Russian Ties has 6 pitches of climbing typified by thin laybacks, exciting traverses, and face climbing. There is even a bit of offwidth thrown in for good measure!

Russian Ties

North Arete

Victory Garden

Eastern Roofs

Original East Face

"Hike up the left side of the slabs, and walk up to the right on a prominent ramp (second class) to a small platform at its end on the north ridge.  Climb about five leads up cracks and faces, with good granite rock, good protection, and ledges for belays."

From

Climber's Guide to the Rocky Mountain National Park Area

, by Walter W. Fricke, Jr., 1971.

Victory Garden is a long route from home, but it has good adventure! Moderate climbing is punctuated with a 5.9 finger crack around pitch 3. Your nut tool is your friend!

The climb provided moderate climbing up a series of corners, cracks, and less than vertical ground for 3 pitches to reach the last 4th pitch that climbs the rightmost side of a series of steep and impressive roofs. The rock was generally solid with occasional crumbling or loose rock. The cracks were mostly dirt free but full of lichen.

Pitch 1: At the base of a left-facing corner on a buttress left of a large gully, make an awkward first move onto the right side of the face and continue up positive holds before traversing back left around a large flake to a hidden, shallow corner. Continue upwards on easy but marginally protected ground to a belay. 5.6, 55m.

Pitch 2: Follow a short crack and move leftward to a short chimney. Continue up the chimney (some loose rock) into a corner and climb to a ledge below a steep face just right of where the large tiered roofs begin. 5.8, 55m.

Pitch 3: A short pitch brings you to the base of the rightmost corner. From the belay, move left below a small roof and climb up and back right up fun jugs (marginal gear) to a ledge. 5.7, 20m.

Pitch 4: Climb the left-facing corner directly above. Jam and stem up the first small but wide corner roof and through a second small roof. From here, we traversed right on a horizontal crack and up to the top to avoid loose chockstones and summit blocks in the third roof. 5.9+, 25m.

The original route climbed steep rock on the right side of the East Face.  About halfway up, the crux is a traverse to connect cracks.  The Original East Face and the Boone-Hodge were climbed during the same expedition.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Aiguille de Fleur