Fearing loud noises and confused by flashing lights, I fled the crowded melee of Front Range fireworks, and headed up into Rocky Mountain National Park on the 4th of July with my wife Allison to climb Spearhead Peak.
We did most of the route "Obviously 4 Believers" with some variations here and there due to wetness (only on p1) and routefinding errors (only on every pitch I lead). The route is stellar and things in Glacier Gorge are ready-to-go! Nothing more needed on the approach than a good pair of tennis shoes, though some trekking poles were nice. The trail is mostly snow starting from just past Mills Lake.
The pitches as we did them:
P1: 65m 5.9 up-right wet to Middle Earth Ledge
P3: Follow right-side of flakes system to end of long ledge, move left to bolted anchors - 25m? 5.9?
P4: Try unprotected 5.10/5.11 face straight up, get freaked, downclimb, go WAY right, to far end of ledge, step right, join quasi-unprotected flare/RFC on All too Obvious, up past two pins, move left and belay in hand cracks 40m?
P5: Up through small roof on 5.10 finger locks, after finger splitter, go left on 5.8 face knobs to horn and 2-junky bolt belay. Short Pitch
P6: Step off flake, clip old bolt, reach past crux to wet slopers and more dissapointing seeping holds. Pull on bolt to move past. This is .11a? Undercling left and then up the corner. Heinous rope drag on rope stuck under flake. This ledge is shared with Stone Monkey on left. 15m? 5.10A0
P7: Out left to triangle chimney, becomes 5.9 hands, then 5.10 off-fingers. Belay where terrain rolls back. Should have gone right on ledge and climbed rightmost system. But still a good, kinda mossy pitch. 35m 5.10
P8: Easy rambling up and right.
1x 70m rope, 1x blue alien and blue and yellow camalot, 2x green alien to red camalot
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