North American Classic Climbs

The Naked Edge

(Eldorado Canyon)

This highly coveted line finally surrendered to the irresistable will and energy of Layton Kor, who with fellow Eldorado Canyon pioneer climber Bob Culp first pulled onto the summit in the Fall of 1962 after a combined free and aid climb in the style of the times. Almost a decade passed before the state of the art had advanced to the point that a totally free ascent could be accomplished, and to this day this is a climb that can provide a rite of passage for climbers. The Edge serves up a visually sobering challenge to the aspiring leader just breaking into this grade. Besides offering high-standard climbing on most of its five pitches, the upper part in particular will test your ability to deal with copious exposure.

The Naked Edge begins well up the Redgarden Wall at a prominent diagonal ramp that splits the entire wall into two major sections. First you must get to that ramp, which is most often done by climbing "Touch and Go", an excellent 1-pitch route that leads to scrambling and short technical bits. This collection includes images of both routes.

Type:

Lowland Rock

Seriousness:

Location:

Near Boulder, CO, USA

References:

G1, W34

Rating:

III, 5.11b

Route Descriptions & Maps:

none

First Ascent
First Free Ascent:

L. Kor & R. Culp, 1962
J. Erickson & D. Ferguson, 1971

Trip Reports:

Wright, 8/02