Montezuma's Tower via North Ridge (5.7)
Three Graces via Windows (5.4)
Pigeon Rock via South Ridge (5.4X)
White Spire via South Ridge (5.6+)
South Gateway Rock via South Ridge (5.2)
North Gateway Rock via Tourist Gully (5.2)
October 1, 2011
Happy October! Can't have days like this without getting outside to do some climbing. Jamie and I braved terrible traffic in Denver to spend a long day in the Garden of the Gods. We started by climbing the classic Montezuma's Tower and both agreed the knife-edge fin made this a memorable climb. Then we headed over and went up the tricky-for-the-grade Windows route on the Three Graces. The summit step is hard to forget and the narrow summit makes Montezuma's look spacious. Next we headed over and climbed the crumbling Pigeon Rock. I started off this notorious 5.4X with "Is this a bad idea? Wait...don't tell me until after I'm back down." The climb went smoothly but the lack of summit anchor and tremendously bad pro made this much scarier than it should have been. We stopped and climbed the White Spire on the way back to the car for a quick break. After refueling, we headed over and cruised up and down both South and North Gateway Rocks. Really couldn't have asked for a better fall day climbing.
Happy October! Can't have days like this without getting outside to do some climbing. Jamie and I braved terrible traffic in Denver to spend a long day in the Garden of the Gods. We started by climbing the classic Montezuma's Tower and both agreed the knife-edge fin made this a memorable climb. Then we headed over and went up the tricky-for-the-grade Windows route on the Three Graces. The summit step is hard to forget and the narrow summit makes Montezuma's look spacious. Next we headed over and climbed the crumbling Pigeon Rock. I started off this notorious 5.4X with "Is this a bad idea? Wait...don't tell me until after I'm back down." The climb went smoothly but the lack of summit anchor and tremendously bad pro made this much scarier than it should have been. We stopped and climbed the White Spire on the way back to the car for a quick break. After refueling, we headed over and cruised up and down both South and North Gateway Rocks. Really couldn't have asked for a better fall day climbing.