Resolution Arete - George's Route Description

There are almost no fixed anchors on this route, giving it a feeling of greater commitment. This commitment level is somewhat reduced by nearby sport routes, see the descent options.

References to "Swain pitch" numbers refer to the topo in Todd Swain's guide "Climbing Red Rocks" (2000 edition), which is essentially the same topo as in the older select guide.

Frank Stock, who did this route in 2002, told me he thinks it is the worst route he's done in Red Rocks. Do not expect a long Epinephrine - the approach is nasty, some of the rock is poor, routefinding is tricky and the difficulty is not continuous. This route may not be for you if you don't like "adventure climbing" up one of the highest peaks in Red Rocks.

Approach: This is not to be underestimated! Scope it out from the Oak Creek Trailhead through binoculars, or recon in the light the day before. Locate the major gully which descends east from the base of the Aeolean Wall (the wall right of Resolution Arete). Your goal is not to ascend this gully from it's base, but to climb the next gully north (I believe this is what Swain calls the "White Rot Gully") and then traverse into the main gully.

From the vicinity of the Wilson Pimple, leave the road and ascend bushy slopes to the right of the base of the White Rot Gully, then traverse left (south) above some cliffs to the base of the White Rot Gully (cairns). Ascend the White Rot Gully (some 4th class, but generally solid). When the gully ends, move left (south) through a notch and descend a short bit into the major gully. Scramble up the gully (lots of vegetation). Several hundred feet above you on the left wall you will see a huge ledge with a giant pine tree, eventally you will traverse this ledge to the start of the route. There is a good bivy here, but no water. 2 hours with heavy packs, 1.5 hrs otherwise if you don't get lost.

Route: Pitch 1 (60m): Bizarre and exposed! Stem out a chimney as it opens below you, then traverse along the west wall (past a loose flake) to a big right facing dihedral. Climb this dihedral (5.9+ PG, 3-4") until you run out of rope. With a 50m rope, you can only reach a nasty hanging stance with a dubious bolt (easy to back up). With a 60m rope you can just reach a nice ledge. Pitch 2 (30m): Follow the dihedral or the face to its right (5.7) to a huge ledge (top of a red pillar). Pitch 3 (40m): Step right into a right facing dihedral, follow this up (tricky stemming and tricky pro, 5.9+ PG). The upper 2/3 of this pitch is much easier (5.6), belay at about 50m at an awkward stance below a chimney (or continue to the top of the next pitch, with a 60m rope). Pitch 4 (20m): Follow easy chimney to a big ledge (5.7, watch for loose rock). Pitch 5 (50m): Follow cracks up and left, then face climb up and right (5.8 R) to a shoulder on the right side of the triangular buttress.

Pitch 6 (30m): Move up 10m, then cross a slab (5.5), and then descend to a ledge (about the same elevation as the belay). Follow this ledge (100m of 3rd class) up over a notch in the main arete and down the opposite (south) side.

Pitch 7 (50m): Several options here, the easiest crack is the left facing dihedral farthest left. Follow this (some loose rock) to a white roof. This roof appears hard but is easier than it looks (5.10-). Belay on a bushy ledge above the roof. Pitch 8 (30m): Continue up left facing dihedrals (5.9 PG) to belay below a big roof. Pitch 9 (25m): Climb up to the roof, and jam the thin crack (5.11+) or aid it (A1). Continue up a 5.9 crack to a ledge. Pitch 10 (20m): Climb a short, tricky crack (5.10), then step left and face climb to a huge ledge with a bolt. You can rappel south from here into the Sherwood Forest.

Pitch 11 (60m): Scramble up the arete, then follow a left leaning ramp left of the arete (5.8 awkward) to a notch in the main arete at 60m. If you go through the notch and drop down to the North side of the arete there is a bivy ledge. Pitch 12 (30m): Follow the arete (a few moves of 5.7) to the base of a diagonal crack. Pitch 13 (25m): Climb the diagonal crack up and left (5.9+) and belay inside a chimney. Pitch 14 (50m): Climb the chimney, then wander up and right to a big ledge.

Pitch 15 (50m): Tricky! Ahead the ridge continues, then steepens considerably in a crackless headwall which is at least 100 feet wide and 70 feet high. What you can't see is that there is a gap of a few feet between the ridge and the base of the headwall, a chimney which goes down as low as the start of the pitch. Don't get sucked into the chimney between the ridge and headwall. Instead climb the ridge itself in the easiest place, which faces NE. This is easy except for one 1m overhang that must be passed in the middle (5.9 crank move). From the base of the headwall, walk left (south) under it for 15m to the base of a crack. Pitch 16 (20m): Climb the short wide crack (5-8" with lots of features, a #4 Camalot protects it) to a big ledge with a large pine tree (top of Swain pitch 15). This pitch is the only easy way past the headwall.

Pitch 17 (40m): Walk left 40m on the Catwalk (3rd class). Pitch 18 (50m): Above lie several options, above and right a right facing corner (harder than it looks, some 5.8), or farther right, a left facing corner/chimney. Both options lead into a wide gully (15m wide). Follow the right facing corner up into the gully and belay. Pitch 19 (30m): Follow a crack up and left (out of the gully), traverse left at a roof (5.8, loose rock), belay at a big ledge with a big pine tree (top of Swain pitch 17). Move down 10m, then left and up (5.2, or harder if you go more directly) for 120m. Eventually, you can unrope and walk another 120m to the top of Mt. Wilson.

Descent Options:

1. [From the summit of Mt. Wilson] Walk down the west ridge of Mt. Wilson about 3/4 mile to a saddle (in limestone rock), turn left (south) and head down First Creek Canyon. In general, you want to stay close to the wash on this descent. Major deviations usually lead to horrible bushwhacking. There are some tricky sections, but the route finding is easy (if it's light!). Expect endless climbing over, around, under, and through large sandstone boulders. Eventually, you reach a trail for the last half hour. The descent took us two hours and forty minutes with a couple of short breaks, however this was in the light and carrying no bivy gear. This descent route is used by hikers to climb Mt. Wilson.
2. [From the summit of Mt. Wilson] Alternatively, you can turn right at the limestone saddle, and head down Oak Creek. This is a bit shorter but supposedly involves a couple of rappels. See the Swain guide.
3. From the top of pitch 10, rappel 100 feet south to Sherwood Forest, a huge forested ledge in the middle of Mt. Wilson. A 4th class route to this ledge is described in the Urioste guidebook, but this is likely an epic descent for the unfamiliar. The sport route "Dogma" passes through Sherwood Forest, and is likely a much better rap route, if you can find it. I have not heard of anyone descending this way, the next option is probably better.
4. From the top of pitch 14, move down and right to find the final anchor of the route "Inti Watana" (described in Swain's Guide). From here 10 or so double rope rappels from bolted anchors will get you down to the base of the route. This is probably the fastest and easiest descent option, although it doesn't start at the top, and you need two ropes. Information on this descent was provided by Guillaume Dargaud from his climb over Christmas, 2003.

Link to topo map of Mt. Wilson.

First Ascent: January, 1981 by Phil Broscocak and Geoffrey Conley. FFA - 1984 by Paul Van Betten and Richard Harrison.

Historical Note: How was this route named? Phil Broscovak explains this on the message board of Red Rock Resole (Jan 4, 2001):

Phil Broscovak here, what a great site you have... There was however a little missing bit of info I thought you might be interested in. The name "Resolution Arete" did not come up because Geoff "resolved" to go back to it after his first attempt with Newberry cashed out. The way it really went was like this...

The first day of the climb ended with us rapping to Sherwood Forest and collecting cactus stalks for a new years eve fire side bivouac. In the morning after ascending our fixed lines the first substantial pitch of climbing was a delicate face traverse left and up into a gravely chimney slot with minimal protection potential. [Note: this is pitch 13 in our route description] I watched Geoff lead this poorly protected face like it was a walk in the park and then he disappeared into the chimney. Now back then the Madman was a manly man, he was really large and powerfull, (not like the scrawny wimp he's become, ahh He's not gonna read this is he?) and known as an animal on hard cracks, off widths and the like. I on the otherhand was a scrawny face climbing specialist and I assumed that if 'ole' monstro could reef on those tiny little layback flakes then it should be a breeze for me. Much to my chagrin, when I got to the crux I unexpectedly popped a flake and went flinging into the overhanging void with a wild pendulum. I came to rest dangling 300'+ above Sherwood Forest, unable to connect with the rock and hearing Madmans' emphatic plea to "GET OFF THE ROPE NOW!" He had also had assumed I would fly across that pitch and when he didn't find any good anchors at the stance in the chimney he just put me on a hip belay backed up by some really crappy wired stoppers behind a dubious flake. The jolt of my fall hit so suddenly that Geoff was ripped off his stance and draged down the chimney several feet. Two of the three anchors blew out compleatly and the two of us were literally saved from a fast trip to Nottingham by the Madmans' shear brute force self arrest and the one remaining marginal stopper. How Geoff ever managed to keep it together wedged like that while I struggled to swing into the overhanging face and unweight the rope is beyond me. It certainly is a testement to his power and drive that he not only saved both our lives but never once thought about going down. We finished the first ascent of the route that day and being that it was new years we needless to say made several resolutions, not the least of which is that; "even if the anchors are marginal at best, put in as many as you can!". And of course there was reference to the well known quote from the old t.v. sitcom "The Odd Couple" about the dangers of assuming(*). We had talked about all sorts of names the night before at the bivy but at the end of that second day the name "resolution arete" just sort of made sense. Well thanks for letting me set the record straight! Good anchors to ya.

Philo

(*) "Never ASSUME, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME."