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Cloud Tower is one of many pillars on the northeast flank of the East Peak of Rainbow Mountain. It hosts
several high-quality routes, including the improbable-looking classic Crimson Chrysalis.
Topo Map (showing Pine Creek Canyon and Rainbow Mt.)
Routes: Chrimson Chrysalis (960', 5.8+)
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Date: May 25, 2015
Party: Paul and Dietrich Belitz
Route: Crimson Chrysalis
Equipment: Double set of camalots from 0.4 to 3, double set of stoppers, double ropes, many slings
Time: Car to start of route: 1hr 15mins
Time on route: 7 hrs
Time down: 2hrs
Roundtrip from car: 12 1/2 hrs
Comments: Time on route includes about an hour waiting out a squall on top of pitch five. The third pitch is clearly the crux (5.8+ or 5.9). The sixth pitch (also rated 5.8+) is not nearly as hard. The eight pitch above the ramp is stiff and intimidating for 5.7.
Trip report:
After our disastrous performance in 2014 we were determined to try again (I was, that is, and talked Paul into it), so we scheduled another Red Rocks trip in March 2015. Unfortunately I came down with the flu the day I flew to Vegas, was way too sick to get on something that demands as much endurance as Crimson, and we climbed Birdland instead. So I booked another flight to Vegas for Memorial Day weekend, even though we were worried about it being too hot by then. It turned out that the limiting factor was rain, not temperatures, which really took us by surprise, but we made it, if just barely.
I flew to Vegas on Saturday morning, Paul picked me up, and we proceeded to the Black Corridor and Willows Springs for some warmup. It was solidly cloudy, cool, and there even was the occasional sprinkle. During the night it rained off an on, and when our alarm went off at 4:40am we seriously considered staying in our sleeping bags. But then we got up after all, decided it didn't look completely disastrous, made coffee, and proceeded to the still-locked gate at the loop road. There was only one car in line ahead of us, and its occupants turned out to be hikers, so we were reasonably sure we'd be the first on the route. Indeed, there were no other cars in the parking lot, and no parties following us on the trail. The weather seemed to have scared everybody off.
We started out, swapping leads in the opposite order from last year, with me taking the odd ones, and made good progess. On pitch two we got hit by a few sprinkles, but it was nothing serious. I led the crux pitch three on dry rock, and the next two pitches went quickly. While Paul was following pitch five it started to rain seriously, and by the time he joined me at the hanging belay there were rivulets flowing down the water streaks. I donned my rain jacket, Paul his not-so-waterproof synthetic jacket, and we waited for the squall to move trough. It did, and we saw it move out into the valley, continuing to send rain all the way to the ground. Then came the long wait for the rock to dry. We were worried that the next squall would arrive before that happened, but eventually Paul set out on pitch six. Halfway up pitch seven it started to rain again, and I raced up the easy pitch as fast as I could. Fortunately the brunt of the squall missed us, going farther south, and the rock stayed dry enough to climb. After the slick pitch eight, the second half of which was every move as intimidating as we remembered, we were facing the belay from which we had bailed the year before. My right forearm was a bit worn, and I was generally tired, and I declared that I'd need a break before leading the final pitch, which looked pretty wet. Paul, worried that we wouldn't make it and I'd drag him back again next year, volunteered to lead, and after some struggling over wet rock we topped out at the last anchor, from which it's a short scramble to the summit. We had made it!
The view from the top is very impressive. Rainbow Wall is a short distance to the west, and one can see far out over Las Vegas. After taking some pictures we started down, making seven rappels for the nine pitches on our double ropes. On pitch seven we passed the only other party that was on the route that day, a German guy and a French guy who were on a grand tour of the American West. Two hours later we collected the stuff we had left at the base and hiked out. It was a great trip, and we finally redpointed that 5.8!
Dietrich leading the first pitch. |
Paul at a belay. |
Rainbow Wall from high on the route. |
Paul on the summit. |
View down from the summit. |
View from the top of the third pitch (crux). |
Date: March 28, 2014
Party: Paul and Dietrich Belitz
Route: Crimson Chrysalis
Equipment: Alpine rack to Camalot #3
Time: 1 hr 20 mins for the approach
about 6 hrs on the route
about 2 hrs down
about 12 hrs car to car
Comments: We got to within 50 vertical feet from the top of the last pitch before cramping forearms forced us to bail.
Trip report:
In retrospect, our problem was that we didn't take this route seriously enough. The traditional rating is 960', 5.8+, but Fred Beckey rates it IV, 5.9, and if he rates something grade IV I better pay attention! In any case, both of us experienced serious forearm cramps, probably due to dehydration, at the last belay and halfway up the last pitch, respectively, and with nine double-rope rappels ahead of us on a route that's notorious for snagging ropes the only reasonable decision was to bail. We had started out just after the loop road opened, drove to Juniper Canyon, and raced another party up the approach trail. Our dehydration problem probably started right there, and it was easy not to notice it because it was very cold. It may actually have started the night before, when we drank too much beer and too little water. The other party had only one fast member, who got to the start simultaneously with us, but as we got there another party of two were tying in. So that made us number two for departure, and we shivered at the base for quite a while until the first belay was clear.
Paul took the first pitch, and after that we swung leads until I got tired and psyched out at the top of the ramp on pitch 8. I stopped there, brought Paul up, and he led the remainder of the pitch, which turned out to be slick and rather intimidating, although technically not as hard as it looked. When I joined him at the belay Paul announced that his forearms were cramping, and there was no way he was going to lead the last pitch. I had recovered a bit and said I'd do it, no problem. I pulled over the small roof, clipped the bolt above it, and just at that point both of my forearms gave out, too. The relentlessly steep route, together with our dehydration, had taken its toll. So I left a bail biner and rejoined Paul at the last belay. It was getting late, and much as I hated to admit it, Paul was right when he insisted that the only reasonable way to go was down. So we retreated, after having gotten within 50 vertical feet of the top.
It was still a nice trip, but I was bummed out about not finishing the route and immediately started making plans for another attempt. It's very easy to underestimate the route. It may be only hard 5.8, but it's relentlessly steep and all but one are hanging belays. Several hours of this takes a toll on forearms, toes, calves, etc. We promised ourselves that before our next attempt we'd drink less beer and more water, and overall take the whole thing more seriously. As it turned out, the next time we didn't even get on the route, because I was sick, but the third time, in May 2015, was the charm.
Red Rocks by Jerry Handren
