Castle Rock, Boulder - 8020'

[Jeremy Hakes]

Also, this one is listed as 4th class... we scoped some lines, but backed off without gear, as we felt it was more than 4th class - low 5th? Any one else?

[Haikudude]

Jeremy,
I recall following somebody up Jackson's Wall (5.5) on the other side of Castle Rock and we downclimbed the north side. This was back in the 80's. The rating "5.0" was stuck in my mind for that side. I dug out my old "Pictorial Guide to Boulder Climbs" by Richard Rossiter, and sure enough, he gives the north side a 5.0 rating. I also have an original signed copy of "High Over Boulder" by Pat Ament, one of Mr. Rossiter's better known contemporaries. On page 133, Mr. Ament says the following:
" North Face (descent route). 4th class or easy 5th class in a spot or two. No definite route is given because of the wide range of possibilities. Basically, the line follows the path of least resistance, through a series of ledges, short walls, and terraces. On the descent, one may wish to make an occasional rappel from a tree.. As a downclimb, the route is not difficult, but remember to be careful. Most accidents happen on easy rock. after a hard climb, when one begins to relax, to become tired, and when one is not sufficiently taxed to be concentrating."

So there you have it from a couple of the early legends from the rock world. I'd say your instincts were pretty good about it being above 4th class.

BTW, thanks for your rich repository of trip reports. They've helped me a lot in JeffCo and elsewhere...

[jmbrooks8]

I studied that N wall for an hour trying to find a line I'd climb w/o a rope. I finally decided to rope-solo simply to protect against the 20' of exposure.

Class 4 to 5.0-2 seems to be all over the map. It's supposed to be a measure of climbing difficulty, correct? Nothing to do with exposure. You can have death-defying exposure on a class 1 route. One slip & it's over. Indeed, exposure can affect one's performance? Hence a rope can put one at ease to climb at peak capability.

With that said, I thought the climb was easy - could accept the Class 4 rating.

No guidebook seems to ever describe Class 4 the same way.

[Jeremy Hakes]

Jim - I definitely felt the moves were solid, but what I was most concerned about were the reverse moves coming back down. I know a lot of "old school" climbers used to call things 4th class if they free soloed it, but heck, people free solo a LOT of stuff that I can't even climb. Based on the rope factor/rappel/etc., I feel a 5.0 rating is appropriate because I would not want anyone going there based on my rating thinking it was "just" 4th class and thinking they needed to be ballsier. A fall there is definitely fatal/severe.

[Jeremy Hakes]

Jeremy,
I recall following somebody up Jackson's Wall (5.5) on the other side of Castle Rock and we downclimbed the north side. This was back in the 80's. The rating "5.0" was stuck in my mind for that side. I dug out my old "Pictorial Guide to Boulder Climbs" by Richard Rossiter, and sure enough, he gives the north side a 5.0 rating. I also have an original signed copy of "High Over Boulder" by Pat Ament, one of Mr. Rossiter's better known contemporaries. On page 133, Mr. Ament says the following:
" North Face (descent route). 4th class or easy 5th class in a spot or two. No definite route is given because of the wide range of possibilities. Basically, the line follows the path of least resistance, through a series of ledges, short walls, and terraces. On the descent, one may wish to make an occasional rappel from a tree.. As a downclimb, the route is not difficult, but remember to be careful. Most accidents happen on easy rock. after a hard climb, when one begins to relax, to become tired, and when one is not sufficiently taxed to be concentrating."

So there you have it from a couple of the early legends from the rock world. I'd say your instincts were pretty good about it being above 4th class.

BTW, thanks for your rich repository of trip reports. They've helped me a lot in JeffCo and elsewhere...

My pleasure. Glad they are helpful. :)

Based on THOSE guys rappelling, I'd say it is a 5.0+ climb. Just my opinion, fwiw.

[jmbrooks8]

I think that is the point of my Class 4/5 discussion. You can't rate something Class 5 simply because of a potential for fatal fall. Even Class 3 Longs has proven to be deadly on Keyhole route. Use of a rope is totally independent of the Class rating. Even adding protection ratings PG, X etc. does not seem to describe a route fully. Wish there was a more complete system. Maybe it's this way because of how subjective it all is.

[John Kirk]

For all YDS definitions I've seen, class 4 implies a rope can be and is often used, so one shouldn't assume it is safe to attempt something unroped just because the class rating isn't 5.0 or above. I'll be the first to admit 5.0 vs. 4th class is a very blurry distinction, so in this regard I don't have a compelling reason to alter the first rating someone submits. I also have a bias toward a lower rating when there are conflicting accounts, for the most part because CO regionally rates things too high.

[dhgold]

I agree with JK's implication that there enough substantially overrated "5th class" peaks in the DB (Raleigh being the most egregious example I know of) that if a couple peaks tilt slightly the other way, leave them be. On the flip side of the coin, The Finger is a massive sandbag at 5.4.

Also, while CO seems to lead the database in dubiously asserted 5th class summits, it's not the only state with some questionable ratings. After an approximately 3rd class ascent of the NE side of Pt 1137 in Los Angeles county which is listed as 5.2 in the DB, on the summit I came across a geocacher with a walking staff who had wandered up the west side. He had never even heard of the YDS system.

[John Kirk]

After an approximately 3rd class ascent of the NE side of Pt 1137 in Los Angeles county which is listed as 5.2 in the DB, on the summit I came across a geocacher with a walking staff who had wandered up the west side. He had never even heard of the YDS system.

Thanks
Updated to class 3... Let me know if it should be a 2. There have been a number of cases where someone finds a route that goes 5th class and later someone else find something easier. I try to make it a point to look around for easier routes if I came up a difficult way.

[Mike Garratt]

The easiest route is the descent route for the tech routes on the south side.
It is in the shade in lower sun angles so it can be icy so it has rappell slings around a tree at the top.
This is why a lot of people think it is 5th class.
It is exposed so a 4th class rating is best.