[TR] Black Canyon of the Gunnison - The Flakes 5/20/2011

[Blake]

Trip: Black Canyon of the Gunnison - The Flakes

 

Date: 5/20/2011

 

Trip Report:

 

Over the past year and a half, I've been able to make several visits to one of the USA's newest national parks, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I think that it ranks right up there with Squamish/Yos/Zion/Red Rock in terms of highly-accessible long rock climbs. The camping and ambiance make it a must-visit spot.

 

This week I climbed "The Flakes" on the South Chasm View Wall with my friend Rob. The climb begins and ends on Astro Dog and has about 10 pitches of independent climbing in the middle.

 

 

 

It's basically just a lot of fun granite crack climbing, with everything from fingers to chimneys.

This wall is in the shade most of the day, and it's nice to sit on a comfy ledge and see the afternoon rays shooting down into the canyon and catching the iridescent backs of all the swallows, along with the mist pouring out of the rapids and waterfalls. I thought Astro Dog was a little better then The Flakes, but both routes are worth climbing. From on our North-facing wall, we were entertained at belays by watching a team work their way up the South-Facing wall across the river.

(climbers in the corner left-center)

 

 

Routes on this wall are reached via a line of 12 double-rope raps called the "astro slog", and since the rap stations are belay stations for some of these routes, you can strategically leave prizes for yourself clipped to the belays that you'll be returning to. Given that one starts rappeling about 50 feet from the car, there's no need to bring tennis shoes, so you can climb pretty light considering the routes are around 1,800 or 2,000 feet.

 

 

 

Although I'm sure that doing new or truly obscure routes in the Black would result in some loose flakes and choss, there are dozens of clean and solid climbs that get done every season and are nothing like the horrifying reputation which the area has cultivated. The rangers are climbers who actually get out and climb as well! A few more photos from good climbs on both sides:

 

Nate on Atlantis

 

Matt on the Scenic Cruise

 

Lightning Bolt Crack on Comic Relief

 

The Dylan Wall

 

My friend Scott's video from Astro Dog

 

[video:vimeo]15513547

 

Gear Notes:

The Flakes - doubles to #2, with a 3, 4, 5.

 

Approach Notes:

Usually down a gully, occasionally with a few rappels. You top out at the road or campground.

[ivan]

 

some day when i'm visiting the family in buena vista imma gonna have to go up thare

[mountainmatt]

Nice Blake! Looks like a lot of great climbing!

 

The stories I always hear about the Black are about the mountains of poison ivy.The one I had heard was to wear painters suits on the hike down, bag them up and go climbing. What is your experience with that? Any strategies?

 

Hey Ivan, some of my family lives in Grand Junction, I'll go with you!

 

.

[Blake]

In four or five visits, i've maybe seen one tick, and had no poison ivy reactions. Some approaches are well-worn trails or rappels, so if you seen poison ivy, you can just walk around it. Others (such as the "prisoner of your hairdo gully" ) do have some unavoidable patches of posion ivy, but with long pants on, neither myself nor partner ever noticed an effect.

[JosephH]

Ahh, the unspeakable joys of pegmatite.

[Pete_H]

Killer pic's. I've always wanted to climb there. I 'll have to get down there one of these days.

[akhalteke]

Me and the Mrs. just did that route. There is a mysticism in that gorge that is hard to explain. I feel blessed to have this in my backyard now. Great TR.