attention to the ethical transgressions that had taken place on the route.”

This route climbs out the giant overhang above

The Perfect Kiss

. Climb through a series of fun and engaging 5.12 moves on creaking crimps. Take a breath and fire into a hard, and very reachy boulder problem to a difficult clip and some endurance 12+ climbing to the chains. The position of this climb is truly amazing and the movement is very reachy, exciting and dynamic.

This is a second pitch, done in one long rope length from the ground (use long slings on the anchors of '

The Perfect Kiss

' and the first few bolts of Rock Atrocity).

9 quickdraws. The original anchors to Rock Atrocity were above the lip and clipping them would destroy your rope. I would suggest clipping the last two bolts (biners are hanging up there), climbing to the lip, and calling it good.

Since, newer anchors (2019) were placed at the lip, and the summit anchor up over the slab was updated as well. Still, because your rope runs over the pinch-loaf right of the last bolt, while working the route, it's best to climb to the anchors then reverse to the last bolt to lower. A 70-meter rope is mandatory if doing the route as one long pitch.