| Report Type | Full |
| Peak(s) |
Uncompahgre Peak - 14,318 feet |
| Date Posted | 09/25/2012 |
| Modified | 10/06/2012 |
| Date Climbed | 09/21/2012 |
| Author | pglover |
| From Florida to Flatiron to Fourteener |
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The Third Flatiron My brother Lee came up from Florida for a week and we tried to pack in as much as possible. He lived in Boulder some thirty years ago and we used to hike fourteeners and climb together, but he had never climbed any of the Flatirons. We spent a couple of days making warm-up hikes in the Flats and then headed for the Third.  My wife Vidya grew up the oldest of six daughters in Nepal and loves spending time with her daai (older brother).    Our intention was to climb East Face Left, at 400 meters one of the longest routes in the Boulder area.  We started on East Face Left, passing three vintage bolts spaced out over the first 100 meters (I would not recommend clipping any of them). At the end of pitch two we reached the blunt little roof which traverses horizontally across the entire left side of the Third. I was unsure about where to pull over and tried a couple of dead-ends before ruling out soloing. Lee gave me a Munter Hitch belay on what turned out to be a stiff 5.8 move with appreciable exposure. After I hauled myself onto the slab above the roof I had him take me off belay again. I cannot tell you the last time I led off a Munter Hitch. Above the roof the climbing trended towards the left edge and we ascended most of the formation via the route Third World Zone.   It took us eight pitches to top out. Some were brief and wandered sideways but most were straight up 60m rope stretchers.   My feet were recovering from recent use so I wore approach shoes to save skin for Uncompahgre.  Uncompahgre Peak Day One I have a hangup about always starting form the nearest major valley floor when I go up a mountain and insisted we park at the beginning of the Nellie Creek road at 2835m/9,300ft.  We enjoyed the mellow 6.5k stroll up the road beneath flaming aspens. Sadly, Vidya could not join us on this trip. She would have loved the Fall colors and probably left us in the dust on the mountain.     The bear attack sign put us a little on edge. Since we had to spend the night in a flimsy tent we built a fire hoping smoke would work as bear repellent and then proceeded to break every rule on the warning sign.  We tossed and turned through the night plagued by insane altitude dreams when we did drift off and listening for the bear when awake. I do not know how anyone only a week out of Florida could sleep at all at up there. Day Two There was no sense of rush in the morning. The sky shown a light blue and there was only a hint of frost on the ground. We packed what we did not need on the hill and left a pack hanging in a tree. By 8am we were heading up. It was chilly under foot, but we were happy and Lee looked strong.  The San Juan Mountains are renowned for endless junk rock yet here were incredibly featured boulders of flawless stone. Where is the San Juan bouldering paradise, or better yet, an entire crag of this stuff? I scanned the slope above for the source of the boulders but did not spot any cliffs with significant promise.        Escarpments guard Uncompahgre on all sides and the trail only just slips through the one weakness available. The west face of the mountain is a jaw dropping 250 vertical meters of deteriorating detritus.      I waddled back into camp lagging behind. We packed for the trek to the car and Lee shouldered the heavier load (Thanks brother). I told him not wait. I had to deal with the next phase in my own little world of persistent determination on tender toes. He reached the car in an hour and forty-five minutes while it took me two and a half hours to timidly trundle out of there. I left most of my skin behind but completion was worth the few hours of discomfort.  It is always (well, almost always) worth it to persist in the mountains even if you do not entirely fulfill your goals. In this case I made it, and there was no rubber filter to dull the experience. My feet honestly know what that mountain feels like, which is just what you would imagine: solid, sharp, damp, dry, rough, smooth, hot, cold, etc. I am sure, like everyone else, Lee thinks I am crazy. That seems honest too. Two days later Lee was back under the hot heavy blanket of the Floridian atmosphere with sluggish circulation from excess red cells. Only in the modern world... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
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