Cool places, ethics, and climbing paraphernalia

 This is my friend Dave. 

I think I took that picture when we went climbing around in the Black Canyon about a year ago. Dave is crazy. He bolts routes on lead (hard ones too). He opens his beers with his teeth, and opens his mind with his beers (or so he says). 

So anyway we went out to this Thunder Ridge place out in the old South Platte yesterday so he could show me a thing or two about this “real gangster s#*t”. The place was kept secret for years by a couple of old school hard men who wished to practice their ground-up climbing ethos in solitude without having to be bothered by the contemptuous masses. Then a few years ago this place popped up on mountainproject.com. The information was limited and a lot of people got to saying that it was a sand-bagged choss-pile (perhaps a conspiracy masterminded by he founding fathers to detour the masses). 

Thats Dave drillin' on lead

However, Thunder is not a choss-pile. In fact it is one of the most beautiful and unique climbing venues in the state – and people are catching on to this. Everything was first lead ground up, which gives the routes a very exciting feel. Basically, if the guy who climbs it first can’t find a way to put a bolt in (on lead), nobody else is going to get one either. This style shares the experience of the first ascent with everyone who climbs it thereafter. Anyway…

Routes at Thunder can be hard to protect. The crack systems are often flared all kinds of crazy. Quite often a thick nylon sling over a chicken-head is the best pro you get. Unlikely stopper placements and unconventional cam placements are pretty common, too. 

Here is a list of recommended climbing widgets for Thunder: 

-Metolius offset Matercams and offset TCUs – there are quite a few routes where if you don’t have a specific piece, you’re hosed. Offset cams are quite often that specific piece.

-Mammut Nylon slings – putting one of these around those wonderfully abrasive chicken heads is a whole lot more comforting than using a 8mm dyneema sling.

-Blue Water or Beal ropes – some of that gear is just sketch – let your rope take the force.

-A generous supply of mental fortitude. We don’t sell mental fortitude at the WildyX because we don’t have a liquor license.

So yeah, get you some of that aforementioned gear for best price at the WildyX. Then go check out Thunder Ridge (or don’t). But remember when you go there to be safe, respect the style (the place wouldn’t be that same with out it), respect the access issues and be ready to walk away completely trashed.

Climb on,

SB