Alex Honnold himself called Dark Shadows “the best 5.8 in Red Rocks” – stout praise. The full route is 10 pitches long, and climbs to the top of Mescalito via several adventurous upper pitches. We climbed only the first four pitches, a common abbreviation which captures the steepest and best rock climbing closest to the ground.
My life has reached a new climax of responsibility. Working anywhere from 50-70 hours per week, and living out of a car, leaves little time to write. I am hellbent on keeping Ten Thousand Too Far alive, but to achieve that goal I’m trying a new approach. Instead of incessant rambling for every adventure, I’m shortening articles for less significant outings, focusing on keynote experiences and the information most relevant to climbers. This will reduce labor for 10K2Far, and preserve my fire to write deeply about the mega days. Here we go.
Dark Shadows is an ultra classic 10 pitch 5.8 on Mescalito Dome. However, the character of the route changes dramatically after pitch four. The lower pitches have bolted anchors and climb some of the best rock on planet earth, with unique three dimensional movement and excellent gear. Above pitch four rock quality deteriorates, and the climbing style transitions towards adventure. As such, only the first four pitches are most commonly climbed, making for a pleasant 350’ outing. One day I would like to complete the full Dark Shadows, but today, facing a late start to let the north facing wall sink into afternoon shade (about 1:00-2:00PM in July), we climbed only the first four pitches.
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True to reputation, this was an excellent climb. The first pitch was a runout but trivial 5.5 slab we linked seamlessly with pitch two, an awkward 5.7 corner ending in an airy unprotected hand traverse to a belay in the keynote dihedral. Pitch three was the money, a near full rope length of sustained blocky corner climbing with no distinct crux. The corner is nearly entirely dressed in bulletproof black varnish, with the ubiquitous bail out face holds whenever the climbing gets slightly difficult. Pitch four follows an intimidating diagonal crack feature to evade the massive arcing roof of Heart Of Darkness (5.11-), with scant protection through the crux, and dynamic movement for the grade. The majority of Red Rocks routes I’ve climbed have felt slightly soft, but this final pitch was an exception. Several folks on Mountain Project are crying 5.8+, and I would agree. I can’t remember the last time I was pumped, or stumped, on a 5.8 crack!
Excellent rock quality, bolted belays, a streamlined rappel descent, and impressive steepness for such an accessible grade cement the abbreviated version of Dark Shadows as a classic. A bushwhack-less 30 minute approach is the cherry on the sundae.
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DISCLAIMER
Ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and all other forms of mountain recreation are inherently dangerous. Should you decide to attempt anything you read about in this article, you are doing so at your own risk! This article is written to the best possible level of accuracy and detail, but I am only human – information could be presented wrong. Furthermore, conditions in the mountains are subject to change at any time. Ten Thousand Too Far and Brandon Wanthal are not liable for any actions or repercussions acted upon or suffered from the result of this article’s reading.
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