Black Canyon of the Gunnison ClimbinG
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (North Rim)
Category: Colorado (Black Canyon)Elev: 6,000-7,000 ftRock Type: Gneiss
Dates: see main page for all days I've climbed in the Black CanyonPartners: see main page for all people I have climbed with in the Black CanyonTrip Report #s: see main page for all trip report numbers corresponding to reports for the Black Canyon
Dates: see main page for all days I've climbed in the Black CanyonPartners: see main page for all people I have climbed with in the Black CanyonTrip Report #s: see main page for all trip report numbers corresponding to reports for the Black Canyon
6 Trip Reports
6 Trip Reports
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM):
Moveable-Stoned-Voyage (5.10+, 9p)
The Cruise (5.10+, 10p)
Scenic Cruise (5.10+, 10p)
Journey Home (5.10, 6p)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (5.11-, 6p)
Leisure-Summer (5.9+, 6p)
This page is trip reports for North Chasm View Wall in the Black Canyon. Routes ordered left to right along the wall. Go to Black Canyon main page to access trip reports on other formations in the Black Canyon.
Table of Contents for this page
Table of Contents for this page
Trip reports
Trip reports
MayMoveable-Stoned-Voyage (5.10+, 9p, ~1800')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL - PILLARS AREA (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)MayMoveable-Stoned-Voyage (5.10+, 9p, ~1800')
- Date: May 18, 2024 (Sat) Partner: Nate Arganbright
This route climbs Plunge Pillar, combining Moveable Feast with the exit pitches of Stoned Oven. Although this route lacks the consistent quality to be considered a classic, the climbing is fun and strenuous, with incredible position on North Chasm's main face. Highlights are the improbable traverse on Pitch 3, the crux 5.10+ undercling on Pitch 7, and the wild Womb Fight exit. Nate and I thought this was a fun adventure route, with great position, a few great sections of climbing, a moderate amount of choss, and a memorable belly crawl to the finish. The approach to the base of the route took us just under 2 hours and our camp to camp time was just under 9 hours.
Route Overlay #1
Route Overlay #2
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Approach:
Descend the Cruise Gully to the prow of North Chasm, then walk downstream below the expansive SW Face. Follow the path of least resistance through the maze of scree, bushes, and poison ivy. A house-sized boulder marks the mouth of the "approach gully" to Plunge Pillar. Hike uphill to this gully. Continue up and right, climbing an additional 300-400' of exposed 4th class terrain to a large terrace above. Approach time: 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Descending to around the toe of NCVW.
Some healthy poison ivy.
Nate embracing the poison ivy.
The approach gully once around the toe of NCVW.
The approach gully.
The 4th class scramble to the base of the route.
Pitch 1:
5.8. Climb a bushy crack and belay on a ledge above.
Pitch 1.
They weren't kidding about the bushyness.
Pitch 2:
5.10. An easy hand crack leads to a left-angling ramp. At a larger ledge above, locate a thin crack on the face. Climb this crack to a short 5.10 bulge, then trend left past a slung flake. Belay at a semi-hanging stance in a right-facing corner system.
Nate starting up Pitch 2.
Higher on Pitch 2. This was a quality pitch of climbing.
Pitch 3:
5.9. Continue up the hands corner for approximately 30 feet until it turns into fist-sized. Place a high #4 and make an improbable traverse (hard-right and slightly down) along an inconspicuous weakness of flakes. This wild 5.9 traverse eventually gains another crack system. Belay at the base of a thin, grungy corner.
Looking up the start of Pitch 3. Climb the corner for 30 feet, then traverse right and down.
Nate on the 5.9 traverse on flakes. This protects well.
Steph on Pitch 3. Photo taken by Nate at the belay at the top of the pitch.
Pitch 4:
5.9 PG13. Climb the dirty corner, moving up and right into a groove. Tiptoe around some loose blocks and finish on a steeper section of pegmatite.
Nate leading Pitch 4.
Higher up on Pitch 4.
Pitch 5:
5.9. Move around the corner and follow a quartz weakness. More climbing through loose blocks eventually leads to a large chockstone. Make some awkward 5.9 moves into a bombay chimney and belay on a small ledge above.
Start of Pitch 5.
Giant quartz crystal on Pitch 5.
The bombay chimney at the end of Pitch 5. This is a committing 5.9 move. Don't fall here as your belayer has no idea what's going on with 50m of rope out and no visual.
Pitch 6:
5.easy. Chossy terrain leads to the obvious chimney/exit gully behind Plunge Pillar. This is the finish for A Moveable Feast. For Moveable-Stoned-Voyage, traverse right to gain Stoned Oven Ledge.
Pitch 6.
Pitch 6 to Stoned Oven Ledge.
Looking down at Nate at the base of Pitch 6, from my belay on Stoned Oven Ledge. Gunnison River 1000 or so feet below.
Nate on Pitch 6.
Stoned Oven Ledge.
Pitch 7:
STONED OVEN PITCH 9. 5.10+. Start up a peg groove on the right side of the ledge, eventually moving back left along a 5.10+ undercling. A sustained 5.10 thin hands crack ends at a short 5.11 or A0 move at a bolt. Bust right and belay 10 feet above a sloping stance.
Nate leading Pitch 7.
Fun strenuous crack climbing on Pitch 7.
A bolt at the top of Pitch 7. We both chose to go the A0 route here.
Pitch 8:
STONED OVEN PITCH 10. 5.9. An airy step across the gap accesses a splitter hand/finger crack. Follow this through some peg and belay at a ledge above.
Nate starting up Pitch 8. Fun crack climbing.
Higher on Pitch 8.
Pitch 9:
STONED OVEN PITCH 11. 5.8. Womb Fight. Follow the horizontal groove right and continue up a 5.8 slab. Follow the path of least resistance to the rim.
Nate leading the Womb Fight.
The 5.8 section at the finish of the pitch after the Womb Fight.
Womb Fight.
Great exposure.
Top out:
A 5th class move or two (depending on where you belayed) and a bit of 4th to the top. Top out on rim and walk back to your campsite or car.
The final short pitch to the top. It started to sprinkle on us just as we finished.
We topped out right on the trail.
Other photos:
Just some random photos from the day.
Relaxing at camp after a great day of climbing in the Black.
I retired my shoes after this climb.
The dumpster at the campground was an appropriate climbing shoe final resting spot.
The Cruise (5.10+, 10+p, ~1800')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)The Cruise (5.10+, 10+p, ~1800')
- Date: May 25, 2022 (Wed) Partner: Nate Arganbright
The Cruise shares 7 of its 10 pitches with Scenic Cruise. The first pitch is the same, but Pitches 2-4 go straight up rather than right onto the Scenic Cruise. Although the Cruise does not see nearly the traffic of the Scenic Cruise, it is every bit as good, and tackles a wider variety of climbing, from demanding offwidth to thin stemming. For this reason, The Cruise may be the quintessential 5.10 testpiece in the Black, requiring climbers to dig deep into their bag of tricks throughout a long day on the wall. The Cruise can be a good option for stronger parties to bypass slower groups in the morning (if they bring the big cams).
With Nate in the lead, we cruised up the route in just under 6 hours from base to top (7 hours camp to camp). We were relaxing in the warm sun reading books by 2pm, and did so for the rest of the afternoon. Along with the Scenic Cruise, The Cruise is one of the best 5.10 routes I’ve climbed. Awesome job leading this entire route, Nate.
(I also have climbed the Scenic Cruise twice. See the trip reports for these climbs for even more photos of The Cruise.)
High Resolution Image
High Resolution Photo of North Chasm View Wall (taken from Checkerboard Wall). Scenic Cruise starts at the base of the obvious right-facing corner system and pretty much climbs a crack system just a bit right of the skyline all the way to the top!
High Resolution Image with Route Overlay #1
Route Overlay #2
Route Overlay #3
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Approach:
Descend Cruise Gully (scrambling + 2 fixed raps) until about 500 feet above the river. Start in the prominent, right-facing corner system. Approach: ~ 1 hour.
Leaving camp.
Rappel 1 of 2 in Cruise Gully.
There was some healthy poison ivy in Cruise Gully.
Pitch 1:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.8. Climb the dihedral to the terrace.
Nate starting up Pitch 1.
Dihedral on Pitch 1.
Pitch 2:
5.9. Move up and slightly left to access a 5.9 hand crack leading into the prominent crack/corner above (the left of two parallel crack systems). Belay at a chockstone below a squeeze/offwidth.
Nate starting up Pitch 2.
Fun 5.9 crack climbing on Pitch 2.
Pitch 3:
5.10+. Tackle the 5.10 squeeze chimney as it slowly tapers to a 5.10+ offwidth. A burley but well-protected pitch (if you have a #4 and #5). Exit onto a ledge below a thin, left-facing corner.
Nate at the belay at the top of Pitch 2. Pitch 3 looms ahead.
The start of Pitch 3.
Higher on Pitch 3.
Old bolt on Pitch 3. It doesn’t inspire confidence, but clip it to keep the rope out of the crack.
Pitch 4:
5.10+ (5.9 R). Stem up the thin 5.10+ dihedral to a stance at a pegmatite band. An ancient bolt inspires little confidence in the runnout 5.9 face climbing above. It is possible to veer left onto steeper, but better protected 5.9 climbing. End on a prominent ledge. The route rejoins Scenic Cruise here. This is an excellent pitch.
Looking up Pitch 4.
An old bolt just before the 5.8 R finish on Pitch 4.
Steph climbing the 5.8 R finish. Photo by Nate.
Pitch 5:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.10+. This is the crux pitch of Scenic Cruise and one of the crux pitches of The Cruise. It is a challenging and great pitch. Climb up the corner, through the steep 5.10+ crux, eventually moving right under the roof to a 5.9 hand crack. A short section of offwidth leads to a narrow ledge. This ledge was in the shade and an awesome place to belay. Save a big cam (#4 is better than #3) for the final wide stretch.
Nate starting up Pitch 5.
Pitch 6:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.8. Climb the hand crack above the ledge, eventually exiting onto easy slabs. Move left and belay at any number of stances beneath the massive flake feature above. Although the topo mentions you can possibly link Pitches 6+7 with a 70m rope, it also notes the potential for rope drag if you do so. The rope drag is real, even with my minimal and thoughtful gear placements. But linking the first half of Pitch 7 into Pitch 6 seemed to work well and had a comfortable shady belay spot. This straightforward and moderate pitch is a nice break from the sustained pitches leading up to it.
Nate starting up Pitch 6.
Pitch 7:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.8. Continue moving up along the left side of a pillar, upwards, and chimney behind a large flake. Belay at the only bolted anchor on the route. This was a short pitch for us since we had linked the first half into Pitch 6.
Pitch 7.
Pitch 7. Photo by Nate.
Anchor at the top of Pitch 7. This is the only bolted anchor on the route. Photo by Nate.
Pitch 8:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.9+. Traverse hard right along a ledge system, and then move up and right through face moves (two bolts, with a few 5.9 moves above the bolts, mental crux of route perhaps). Continue up and right to a stance below a corner/bulge. Belay here or climb through the bulge and up the corner.
Nate starting the traverse at the start of Pitch 8.
The first bolt on the face section on Pitch 8.
Pitch 9:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.9+. Make an airy traverse hard left on flakes to gain a corner/crack system. The rock is rather slippery so feels a bit insecure for the grade. Climb up as far as you can, ideally to a sloping stance below a final steep section.
Pitch 9 traverses left and then climbs steep and polished cracks.
Pitch 10:
Shares with Scenic Cruise.5.9. Climb up the steep section, then follow easier cracks above to easier terrain. Climb all the way to the terrace and belay at an obvious tree.
The start of the final pitch.
Cacti on the final 4th class section to the top of the pitch.
A convenient tree to belay off of at the top of the pitch.
Top out:
Walk left along the terrace and scramble out of a weakness (3rd) to the top. Pop out at the scenic overlook on the canyon rim. Hike the nature/overlook trail back to the campground.
The fence at the overlook is the finish line. 5 hours 59 minutes base to top!
Arriving back at camp, 7 hours after we left that morning.
The whiteboard. A rather quiet day at the Black considering the perfect weather.
Booty from the day. I cleaned the cam and I pulled the piton easily out of the rock at the belay stance at the top of Pitch 3 of The Cruise, figuring it was better I take it as a souvenir than some future climber blindly weighting it at an anchor.
Other photos:
Various other photos from the day. We got back to camp at 1:50pm and spent a highly enjoyable afternoon lounging in the warm sun drinking Fresca and reading books. I also downloaded my photos and worked on a route overlay. There is no cell service at the campground, so I would have to wait until I got home to post the trip report. Usually a trip to the Black results in several hours working on a trip report once I get back to civilization. But the lack of cell service is nice for an excuse to do some reading.
A flannel pillow my mom made me for my birthday. Thanks mom! I slept great with this as my pillow.
Morning coffee before the climb. The propane heater is great to have for cold mornings (it was in the low 40’s in the morning).
Relaxing at camp after a 1800-foot morning of climbing. Nate is reading and I am downloading my photos.
Sunny afternoon at camp. The North Rim has some of my favorite camping.
Another photo of our campsite. Campsite #2 is a nice one.
I got a Jackery solar panel set-up for Christmas, and it is so useful for trips like this.
A nonogram. I am addicted to these. I just finished my Masters and am enjoying giving my brain a bit of a break with logic puzzles and books.
Nate’s dinner: grilled sandwich. Dinner tastes even better after a day of climbing.
My dinner: scrambled eggs, velveeta cheese, heirloom tomatoes. Dinner tastes even better after a day of climbing.
Scenic Cruise (5.10+, 10+p, ~1800')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)Scenic Cruise (5.10+, 10+p, ~1800')
- Date: September 21, 2019 (Sat) Partner: Natalie Huey
- Date: May 19, 2021 (Wed) Partner: Michael Underwood
The Scenic Cruise is one of the most popular routes in the Black and one of the best routes of its grade in Colorado. The pitches are long and sustained, and the climbing is awesome and the rock great throughout. The Scenic Cruise is actually a 4-pitch variation to The Cruise, while the other 6 pitches on the route are shared with The Cruise. But most people just mean the full 10-pitch route when they mention "Scenic Cruise".
September 2019: The Scenic Cruise had been on my list for quite awhile. My Washington friend Doug and I had tried to climb when we passed through the Black in July 2019 on a cooler/cloudier streak of summer weather, but we had bailed at the top of the first pitch when it started to sprinkle rain. So Scenic Cruise was high on my list for the Fall, once temperatures began to cool off. So in late September after a couple of chilly weekends on the Diamond, I proposed the idea of climbing Scenic Cruise to my new climbing friend Natalie, and she was game. We made the 5 hour drive from Boulder to the Black on Friday evening, climbed the route on Saturday, and drove back to Boulder Saturday night, arriving back just after midnight. It would have been nice to stay for two days, but I had to split my weekend between climbing and homework. It was great to tick off this route at the beginning of the season and before it got crowded. I hope to make time to return to the Black for some more routes this fall.
May 2020: A year and a half later, in the Spring, I climbed the Scenic Cruise again with my friend Michael. Daytime high was 73°, so temperatures were reasonable on the route. The route was even better the second time, and went a bit quicker than my first time, although it was still just as challenging. I'll be back again I'm sure!
May 2022: I climbed The Cruise with Nate. The Cruise shares 7 pitches with the Scenic Cruise. See The Cruise trip report for details.
High Resolution Image
High Resolution Photo of North Chasm View Wall (taken from Checkerboard Wall). Scenic Cruise starts at the base of the obvious right-facing corner system and pretty much climbs a crack system just a bit right of the skyline all the way to the top!High Resolution Image with Route Overlay #1
Route Overlay #2
Route Overlay #3
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
I've included side-by-side trip reports for both times I have climbed the Scenic Cruise. Color coded: September 2019 May 2021
Approach:
Descend Cruise Gully (scrambling + 2 fixed raps) until about 500 feet above the river. Start in the prominent, right-facing corner system. Approach: ~ 1 hour.
September 2019Walking down the road in the morning darkness.
September 2019Rappel 1 of 2 in the Cruise Gully. The fixed ropes are super nice to have.
September 2019Rappel 2 of 2 in the Cruise Gully.
September 2019Lots of poison ivy in the Cruise Gully. But it was avoidable.
September 2019Sun starting to move down the walls.
May 2021Starting down Cruise Gully.
May 2021Rappel 1 of 2 in Cruise Gully.
May 2021Rappel 2 of 2 in Cruise Gully.
May 2021Poison ivy.
Pitch 1:
Shares with The Cruise.5.8. Climb the dihedral to the terrace.
September 2019Natalie starting up Pitch 1. We swung leads on the route.
September 2019Corner on Pitch 1.
May 2021Looking up the route. Pretty much identical photo as above.
Pitch 2:
5.9+. Move up a handcrack and then right across a face and then climb up through a .9+ roof bulge. Belay in the "v-notch" above.
September 2019The hand crack at the start of Pitch 2.
September 2019The Cruise goes left, while Scenic Cruise goes right across the face into the crack system on the right side of the photo.
September 2019The crux of the pitch is pulling through this roof. Great climbing!
September 2019Natalie following the pitch. The sun has arrived. We began to strip layers....
May 2021Michael arriving at the belay. Why am I still wearing my headlight?
Pitch 3:
5.10+. Prepare for a pretty awesome 60m pitch of climbing. This pitch is the first of the two most physically-demanding pitches on the route, but the gear is great so its not the mental crux of the route. Conserve your gear though. Start off by stemming through a short section of .9+ and then launch into a section of .10+ fingers/laybacking followed by a lengthy .10 hand crack. Belay at a stance in the peg band.
September 2019Natalie starting up Pitch 3. Nice lead Natalie!
September 2019Awesome crack climbing midway up the pitch.
September 2019Looking down. What a wonderful place to spend the day. (Photo by Natalie.)
May 2021Looking up the pitch.
May 2021Micheal starting up the pitch. I guess I like the “not quite a buttshot” lead photo since I took a nearly identical one of Natalie. Nice lead Michael!
May 2021Finger crack higher on the pitch.
Pitch 4:
5.9+ (R). For me, this pitch was the mental crux of the route. Climb up and left along the peg band up to a horn. It's a pretty good horn, but the next few moves will be taking you left and then above the horn, so I used a tip from my friend Dow and clipped my water bottle and shoes to give me a bit more reassurance it would hold in place. The next part was the crux and took me some time to mentally commit to it. You have to move up a slippery pegmatite hand rail with no pro facing a pretty unpleasant and possibly a bit dangerous fall/swing. The moves are probably 5.9 or so. Envisioning rapping off the horn and the walk of shame up the Cruise Gully was enough to get me to go for it. After this, it was pretty easy climbing up and then left to the base of the corner system that is back on The Cruise route. The second time I climbed this route, Michael led this pitch, and I took Pitch 5 instead.
September 2019The start of Pitch 4. Climb up through the pegmatite area towards a horn above, which you cannot see in the photo.
September 2019Since the slung horn is the last piece of protection before the crux, which is up and left of the horn, I weighted the sling with my water bottle. As a sidenote, this HydraPak water bottle is awesome.
May 2021Looking up at the start of the pitch. This was taken from slightly lower down than Photo 15 above.
May 2021Slinging the horn, again using the trick of weighting the sling for a bit more sense of security.
Pitch 5:
Shares with The Cruise.5.10+. Prepare for another awesome pitch of climbing (well they are all awesome, but this one particularly so). This pitch is the second of the two most physically-demanding pitches on the route, but again the gear is great so I would have much preferred to lead this pitch than the previous. Climb up the corner, through the steep 5.10+ crux, eventually moving right under the roof to a 5.9 hand crack. A short section of offwidth leads to a narrow ledge. This ledge was in the shade and an awesome place to belay. Save a big cam (#4 is better than #3) for the final wide stretch.
September 2019Natalie stemming into the crux at the start of the pitch. Another awesome lead by Natalie.
September 2019Fun cruiser climbing in the upper half of the pitch.
September 2019Natalie enjoying a shady belay spot. It was the hottest point in the day on this pitch, so the shady belay was rejuvenating!
May 2021Looking up at the start of the pitch.
May 2021Michael following the pitch.
May 2021This is a photo of the final wide crack (protects with #3 or even better a #4) that finishes the pitch, according to the pitch breakdown in the guidebook. I set the belay just below this final wide section. Note to self for next time: Save a big cam for this part of the pitch.
Pitch 6:
Shares with The Cruise.5.8. Climb the hand crack above the ledge, eventually exiting onto easy slabs. Move left and belay at any number of stances beneath the massive flake feature above. Although the topo mentions you can possibly link Pitches 6+7 with a 70m rope, it also notes the potential for rope drag if you do so. The rope drag is real, even with my minimal and thoughtful gear placements. But linking the first half of Pitch 7 into Pitch 6 seemed to work well and had a comfortable shady belay spot. This straightforward and moderate pitch is a nice break from the sustained pitches leading up to it.
September 2019The start of Pitch 6.
May 2021Fun crack climbing on Pitch 6.
May 2021Moderate climbing.
Pitch 7:
Shares with The Cruise.5.8. Continue moving up along the left side of a pillar, around a horn, and chimney behind a large flake. Belay at the only bolted anchor on the route. This was a short pitch for us since I had linked the first half into Pitch 6.
September 2019Looking up Pitch 7. I linked the part you can see into Pitch 6 quite easily.
September 2019Natalie making the step onto my chosen belay ledge after squeezing behind the horn.
September 2019The final portion of this pitch chimneys up behind the flake and ends at a bolted belay.
May 2021Michael pulling around the horn.
May 2021Looking down at Michael climbing past the wild flake feature. Photo taken from bolted belay.
Pitch 8:
Shares with The Cruise.5.9+. This pitch has the second mental crux of the route, but we didn't think it was as heady or possibly consequential as the mental crux of Pitch 4. Traverse hard right along a ledge system, and then move up and right through face moves (two bolts, with a few 5.9 moves above the bolts). Continue up and right to a stance below a corner/bulge.
September 2019Natalie starting off the pitch. Go hard right.
September 2019Another view of the start of the pitch, showing the only bolted anchor on the route.
September 2019The face section. Two bolts.
September 2019View looking down on Steph following the pitch. (Photo by Natalie.)
May 2021Michal starting off the pitch.
May 2021Another sunny scenic belay in the Black.
May 2021The face section. Two bolts. Pretty much an identical photo to Photo 26 above.
Pitch 9:
Shares with The Cruise.5.9+. Climb through the bulge and up the corner (the topo has this as the end of the previous pitch). Make an airy traverse hard left on flakes to gain a corner/crack system. Climb up as far as you can, ideally to a sloping stance below a final steep section.
September 2019The bulge at the start of the pitch.
September 2019Traverse left here on flakes. There's enough chalk to make the traverse fairly obvious.
September 2019A corner/crack system after the traverse. The good stuff just keeps coming on this route!
May 2021Looking back down at the traverse.
May 2021The topo has this section of crack as the final part of Pitch 9.
Pitch 10:
Shares with The Cruise.5.9. Climb up the steep section, then follow easier cracks above to easier terrain. I climbed all the way to the terrace and belayed at an obvious tree.
September 2019The steep section at the start of the pitch. This is the final bit of 5.9 on the route, as after this it is pretty mellow climbing to the terrace.
September 2019Final section of fun 5.7-ish climbing.
September 2019The top of the pitch eases quite a bit. I belayed at the tree on the terrace in the center of the photo.
May 2021Final bit of 5.7-ish climbing. Same section as in Photo 32 above.
May 2021Pretty flowering barrel cactus.
Top out:
Walk left along the terrace and scramble out of a weakness (3rd) to the top. Pop out at the scenic overlook on the canyon rim. Hike the nature/overlook trail back to the campground.
September 2019The exit ramp. Almost there!
September 2019Evening light on the Black as we finished our climb. What an awesome way to spend a day.
May 2021The final slot to the rim.
May 2021Picnic table office. I love relaxing in the Black after a successful climb.
May 2021“Summit” photo from the overlook.
May 2021“Summit” photo from the overlook.
Journey Home (5.10, 6p, ~1200')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)Journey Home (5.10, 6p, ~1200')
- Date: October 26, 2019 (Sat) Partner: Tom Wright
Above a spicy 5.9 R opening pitch, Journey home provides sustained and excellent 5.9-5.10 crack climbing straight up the the southeast face of North Chasm View Wall. The climbing has a "blue collar" athletic nature. The position and views are awesome. It really doesn't get much better than this. According to the guidebook (and I would agree), Journey Home is arguably the 5.10- test piece in the Black.
I climbed this route on another October weekend in the Black with Tom Wright. Drive to Black Friday night + Journey Home Saturday + A Midsummer Night's Dream Sunday + drive back to Boulder Sunday night (and beat the snowstorm over the mountain passes!). We topped out at around 2:30pm so we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in an awesome place.
Route Overlay
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Approach:
Descend Cruise Gully until about 15 minutes after the second (of two) rappel and just right of the fall line of the obvious Kachina Wings dihedral. Climb a pitch of low-to-mid 5th (decision to rope up or not is by personal preference and how cold your fingers are) to a ledge system and move left directly below the Kachina Wings dihedral to the left end of a ledge. Look up.
Another beautiful clear morning in the Black. In the fall, clear=cold, so the temps were below freezing. But we knew we'd be in t-shirts in a few hours.
Annotated photo showing the approach to the base of Pitch 1 of Journey Home.
The low-to-mid 5th approach pitch to Journey Home.
An easy 3rd class scramble across the ledge system to the base of the route.
Looking up the Kachina Wings dihedral, which climbs the right side of the same rib/arête of which Journey Home climbs the left side.
Tom on the ledge at the base of Journey Home. 1000+ feet of climbing ahead!
Pitch 1:
5.10 (5.9 R). The notorious spicy opening pitch to the route. Climb up and left on face holds to reach a spot where you can get in a good piece of pro about 15-20 feet off the belay. From here head up and right across the featured face to the pegmatite corner about, with significant 5.9 runnout along the way. Pull left around a difficult bulge (but with good pro now!) and continue upwards. Belay on a a small ledge below the main corner.
Looking up at Pitch 1. The route starts with some spicy 5.9 R face climbing on the left side of the photo, and then cuts back to corner above this.
Tom contemplating the first moves on Pitch 1.
Tom committing to the pitch. An awesome lead with cold fingers!
The first good piece of pro (a #2 cam), before moving right across the face.
Looking down the "direct start" of the pitch. This seemed to be the natural way to go, but upon looking down the crack you can see why the route starts with the 5.9 R face instead. The 5.9 R face climbing (right side of photo) is excellent. The crack does not look like it provides very good protection or climbing. The climbers in the photo are at the base of Pitch 1.
This bulge is the technical crux of the pitch, but it is well-protected.
Pitch 2:
5.10. Climb up the corner, eventually climbing through a slot and pulling through a roof (awesome!). Belay above at nice stance.
The corner of Pitch 2. All protectable crack climbing from here!
A slot and roof on Pitch 2. Fun stuff.
Tom climbing the corner near the top of Pitch 2.
It's all fun in the sun now!
Pitch 3:
5.10-. The climbing just keeps getting better on this route. Continue up the corner. The pitch ends with a hand crack through a pegmatiite band. Belay at a stance just above the peg band. Enjoy the view.
Looking up Pitch 3.
Looking back down at Tom at the awesome belay seat from just after I started up Pitch 3.
Stellar corner climbing higher up on Pitch 3.
Tom topping out on Pitch 3 while I work on my tan.
I don't think I'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.
Checkerboard Wall basking in the sun across the way. Tom and I had climbed Checkerboard Wall route a couple of weeks previous.
Pitch 4:
5.10. Another excellent pitch up the corner to end at a belay stance. This is considered the technical crux pitch of the route.
Tom starting up Pitch 4.
Higher up on Pitch 4.
Tom enjoying some "better than Gu" at the top of Pitch 4.
Hard to believe we were climbing with frozen fingers just a couple of hours previous.
Looking down, the river already far below. Pitches are long in the Black.
Looking down the way we climbed up.
Pitch 5:
5.10-. Move up and into a wide crack (our largest piece was a single #4 and we made it through it). I personally found this short section of wide crack to be the most difficult climbing on the route, but #4 is probably my hardest side to climb. Eventually trending black right to a ledge. Continue though one or two brown dihedrals, depending on how far you want to go.
Tom starting up the wide crack.
A photo of the wide crack section. We brought one #4 and got through it....
Brown corner system after the wide section. The rock quality is not as great here but the climbing is still fun.
Pitch 6:
5.9. Depending on how far you went on the previous pitch, you might have another short brown dihedral to climb. Then trend up and left on junky slabs. The climbing is easy but loose. End on the walk-off terrace above.
The final section to the walk-off ledge. Definitely not high-quality climbing, but it is quick and easy.
Top out:
Coil up the rope, put on approach shoes, and walk left to the far end of the terrace, where you can easily scramble up to the canyon rim just beside the overlook. Sign autographs for any tourists at the overlook. From there, a quick stroll back to the campground.
The walk-off ledge.
The final scramble to the rim.
Topping out just beside the overlook.
Other photos:
Random photos from the afternoon. We topped out at 2:30pm so we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in an awesome place. It was dark by 7pm, so we took the opportunity to get a good night's sleep.
A typical October weekend on the Ranger Station white board. I recognize a few names on that list.....
I'll take the no fees bit but it's definitely not yet off season in the Black for climbers!
Water is not guaranteed in the Black, so always bring enough to get yourself through your trip. This pump is often dry (as it was when I took this photo).
We enjoyed a couple of hours at the overlook hanging out in the sun and watching climbers on Russian Arête. It was a crowded day on Russian Arête—we counted at least three parties.
Russian Arête. Tom and I had climbed this route a couple of weeks previous.
South Chasm View Wall across the way. I want to climb Crystal Vision in the spring.
This portable battery is great for allowing me to get a head start on photos and overlays on the road.
Studying stats from my sleeping bag. I sleep on occasion. =).
A Midsummer Night's Dream (5.11-, 6p, ~800')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)A Midsummer Night's Dream (5.11-, 6p, ~800')
- Date: October 27, 2019 (Sun) Partner: Tom Wright
- Date: May 27, 2022 (Fri) Partner: Nate Arganbright
A Midsummer Night's Dream is known to be one of the better half-day 5.10/5.11- routes in the Black. The 5.11- crux involves a few thin moves of 11a on an otherwise 5.10 climb. In my opinion, the best way to climb this route is with the awesome 5.10 hand/fist crack Sex Comedy option for Pitch 5 and then to finish on the steep and sustained 5.11 crack system of Happy Ending. These pitches can be bypassed for easier but less memorable sections of climbing.
October 2019: I climbed this route on another October weekend in the Black with Tom Wright. Drive to Black Friday night + Journey Home Saturday + A Midsummer Night's Dream Sunday + drive back to Boulder Sunday night. We topped out on the rim around noon, which allowed us to just beat the forecasted snowstorm over the mountain passes as we made our way back to Boulder. By now I've become fully enraptured by Black and cannot wait for the next opportunity return.
May 2022: After two full days of climbing at The Black (The Cruise and Russian Arête), Nate and I decided a nice half-day climb sounded good. Nate had not climbed A Midsummer Night’s Dream so we headed for that. Heat (it was 80° and sunny) and cumulative climbing caused us to bypass the awesome Sex Comedy and Happy Ending pitches, but it was still a nice few hours camp-to-camp outing.
Route Overlay
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
I've included side-by-side trip reports for both times I have climbed A Midsummer Night's Dream. Color coded: October 2019 May 2022
Approach:
Descend Cruise Gully to just below the second (of two) rappel. The route starts on a ledge about 100 feet below the second rappel. Start 15-20 feet left of Leisure Climb.
October 2019Hiking down campground road enjoying the early morning light and fall colors.
October 2019A queue at the first fixed rappel in Cruise Gully. Tom and I took the kind offer to jump ahead of them on the rappels.
May 2022Morning at camp. The North Rim has some of my favorite camping.
May 2022Sun on the pinyon trees above camp.
May 2022Nate’s breakfast: eggs, avocado, and sausage. Yum!
May 2022Red penstemon alongside the road.
May 2022Entrance to Cruise Gully.
May 2022Rappel 1 of 2 in Cruise Gully. There have always been fixed ropes when I’ve been climbing in the Black Canyon.
May 2022I think this is the same piece of burlap that has been there the last three years.
May 2022Blue fuzz.
May 2022Poison ivy in Cruse Gully.
Pitch 1:
5.9. Climb up a crack system through a bulge and end on a nice ledge. (Pitches 1 & 2 can be linked at 60-70m. We had planned on linking the first two pitches, but there was a party at the belay at the top of Pitch 1 when we started up, and we wanted to give them room. Turns out they were so fast we never saw them again...until noon when we took a stroll to the overlook and saw them climbing up The Odyssey....)
October 2019Looking up from near the base of the route. The climbers are on Pitch 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
October 2019Tom cruising up the crack on Pitch 1. The climbers on the ledge below are the nice folks who let us pass them in Cruise Gully. They climbed Leisure Climb next-door.
May 2022Looking up Pitch 1.
Pitch 2:
5.11-. From the ledge, continue up the obvious slot/crack system. There is a short section of 5.11- near the top of the pitch (Tom and I both found the crux to be enjoyable movement and relatively straightforward for 5.11). Belay on the ledge above.
October 2019Looking up Pitch 2. Good climbing ahead.
May 2022Looking up Pitch 2.
Pitch 3:
5.9. Trend up and right into a right-facing corner with a series of small roofs. Awesome! (I had climbed this pitch when I climbed Leisure-Summer earlier in the year, and found it to be even more fun the second time around.) Above the final bulge, continue climbing low 5th terrain, ideally wall the way to a belay stance with an old fixed cam in the crack.
October 2019Looking up the corner of Pitch 3. More good climbing ahead.
October 2019An old ring pin on Pitch 3.
October 2019A pecker just above the old ring pin. I wouldn't trust a fall to this but it is a cool piece of history in the route.
October 2019Pitch 3 awesomeness.
October 2019A view down while climbing Pitch 3.
October 2019Looking down from the belay at the top of Pitch 3. The sun was moving its way down the wall. The top of Pitch 3 is just rambling easy 5th, and its best to stretch the rope on this pitch (ideally all the way the fixed cam belay noted in the topo, see next photo).
October 2019A fixed cam at the best belay spot at the top of Pitch 3.
May 2022Looking up Pitch 3.
May 2022Anchor at the top of Pitch 3.
May 2022Fixed cam marking the belay spot. Still there!
May 2022Climbers on Maiden Voyage across the way.
Pitch 4:
5.8. A short pitch up face holds leads to the base of Sex Comedy or to the base of the blocky corner on Leisure Climb. If you belayed high enough on the previous pitch, this pitch can be linked with Pitch 5 into a 65-70m pitch.
October 2019Looking up from the belay at the top of Pitch 3 at Pitch 4 and to the Sex Comedy crack above. We linked Pitch 4 into the Pitch 5 Sex Comedy pitch for a 65m lead to the terrace.
May 2022Nate starting up Pitch 4.
Pitch 5:
SEX COMEDY. 5.10. Climb the excellent hand-to-fist crack/flake. Near the top of the crack, traverse right beneath some overhangs and climb up to the terrace above. (Alternative is to climb the 5.6 corner on Leisure Climb to the right of Sex Comedy, which is what Nate and I did in May 2022.)
October 2019The awesome crack on Sex Comedy. This is an excellent pitch that should not be missed!
October 2019The awesome crack on Sex Comedy. This is an excellent pitch that should not be missed!
October 2019Nearing the top of the crack.
October 2019A view of climbers on top of Checkerboard Wall summit block across the way.
May 2022Looking up Pitch 5 (the Leisure Climb finish). This pitch is unremarkable. Climbing Sex Comedy is a much better finish.
Pitch 6:
HAPPY ENDING. 5.11. Climb the sustained crack system of the Happy Ending, located directly right of the Kama Sutra corner. (Alternatives are to do the 5.9+ Direct Finish (which I did when I climbed Leisure-Summer) or walk off the ledge to the left (which Nate and I did in May 2022). But when Tom and I saw the Happy Ending we couldn't resist.
October 2019Happy Ending climbs the crack system that starts in the lower right of the photo.
October 2019Tom halfway up the Happy Ending.
May 2022The exit ledge. This wraps all the way around past the top of Scenic Cruise.
May 2022Cacti.
Top out:
Pop out on the canyon rim. From here, a quick stroll back to the campground.
October 2019On top at noon! Now time to leave the 70° t-shirt temperatures and drive back to Boulder where a winter storm warning was in effect...and hopefully beat the snowstorm over the mountain passes....
October 2019We made it back to Boulder just as snow was starting to accumulate. It was forecasted to snow over 6 inches that night.
October 2019My car the next morning....
May 2022A relaxing afternoon at camp. The Black Canyon is an enjoyable place to hang out, especially after a climb. Even better when you have a cooler with some cold drinks (Fresca is Nate and my current favorite).
May 2022My office (desk, chair, computer, and ice cold Pepsi in the middle of nowhere with no vehicle in sight) felt like a scene from a Steven King novel. (Nate dropped me off in the BLM land—where there is a decent cell signal I could hotspot off of—on the way to the gas station in Crawford to pick up ice.)
May 2022Balanced Rock from Balanced Rock Overlook.
May 2022Dinner always tastes good after a day of climbing.
Leisure-Summer (5.9+, 6p, ~800')
NORTH CHASM VIEW WALL (NORTH RIM: CRUISE GULLY AREA)Leisure-Summer (5.9+, 6p, ~800')
- Date: July 7, 2019 (Sun) Partner: Doug Hutchinson
Leisure-Summer links the fun first two pitches of Leisure Climb, the stellar long Pitch 3 corner of A Midsummer Night's Dream, two more pitches of forgettable climbing, and a direct finish pitch to the canyon rim. This link-up is one of the better 5.9/5.9+ climbs in the Black.
Doug and I had planned to nab a summer day of unusually cooler/cloudier weather and climb Scenic Cruise, but the forecast was for 40% thundershowers and when we felt a few raindrops at the top of Pitch 1 of Scenic Cruise, we decided to bail and go climb the shorter and less committing Leisure-Summer. It was an enjoyable day in the Black, but felt a bit low key compared to other climbs in the area.
Route Overlay
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Approach:
Descend Cruise Gully to just below the second rappel. The route starts on a ledge about 100 feet below the second (last) rappel in Cruise Gully.
Hiking down the road towards Cruise Gully in the morning darkness.
The sign marking Cruise Gully. Looks like a new sign since last year!
The first (of two) rappels in Cruise Gully. Sort of committed now...
The second rappel in Cruise Gully. It's nice to have fixed lines.
Bonus pitch: Pitch 1 of Scenic Cruise
We had initially planned on climbing Scenic Cruise. But the forecast was for 40% thundershowers, and when we felt a few raindrops just as we reached the top of Pitch 1, we decided it was wise to bail and climb the shorter and less committing Leisure-Summer. The rain turned to sun, but a spell of thundershowers raged over the area at 2:30pm. We probably would have still been on the climb (but near the top) at 2:30pm so we felt like we made the right decision. Best not to mess with Colorado thundershowers! I'll have to come back for Scenic Cruise.....(update: See September 2019 trip report!).
Descending Cruise Gully towards Scenic Cruise. This takes you well below the start of Leisure Climb, so after we bailed on Scenic Cruise we had to ascend all of this again. A good workout!
Looking up at Scenic Cruise from below. The first pitch follows the obvious corner. Higher up, the route takes the rightmost of the two parallel cracks above the terrace.
The Gunnison River below.
Poison ivy! Ak, don't let the rope touch it!
Pitch 1 of Scenic Cruise.
Pitch 1 of Scenic Cruise.
The anchor at the top of Pitch 1. This was our first rap. We were able to descend in three rappels with a single 70 off fixed tat. We backed up the tat on the second and third rappels with a nut each.
The second rap anchor. Others have bailed before...
Pitch 1:
LEISURE CLIMB. 5.8. Climb the right-facing corner. Some wide stuff. A #5 might be nice to have for a few moves, but a #5 is not needed for the remainder of the route...
Looking up at Leisure-Summer, which starts on the ledge in the photo. Pitch 1 ascends the crack.
Pitch 1.
Pitch 2:
LEISURE CLIMB. 5.8. Climb the cracks in the corner. At the top, traverse hard left to below Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pitch 2.
Pitch 2.
The traverse left at the top of Pitch 2 to get to the base of Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pitch 3:
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. 5.9. Climb the long right-facing corner of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Best pitch of climbing on the route! (I climbed this pitch again when I climbed A Midsummer Night's Dream later that year).
The stellar corner of Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was the best (and hardest) pitch of the route. Nice lead Doug!
Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pitch 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pitch 4:
LEISURE CLIMB. 5.8. Climb up through face moves and intermittent cracks, following your nose.
Pitch 4. Just follow your nose up. I linked Pitches 4 and 5 in a 65 m lead.
Pitch 5:
LEISURE CLIMB. 5.6. Climb the blocky corner to the right of the arete. Probably the worst pitch on the route. Better climbing than it looks.
Pitch 5 goes up the 5.6 corner to the right of the arete. I linked Pitches 4 and 5 in a 65 m lead. To the left of the arete is a nice-looking steep handcrack/flake (5.10) of Sex Comedy. Should have climbed that instead!
Pitch 6:
DIRECT FINISH. 5.9+. Traverse the ledge about 250 feet to below a splitter crack. Climb the crack to the canyon rim. The crux is climbing through the steep pegmatite near the rim. Good pitch.
The ledge at the top of Pitch 5.
The direct finish. Another nice lead by Doug!
The direct finish.
The direct finish.
Top out:
Pop out on the canyon rim not far from the nature trail at the campground.
Classic end of route pose in the Black.
My office. For about 30 minutes. Until....
....the confirmation that we made the right decision to bail off Scenic Cruise. Probably would have been on the steep finishing pitches when the thundershowers arrived. Best not to mess with Colorado thundershowers!
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