My girlfriend, Sarah Hart, and I just spent a week climbing out in the Rockies, enjoying perfect late-summer weather. Mostly we climbed at the Back of the Lake, which is I think one of the highest-quality crags I’ve ever climbed at (right up there with the Lower Town Wall at Index, and the Motherlode at the Red River Gorge). I did spend two days up in the mountains though – one climbing the Greenwood-Jones on Mt. Temple with Rockies badass Jon Walsh, and one climbing the “Cardiac Arete” on the Grand Sentinel with Sarah. The Greenwood-Jones was a perfect intro for me to alpine rock climbing in the Rockies, and although there were sections of choss, the upper pitches were on very high quality limestone. The Cardiac Arete, a four pitch alpine sport climb, is very fun climbing on very high quality rock – highly recommended!
Jon at Lake Annette, below the north face of Mt. Temple:
Colin simul-soloing low on the Greenwood-Jones. Photo by Jon Walsh:
Jon following our second roped pitch:
Jon heading up our third roped pitch:
Colin back on simul-soloing terrain. Photo by Jon Walsh:
Colin simul-soloing higher on the Greenwood-Jones. Photo by Jon Walsh:
With the rope on again, Jon heading up a funky little roof:
Jon coming up the last chossy pitch:
Colin following the second-to-last pitch, an excellent corner system on good limestone. Photo by Jon Walsh:
Nice views from the north face of Mt. Temple:
Jon finishing the last 5th-class pitch of the Greenwood-Jones:
Colin on the upper East Ridge of Mt. Temple – a nice snow arete, which makes for a classy finish to the route. Photo by Jon Walsh:
Simul summit photo-taking:
A raven joined us on the summit. Deltaform Peak behind:
A view of the Grand Sentinel (the quartzite rock tower) from Sentinel Pass:
Sarah nearing the base of the Grand Sentinel:
Steep, juggy climbing on the Cardiac Arete:
Sarah following the second pitch of the Cardiac Arete:
Nice exposure on the last pitch of the Cardiac Arete:
Pretty damn nice scenery – Larch Valley, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks behind:
Larch trees with fine, fall colors:
