Route Description
This route takes a striking, direct line up solid rock on the south face of South Shanahan Crag. It begins about 15 feet right and downhill of the recently finished route, “Shoulder Season” (5.12d), and it slowly diverges on the way up, for a beautiful, independent route that’s 40 meters long. It’s characterized by thin face climbing on sculpted, yellow rock in the first half, followed by steep, jug-riddled rock on its upper half.
Climbers will lower (or rappel) to the ledge at about 25 meters where I propose an anchor will be placed to make it possible to lower (or rappel) from the route, twice, with a single 70-meter rope. Both long routes to the left are similarly equipped with two anchors.
I have top-roped the route in its entirety, and believe it’s in the low to mid 5.13 range.
Route diagram
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Existing route information
The main south face of South Shanahan Crag has nine existing routes, two of which are newly developed sport routes:
1) Leonine (5.10d), 2 pitches, traditional + bolts. The only route left of my proposed line, and the closest to it, Leonine begins about 60 feet uphill and around a corner. Leonine veers rightward throughout its length, and near the top it ends up about 30 feet to the left. *The route line in the Flatirons guidebook (left-most route, photo attached: “Shanahan routes”) is incorrectly drawn too far right.
2) Route 2, a work in progress (low-mid 5.12, 1 pitch, sport) that will be completed within a few weeks. It is about 20 feet downhill from Leonine.
3) Shoulder Season (5.12d, 1 pitch, sport), which is 15 feet down from Route 2.
4) Great Expectations (5.8+), 2 pitches, traditional. This line is about 80 feet downhill from my proposed route.
5) Prune Face (Identity Theft) (5.7), 2 pitches, traditional. This is immediately right of Great Expectations.
6) Better Offer (5.9+), 1 pitch, traditional. This is a few feet downhill from the Prune Face.
7) Beau! (5.7), 1 pitch, traditional. Located a short way downhill from Better Offer.
8) South Face (5.4), 1 pitch, traditional. This moderate classic is 20 feet downhill from Beau!.
9) Vague Jug Line (5.7), 1 pitch, traditional. About 50 feet downhill from South Face.
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Approach
The approach starts from Cragmoor trailhead. Hike the North Shanahan Trail to the Mesa Trail, then turn left (south) and walk for about 10 minutes until you reach a drainage just beyond an open meadow (with some prominent boulders). From here, a climber’s path — a faint path on rocks and dirt, then grass — leads up the drainage, then up the hillside on the right to the Shanahan Crags. These are located approximately a quarter-mile from the Mesa Trail. The South Summit is about 5 minutes uphill from the Eastern Crag — the first of the Shanahan Crags one encounters (about 55 minutes total to the south face of South Shanahan Crag). The base of the entire south face is talus and rocks interspersed with dirt.
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Descent
The descent from the proposed route is to lower (or rappel) from the top anchor down to the intermediate anchor at ~25 meters with a 70-meter rope. From here, an additional lower (or rappel) will reach the ground. Reverse the approach to reach the trailhead.
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Climb base area
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Reconnaissance work
Top Roped / Hazards
Additional notes
The sunny exposure ensures this will be an excellent mid-winter route option. Combined with “Shoulder Season” and “Route 2,” these three lines will be well worth a visit for a weekend of good, hard climbing.
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