Rocky Mountains, US trip_N3

Written by Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, Published: 19 September 2018
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 Three routes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Petit Grepon and two on Longs Peak.

 After Yosemite and Black Canyon, Boulder was the next stop, they call it the capital city of the rock climbing of the US and that is true!

 A lot of famous climbers of the US are from Boulder or nearby, and many others have spent years living there. That’s thanks to high quality granite and sandstone, and thousands of climbing routes in Eldorado and Boulder canyons, also Rocky Mountain National Park within 50 min of drive from Boulder.

 Jim Donini offered to climb a beautiful 5.9 route with a scenic view of alpine lakes and peaks. Even the approach, through pine forests and snow fields during the hot June of Colorado, made it worth the trip. Typical alpine climbing with run-outs and some loose stuff, yet super exciting!

 Another luck is to know Thom Engelbach, he has climbed so much in Colorado that can take you around for the best climbing routes for years. I would often climb with him on the weekends till the afternoon, before the extreme sun or the rain would catch us, then it was the time for smoking a pot in a cave shelter and listen Thom's stories about old hard classic routes and adventures. It's all about bold trad climbing culture in Eldo and Boulder canyons, going back to Royal Robbins times. 

 Eventually, Thom offered me to climb the Pervertical Sanctuary around beer in the bar. We tried to make it 22 hour from Boulder to Boulder, as they did it last time with Donini, and it worked this time as well. And finally, it was cool to climb the Casual Route in haze and hail with a great friend Aram Hovhannisyan from Florida. We tested the Beal Escaper device rappelling on a single rope the route D7 on the Diamond wall. Aram was not sure we would survive it, but we made it all the way down safe and sound! 

 

 

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