Greetings from Colorado

[TeleRoss]

Well, the last week of our trip is winding down. We've been lounging around here in Lyons, Colorado for about a week...filled mostly with tubing on the river, drinking beers on Lizzy's porch, partying in Boulder, and a bit of climbing thrown in just for fun.

Steph had hooked up with a couple of Lizzy's friends and went out and climbed the Petit Grepon, and Notchtop, while neither Lizzy nor I had been too motivated to climb much. We cragged for a day at Lumpy, and then hiked up to do a climb on Chiefshead, but Lizzy got pretty beat down by the elevation, so we bailed on that one.

 

 

NE Face of Chiefshead...an awesome, intimidating 1,100' wall.

 

 

 

 

Lizzy looking psyched...but that was short lived on this one

 

 

 

Finally, yesterday we were both pretty motivated to climb, so we woke early and hiked up to the Diamond.

 

I've heard about the Diamond over the years, and was psyched to finally get on it...it definitely lives up to the hype!

 

 

It's sorta like two Upper Town Walls stacked on top of each other, with splitters everywhere, on bomber rock...all this stuck on the side of a 14,000' peak in an awesome setting...pretty darn cool.

 

 

 

We did a route called The Black Dagger, named for the narrow tapered chimney that indeed looks like a black dagger on the wall.

 

Lizzy looking psyched again

 

First two pitches follow the Yellow Wall, and were interesting climbing. Fun edges and incipient finger and hand cracks led up for two long leads to a nice ledge.

 

 

We had some interesting weather

 

 

 

the weather kinda came and went all day...just to make things more interesting

 

From the ledge it is splitter central for two more long pitches up into the black dagger.

 

Lizzy climbing up into the mist

 

Lizzy on pitch 3, an awesome, splitter 5.11 finger crack.

 

Lizzy leading pitch 4...yet another Diamond splitter

 

The chimney is cruiser, but capped by a large roof that looks super intimidating, but which goes suprisingly 'easily'.

Above the chimney is a splitter steep fist crack with a rough off-width section. I messed up the protection below the roof and fought the worst rope drag ever as I grunted my way up this last bit....but wow...what a route!

Most parties rap from Table Ledge which runs across upper section of the Diamond, but I wanted to summit, so we traversed left along the ledge and followed Kiener's route to Longs Summit.

 

The Diamond definitely lived up to it's reputation for me anyways. Long pitches, difficult climbing, in an incredible alpine setting...I'll be back for more for sure!

 

Now, it's time to head back to the (still soggy???) PNW!!!!

who wants to party?

 

Edited June 27, 2007 by TeleRoss

[olyclimber]

I think you have inspired more than one person to quit their jobs Ross, or at least pray to get laid off. Thanks for sharing the trip with us.

[skykilo]

We've had some nice weather, but it shoudn't be a problem to arrange a soggy homecoming. :brew:

 

The Diamond looks like a gem.

[kevbone]

Dude....you are the man......why do I work in a cubicle???? Why????

[ZimZam]

Thanks Ross for the "how I spent..." reporting. Great pics. Oh and youse be a lucky man

[XXX]

Dang dood, your da man!

[crazy_t]

That Diamond and the Cirque, one of my favorite places in the world.

 

Thanks for the pics!

[ken4ord]

Once again it looks like a real cool time. I am damn jealous, I seriously need to get on some rock.

 

 

[matt_warfield]

RMNP kicks ass. Diamond, Chiefshead, Spearhead, Sabre, Petit Grepon, on and on. And if you get bored with alpine, there are a few thousand pitches of cragging around.

 

Good show on a trip that most people would accomplish over a few years.