This photo shows most of the route though it's difficult to see the top half very well. We actually started to the left of the snow and climbed one easy pitch to the bottom of the big chimney at the sun/shade line. The big chimney is P2. P3 heads up and left in the smaller crack at the top of the big chimney. P4 heads straight up from there. Go here for the rest of the route.

This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

Petit Grepon June 2006 - Petit Grepon is the most popular alpine climb in RMNP. It's crowded on weekends. Tom and I climbed this route on a weekend in late summer about 3 years ago. We were lucky to have the route to ourselves that day, but we had to put up with cold, wet weather instead. Other groups turned back that day. Tom still refers to my P6 lead as "the rain pitch". I remember Tom leading the runout 5.7 pitch (P7) next while thinking "I'm so glad I'm not leading this pitch."
This year we took Monday off work to climb on Tom's birthday. The weather was absolutely stellar, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We didn't even see any hikers make their way to Sky Pond or Glass Lake. Even on a weekday it can get crowded. On Thursday 4 days earlier, 4 parties climbed the route.
We swapped leads intending to more or less lead opposite pitches from last time. It didn't quite work since last time I had led the first 4 pitches. Tom ended up with the crux 5.8 pitch both times. This year Tom insisted on leading P6 right after leading P5. When I asked why, he said he sure didn't want to lead P7 again. We must be getting better because I led that pitch and loved it. Sure, it's runout, but the rock, the setting, the exposure are all superb.
The major bummer of this climb is the descent. Last time we walked down the Gash, a grim proposition because you must carry all your gear up the climb (and at this time of year you'd need ice axes for the Gash descent). This time we did 6 double-rope rappels which took over 2.5 hours. The 5th rappel requires 60m ropes. The others can be done with 50m ropes. I wonder, however, if you couldn't find (or place) slings to break up that rappel and do the whole descent with a pair of 50m ropes (which I actually own).

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This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

Petit Grepon June 2006 - Petit Grepon is the most popular alpine climb in RMNP. It's crowded on weekends. Tom and I climbed this route on a weekend in late summer about 3 years ago. We were lucky to have the route to ourselves that day, but we had to put up with cold, wet weather instead. Other groups turned back that day. Tom still refers to my P6 lead as "the rain pitch". I remember Tom leading the runout 5.7 pitch (P7) next while thinking "I'm so glad I'm not leading this pitch."
This year we took Monday off work to climb on Tom's birthday. The weather was absolutely stellar, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We didn't even see any hikers make their way to Sky Pond or Glass Lake. Even on a weekday it can get crowded. On Thursday 4 days earlier, 4 parties climbed the route.
We swapped leads intending to more or less lead opposite pitches from last time. It didn't quite work since last time I had led the first 4 pitches. Tom ended up with the crux 5.8 pitch both times. This year Tom insisted on leading P6 right after leading P5. When I asked why, he said he sure didn't want to lead P7 again. We must be getting better because I led that pitch and loved it. Sure, it's runout, but the rock, the setting, the exposure are all superb.
The major bummer of this climb is the descent. Last time we walked down the Gash, a grim proposition because you must carry all your gear up the climb (and at this time of year you'd need ice axes for the Gash descent). This time we did 6 double-rope rappels which took over 2.5 hours. The 5th rappel requires 60m ropes. The others can be done with 50m ropes. I wonder, however, if you couldn't find (or place) slings to break up that rappel and do the whole descent with a pair of 50m ropes (which I actually own).

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This photo shows the upper portion of the route fairly well (lower pitches here). The wide chimney above the diagonal crack is P4 which continues up and right to avoid the roof. P5 (the crux) heads up the crack up and to the right of the roof and into the shade and off the south face to a ledge on the east face. P6 wanders up the east face to a dramatic belay on the arete, below and to the right of the huge overhanging stuff on the skyline. P7 climbs straight up that steep, exposed, sunny face. P8 (to the summit) continues up and to the right and gets a bit out of sight since it's not as steep.

This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

Petit Grepon June 2006 - Petit Grepon is the most popular alpine climb in RMNP. It's crowded on weekends. Tom and I climbed this route on a weekend in late summer about 3 years ago. We were lucky to have the route to ourselves that day, but we had to put up with cold, wet weather instead. Other groups turned back that day. Tom still refers to my P6 lead as "the rain pitch". I remember Tom leading the runout 5.7 pitch (P7) next while thinking "I'm so glad I'm not leading this pitch."
This year we took Monday off work to climb on Tom's birthday. The weather was absolutely stellar, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We didn't even see any hikers make their way to Sky Pond or Glass Lake. Even on a weekday it can get crowded. On Thursday 4 days earlier, 4 parties climbed the route.
We swapped leads intending to more or less lead opposite pitches from last time. It didn't quite work since last time I had led the first 4 pitches. Tom ended up with the crux 5.8 pitch both times. This year Tom insisted on leading P6 right after leading P5. When I asked why, he said he sure didn't want to lead P7 again. We must be getting better because I led that pitch and loved it. Sure, it's runout, but the rock, the setting, the exposure are all superb.
The major bummer of this climb is the descent. Last time we walked down the Gash, a grim proposition because you must carry all your gear up the climb (and at this time of year you'd need ice axes for the Gash descent). This time we did 6 double-rope rappels which took over 2.5 hours. The 5th rappel requires 60m ropes. The others can be done with 50m ropes. I wonder, however, if you couldn't find (or place) slings to break up that rappel and do the whole descent with a pair of 50m ropes (which I actually own).

Tags:   id_node_id_55302 id_perms_bryan_public id_album_55292

© All Rights Reserved

This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

Petit Grepon June 2006 - Petit Grepon is the most popular alpine climb in RMNP. It's crowded on weekends. Tom and I climbed this route on a weekend in late summer about 3 years ago. We were lucky to have the route to ourselves that day, but we had to put up with cold, wet weather instead. Other groups turned back that day. Tom still refers to my P6 lead as "the rain pitch". I remember Tom leading the runout 5.7 pitch (P7) next while thinking "I'm so glad I'm not leading this pitch."
This year we took Monday off work to climb on Tom's birthday. The weather was absolutely stellar, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We didn't even see any hikers make their way to Sky Pond or Glass Lake. Even on a weekday it can get crowded. On Thursday 4 days earlier, 4 parties climbed the route.
We swapped leads intending to more or less lead opposite pitches from last time. It didn't quite work since last time I had led the first 4 pitches. Tom ended up with the crux 5.8 pitch both times. This year Tom insisted on leading P6 right after leading P5. When I asked why, he said he sure didn't want to lead P7 again. We must be getting better because I led that pitch and loved it. Sure, it's runout, but the rock, the setting, the exposure are all superb.
The major bummer of this climb is the descent. Last time we walked down the Gash, a grim proposition because you must carry all your gear up the climb (and at this time of year you'd need ice axes for the Gash descent). This time we did 6 double-rope rappels which took over 2.5 hours. The 5th rappel requires 60m ropes. The others can be done with 50m ropes. I wonder, however, if you couldn't find (or place) slings to break up that rappel and do the whole descent with a pair of 50m ropes (which I actually own).

Tags:   id_node_id_55308 id_perms_bryan_public id_album_55292

© All Rights Reserved

This photo appeared in the following ideotrope albums:

Petit Grepon June 2006 - Petit Grepon is the most popular alpine climb in RMNP. It's crowded on weekends. Tom and I climbed this route on a weekend in late summer about 3 years ago. We were lucky to have the route to ourselves that day, but we had to put up with cold, wet weather instead. Other groups turned back that day. Tom still refers to my P6 lead as "the rain pitch". I remember Tom leading the runout 5.7 pitch (P7) next while thinking "I'm so glad I'm not leading this pitch."
This year we took Monday off work to climb on Tom's birthday. The weather was absolutely stellar, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We didn't even see any hikers make their way to Sky Pond or Glass Lake. Even on a weekday it can get crowded. On Thursday 4 days earlier, 4 parties climbed the route.
We swapped leads intending to more or less lead opposite pitches from last time. It didn't quite work since last time I had led the first 4 pitches. Tom ended up with the crux 5.8 pitch both times. This year Tom insisted on leading P6 right after leading P5. When I asked why, he said he sure didn't want to lead P7 again. We must be getting better because I led that pitch and loved it. Sure, it's runout, but the rock, the setting, the exposure are all superb.
The major bummer of this climb is the descent. Last time we walked down the Gash, a grim proposition because you must carry all your gear up the climb (and at this time of year you'd need ice axes for the Gash descent). This time we did 6 double-rope rappels which took over 2.5 hours. The 5th rappel requires 60m ropes. The others can be done with 50m ropes. I wonder, however, if you couldn't find (or place) slings to break up that rappel and do the whole descent with a pair of 50m ropes (which I actually own).

Tags:   id_node_id_55316 id_perms_bryan_public id_album_55292

© All Rights Reserved