Chasm View Wall

Other routes I've climbed on Chasm View Wall: 
Babies R Us (5.12a, 5p, toprope)     •     Directissima (5.10b, 4p)     •    Indirectissima (5.9, 4-6p)     •    Red Wall (5.10b, 6p)      •    Royal Flush (5.11c, 10p)     •    Sharp on Both Ends (5.11d, 6p) 
Category: Colorado (RMNP)Top-out Elev: ~13,500 ftRock Type: Granite
Date: August 10, 2022 (Wed)Trip Report #: 567Partner: Will Starks

Route: Babies R Us (5.12a, 5p, via toprope)  

Toproping this fantastic yet heady route.

Intro

Will and I had planned to climb Pervertical Sanctuary on The Diamond, but when we got to Broadway, a party (who we had not seen, they had been hanging out on the ledge when we started up the North Chimney) was just beginning to start up. The Casual Route had a couple of parties on it and another in wait. Will and I debated going for D7 or Black Dagger, but it was already mid-morning and although both of us had already climbed these harder routes, as a team today we decided neither one was a choice we felt psyched on. 

We debated what to do. It was one of the rare splitter days of Summer 2022 (hence the crowds on the Diamond on a midweek day), so it was not an option to waste it and just hike out. Somehow we came upon the idea of rappelling Babies R Us and toproping each pitch as we rappelled. This route is on Chasm View Wall, featuring five pitches of challenging climbing up to 5.12a, on excellent clean rock. The route is often wet, but had finally dried off. Both of us wanted to climb this route, but the heady runnouts on difficult terrain would probably keep us away. So toproping the pitches sounded like a fun way to salvage the day. Not as pure as leading the route from the ground up, but still a way to experience the route. After toproping this route and eyeing the large spacing between bolts on thought-provoking terrain, I have utmost respect for those who go about this route in the much more respectable fashion of ground up.

The following page gives an overlay and pitch-by-pitch photos for the toprope adventure. Even though we did the route from the top down, I have arranged the pitches from ground up.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd-3rd or 5.4

To reach the base of the route: Starting from Longs Peak Trailhead, hike to the base of Chasm View Wall. Begin 250 feet right of the North Chimney, just right of a conspicuous black streak that the route eventually crosses. 

To reach the top of the route: Will and I did this route as a toprope adventure after bailing on The Diamond due to too many parties. We had ascended the North Chimney (5.4), and then accessed the top anchor of the route by traversing across Broadway (loose 3rd). 

Even if you get to the Longs Peak Trailhead after 5am on a summer weekday, you have to park way down the road.
Trail crew at work. Thanks guys!
Approaching Chasm Lake Cirque and The Diamond.
Alpine columbine. One of my favorite flowers. There are an unusually large number of these on the trail to Chasm Lake Cirque.
The Diamond. Looking dry up there....finally!
The North Chimney. Not much snow to negotiate at this point in the season. We had a late start, so there were no parties above us in the North Chimney.
The loose 3rd class on Broadway at the top of the North Chimney.
On Broadway, headed towards the top of Babies R Us.
The top anchor is on the rock about in the middle of the photo.

Pitch 1

5.11, 140'

mountainproject description: This pitch has a high first bolt, and a fall could easily end in a broken ankle. So make sure you can pick out the moves before you begin. Smear some delicate slab moves up to the first bolt, clip it, and take a deep breath. Head straight up the obvious weakness, aiming for a pin in a shallow, left-facing corner up and right. Clip this pin, move up and right out of the corner and commit to a healthy, albeit easy, runout to the line of bolts marking the crux of this pitch, ending at a two bolt belay below a roof.

This photo was taken the previous weekend when Nate and I climbed Indirectissima (5.9, 4-6p) on Chasm View Wall. We walked over to check out the start of Babies R Us. Looks like some great rock on this route. The first bolt looks a tad high though....on 5.11a terrain....
Will toproping Pitch 1. We belayed this one from the top anchor because the pitch is too long for both ends of a single rope to touch the ground.

Pitch 2

5.12a, 100'

mountainproject description: Get some thin gear to start in a shallow corner right off the belay, then take another deep breath as you commit to the slabby features leading to the first bolt 20 feet above. A hidden piton below it gives a welcome surprise. The bolts get close together, you know what that means. After the crux, some more engaged runouts lead to another two bolt belay.

Will toproping Pitch 2.
Some good rock on Pitch 2.
A hidden piton.
Bolted anchor at the top of the pitch.
Looking down at Pitch 2 when rappelling it. A sea of superb rock.

Pitch 3

5.11, 80'

mountainproject description: You guessed it, another runout to the first bolt (much easier than the first two)! Follow the bolts to the crux arete sequence, then venture up the easier crack/ledge system to a single bolt belay. The single bolt can be supplemented with a low piece of gear (difficult to equalize if leading the route).

Will starting up Pitch 3 on toprope.
The single bolt belay at the top of the pitch. For toproping, we supplemented this with two bomber cams down low (would be difficult to equalize if leading). For rappelling, I offered to be the one to rappel on the single bolt.

Pitch 4

5.9+, 110'

mountainproject description: Step down and right to the corner, then go up to the bolt which is 15 feet straight right of the belay. Climb up into the roof where you plug some bomber big gear (optional #4), pull the lip, and enjoy the moderate cracks up to a fixed belay of stoppers and old tat.

Looking up Pitch 4.
This corner looks vegetated but it climbs quite well. Fun 5.9.

Pitch 5

5.11, 120'

mountainproject description: Go up and right off the belay in a shallow, right-arching corner, then go up to a fixed pin protecting the step right into another corner. Gun for the two bolts above on the clean panel of rock, then bust a move over the mini-roof and up the flake. Reach onto the ledge and dig those fingers in deep to that grass, exciting! The top anchor is stoppers and old tat.

Will toproping Pitch 5.

Top!

The route ends on Broadway.

The anchor at the top of the route: stoppers and old tat.

Descent

Rappel the route. The route is designed to be rappelled in four rappels with double ropes (skip the single-bolt anchor at the top of Pitch 3). We rappelled with a single rope, but this meant rappelling from a single bolt (we left a carabiner on it too) at the top of Pitch 3 and using an Escaper to make the final rappel to the ground.

For the final rappel to the ground, a single rope will not get you there. The perfect time to bust out an Escaper.
Beginning the hike out. Chasm Lake in the distance.
Hiking out in the afternoon sun. A glorious day to be in the alpine.
I think these are garnet crystals.
Arriving back at my now-lonely car.

previous and next adventures