Vedauwoo -- Crystal Freeway

Went rockclimbing at Vedauwoo with Garrett and Sarah. We climbed two bolted routes on the left (Northeast) end of the Crystal Freeway. Oddly, neither of these routes are listed in either guidebook for the area, nor are they in the online guide. They start just to the left of the start for the climb called the Northeast Cutoff.

Both climbs are friction routes, the first one is about 5.7 and is two pitches. The first pitch ends at a pair of bolts and another pitch continues up to a second set. With a pair of 60 meter ropes it might just be possible to descend from these bolts in a single rappel. Garrett led the first pitch, his first lead. I lead the second, short pitch. The second route, another 30 feet left of the first is harder (5.8 or 5.9) and the start is a bit more difficult since the first bolt is maybe fifteen or twenty feet off the deck with a very bad landing in a wide crack. Garrett led this pitch with aplomb. It ends at the same pair of bolts after a steeper and smoother ascent. We lowered Garrett off the shunts and then Sarah climbed on top-rope, cleaning the route and I followed after her. It was a mostly sunny day with a few clouds providing nice relief from the sun which can be brutal at 9000 feet.

Nice first leads for Garrett.