Jurassic Park

Tim and I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park today to check out the Jurassic Park climbing area. We got to Lily Lake at 7:00 and by 8:00 we had navigated the climbers' trails to the base of the rocks and were ready to climb.

We started at Lefthand Rock and I led a very easy 5.2 sport route called Byron's Ladder. Though super easy, it was good to get a feel for the granite and general sense of the area. Then we moved slightly right and I led two more bolted climbs---T-Rect (5.7+) and Triceratops (5.8-). As the morning wore on, more and more people showed up. There was a group from Long Island, a camp that was toproping and practicing Tyrolean Traverses, and what looked like a family reunion.

We moved up to Dinosaur's Foot and attempted a 5.8+ lead on one of the "toes." The seventh bolt was definitely the crux, and neither of us could manage the delicate moves need to clip. After practicing some rescue techniques (on the ground) we went up to Estes Park for some yummy lunch. A great day!