Cactus Connection is located on the far right side of the Aeolian Wall, about 100 feet below the notch between Cactus Flower Tower and Mt. Wilson. It is the rightmost route on Mt. Wilson. As the name implies, it's a spectacular finish to any summit route on Cactus Flower Tower. The crux second pitch is superb and easily makes this route worth doing. 

  From the summit of Cactus Flower Tower scramble and downclimb to the notch between CFT and Mt. Wilson. The final move involves a leap across a chasm (belay recommended). Rappel 70 feet to the east off a small tree to a flat area beneath the northeast face of Mt. Wilson.  

  P1: Traverse left through talus and trees aiming for the base of two parallel and splitter thin cracks. Climb a short, steep section to a small ledge with a tree and a wide, left-facing corner. 5.6, 100 feet. 

  P2: Ascend the offwith corner for about 30 feet until it is possible to face climb left toward a bush and the base of a thin, right-leaning crack. Jam the finger crack to a stance, then leave the widening crack for a perfect hand crack eight feet to the left. Follow this to a stance in a chimney/pod and belay. 5.11b, 130 feet 

  P3: Climb the right-facing corner and the crack on the right to a ledge beneath a brown, right-leaning corner. Step left around an arête and follow a curving crack and blocky ledges to the second of two pine trees and belay. Small gear useful. 5.10a, 130 feet 

  Wander about 600 vertical feet to the summit of Mt. Wilson, climbing several short and exposed fifth-class sections along the way. (45 minutes) 

Cactus Connection

Thanatos

Pagan Sacrifice

Gift of the Wind Gods

Jedi Mind Tricks

The Original Sin

Aeolian Wall (Original Route)

Dream of Wild Cheeseburgers

Woman of Mountain Dreams

The Wicked

Resolution Arete

Inti Watana

Gift of the Wind Gods is an excellent climb: lots of pitches of fun, varied climbing on an improbable face far away from the crowds. When you look up at the wall from the base of the climb, my mind tricks me into thinking it is vertical to overhanging for the first six pitches. However, there is only really one steep bulge on the whole climb. The rest is a nifty face climb that links cracks and weaknesses to a ledge system beneath broken climbing to the summit of Wilson. It is a definite step up in difficulty/commitment from Inti Watana, but nothing like Resolution Arête.  

  The rock is generally quite good. The crux is real 5.10 for Red Rocks. However, you should be prepared for some less-than-perfect bolts near face climbing, and some serious feeling climbing on the lower grades. In my book, there is definitely some 5.8 R on this route, and depending on how you feel about the bolts, some dicey sections at higher grades too. There are no bad pitches on the route. 

  As of 4/22/06, the first pitch and a half get shade in the morning from the rock formation to the left of the route. The upper pitches go into the shade in the early afternoon around 1:30. 

  All belay stations except for the top two are bolted. Most pitches are 120-150', but I wasn't paying much attention to the lengths. See the Urioste supplement for estimates. 

  See Approach beta for P1. awkward 5.8ish. 

  P2: Traverse right (bolts) to a weakness. Follow this up to a station beneath a couple bushes. hard 5.9? easy 5.10? 

  P3: Head up, over bush, and step right to the other obvious crack and follow this to a station with a ton of bolts. 5.8ish 

  P4: Step left into another weakness, follow it up to the bolt-line above through a bulge (good bolts at crux) and another belay station. easy 5.10ish. feels like doing a pitch at the Gallery, except a thousand feet off the ground. 

  P5: shorter pitch. head up the crack to a station on the left. 5.8ish. 

  P6: another shorter pitch. follow bolts up, then step right and pull onto the belay ledge. 5.9ish. (There is a variation here heading up and left over a bulge past two visible bolts that looks like solid 5.11.) 

  P7: A full-value heads-up pitch. A technical traverse (1/4" bolts, cool climbing) heads right, then up sustained face on more 1/4" bolts (see protection notes). There is an off-route bolt about 15 up before where you traverse around the corner. 5.10.  

  P8: Short pitch with fun and squirmy wide climbing. Walk the #4 with you and place pro in the back of the crack. There are a couple bolts too. Pull past the juggy bulge to another station. 5.9ish 

  P9: links to P10 for one long easy 180 pitch to tree in easy broken terrain, or belay off a tree in the middle to break it up. 5.7 at the bottom, easier up top. 

  That's the climb, but it ain't over yet.. Unrope and scramble NW along a loose ledge system with trees and an excellent flat bivy spot under a headwall (heading towards headwaters of oak creek). While traversing, when you walk around corner, you find yourself in a big gully system that leads down to the main gully formed by the weakness between Cactus Flower Tower/Mt. Wilson, which then heads down W to Oak Creek.  

  Note: there are no good descent trails that I know of on Mt. Wilson. The descent described here is based on only one descent with a local. It works well, takes about three and a half hours from summit to car, but may not be the best way possible. Feel free to root around and post up. It is possible that the enormous gully heading NW between Cactus Flower and Wilson would get back to Oak Creek, and It would be a great shortcut if it worked. 

  To get to our descent, you need to get higher on Wilson to get your bearings and access the right ramp system. Head up, pretty much to the summit of Mt. Wilson. Follow this big broken gully (big pine trees up a ways) on 3rd  and 4th class to its top. There is one slippery sandy section that we roped up for, but you might be able to find an easier way. From the top of the gully, hike eastish to the summit of Wilson, then head W towards the distant grey limestone slopes.

Thanatos was the opposite of Eros according to Freud- this hypothetical instinct freud said was every man's subconscious drive to death and destruction, lthough modern psychology does not register this on the 16 fundimental motivations of man. 

  This climb starts up the E-facing (lower left) arete of the Ant-Willie tower.  

  P1: 5.9 R (5.6x)   Climb pockets and slopers up the arete for about 15 meters, them move slightly right onto the face and continue on pockets. The climbing is about 5.8R and is X-rated at a lower standard (probably 5.6) at least without tricams or a lot of fiddling. We had only a light rack for Woman Of Mt Dreams on this route, so perhaps I could have taken more/better gear. A few decent threads and cams in holes were found that protected a significant amount of climbing, but there were certainly areas with groundfall potential. Move up to lower angle rock and finish on slopers at ~110 feet. You will belay at the base of a set of good cracks on trad gear.   P2: 5.10 R/X   CLimb up the cracks (5.10-) on good gear, staying mostly with the one on the left, although the one on the right provides holds as necessary to climb at the 5.9+/10- level. This is well-protected. Continue up the left crack to its end and climb the face above on sparse and questionable gear for some more considerable distance (5.10, R/X). A good set of nuts and small cams might make this R-rated only, but on the meager rack we had for the FA, the route was X-rated for sure.  Edges on plates and puzzle-pieces accounted for most of the holds, but the occasional sloper was used. The route was only lightly cleaned, breaking off edges only as needed to stand, cling, or protect. The route still has potential for breaking holds. Finish the crux of the route as the plates start to run out the wall turns slightly past vertical- mantle onto some last plates and stand at the bottom of a less-than vertical red wall. Work right to the arete and step up and right around into the chimney (5.10 R/X) and up to a ledge with a belay/rap anchor. (3 good nuts tied off on a cordalette)   A third pitch can be done to reach the summit, however, it requires down-climbing back to the lower ledge.  From there you can rap to the ground on 2X 70M ropes or get within feet of the ground ( on 2X 60M ropes and hop or scramble down.

Pagan Sacrifice takes a direct line up the “wind god tower”. It shares the first 6 pitches with gift of the wind gods to where that route traverses right. The line is aesthetic and the climbing is good, the bolting seems a bit botched making the route confusingly runout at times. Worth doing if you want more adventure than gift was dishing or if the line particularly calls to you.  P1-6 follow gift of the wind gods to the belay at the base of the 10d traverse pitch. You can link 5-6, and would not be able to link 6 into 7. P7 180’ 5.11 (or 5.9 A0) from the belay, downclimb left to the first of two bolts. The crux is a boulder problem above the second bolt. The rock here is super fragile and I could see someone ripping stuff off, while it wouldn’t change the grade much you could potentially hurt someone on gift. There is an ancient sling here that I’m guessing was put in place to assist in aiding. After the roof, climb a face slightly left to a bolt, then back right to a seam, follow this to a comfy ledge and wonder why the belay bolts aren’t here. Continue up the face to the right with 2 more bolts and a runout to a hanging belay on 2 bolts. P8 190’ 5.9 climb the face straight up to a bolt, then traverse easy but questionable rock to the left and up to another bolt. This is the last bolt on route. Trend back right to a crack, there was a fixed but here. Climb the crack until it widens and becomes bushy, then the face to the right up to a belay stance below a flaring OW. P9 170’ 5.8 climb the crack above past some bushes, then the obvious OW up to a sloping stance where you can see an obvious ledge with a tree on your right. Climb a funky flake reminiscent of the elephants trunk to this ledge.

From here you have two options, decent via the gift of the wind gods decent or continuing to the summit. To descend, traverse until you meet up with the massive treed ledge just below. To summit, follow your nose up blocky ground to the top.

This is a committing route up one of the coolest lines on the mountain. It is not your typical red rock experience. I gave it three stars, but don't expect a black velvet day, 1 star for adventure, 1 for aesthetics, and 1 for commitment. The rock quality overall is pretty good, the stone on the upper headwall is immaculate, but the overhanging pitches down low are plagued by some loose rock. While the rock quality is totally manageable from an aid perspective, these pitches would need considerable work to be freed. When cleaned up it will likely go in the 11+/12- range and will sport a couple radically overhanging crack pitches. P1 5.9 150 ft; start up the mossy hand crack, turn left at a easy gully, follow this to a huge tree to belay. Scramble up to your right for about 500 ft. Aim for the obvious splitter original route, once in the basin below the two routes cut left through a thick patch of scrub oak. The next pitch goes up the dirty chimney above. P2 5.10 160 ft; climb the "garbage chute" chimney up to the huge chockstones, climb up to the right of the first one (5.10 or C1) then step to the left for the second stone. This pitch is 5.8 C1 if aiding the chockstone move P3 5.7 C1 70 ft; Continue up the corner, aid the .1 crack to its top then do a 30 ft tension traverse to the right. 5.7 face climbing over here brings you to a good belay ledge below "kevin's hole" P4 5.9 A2 120 ft; Start by climbing into kevin's hole. Free climbing leads you up to a steep splitter. Climb this splitter up to a roof, a couple hook moves brings you to the obvious and aesthetic right facing splitter. Follow this to a sweet belay ledge. (i placed 2 arrows, a #3 beak, and a #1 blade on this pitch) P5 5.9 C2 100 ft; Start up the awesome flare, pull some fraid moves past the lip of the roof and continue mixed awkward aid and funky free up the flaring chimney to a stance beneath a right facing corner. P6 5.10 130 ft; Climb up the corner with a mix of corner climbing and face climbing on the arete. The grade may go up or down when the bushes are removed. At about halfway up the corner step left and climb an awesome seam on the face to a good belay ledge in an alcove. P7 5.10 170 ft; Stem up the shallow right facing corner until face climbing leads you up to the left trending seam above. Awesome thin face climbing brings you up to a small roof. Start a crazy and super runout traverse using the lip of this roof as a foot rail. Run it out horizontally to the right for about 60 ft until you hit a seam that has some gear, or belay in the huecos to the left. P8 5.9R 130 ft; Thus begins your vision quest. Careful route-finding through these upper pitches may find you potentially easier/better protected climbing and poor routefinding will find you strung out and gripped. Climb the face or the groove to start, either way you will make your way into the groove to find some gear, climb this up to a bulge, then traverse left at a diagonal about 60/70 ft with limited gear to a seam to the left of the large obvious mossy groove. Creative hanging belay here with micro cams/rps P9 5.9R 200 ft; Friggin awesome pitch. Climb the seam straight above until it slabs out. A left trending crack looms above, climb the runout slab up to the base of the crack for a belay. P10 5.10a 210 ft; start up the left trending crack, when it gets steep, step left for some awesome face climbing. Weave your way up the face until the headwall above gets close. Find a wide horizontal weakness that leads to your left (through a mossy groove) and follow this around the corner with crazy exposure to the base of a low angle splitter, youve run out of rope, so belay here. P11 5.4 100 ft; follow the slabby ramp and rambling ledgey terrain until you reach the "catwalk" on resolution arete. P12/13 300 ft; climb the last 2 pitches for resolution arete. Then simul, pitch out, or solo the remaining 500ft of ridgeline to the summit of Wilson.

 Descent: The best descent off Wilson is oak creek.

This route is a free variation to the Aeolian Original Route. At sometimes this route can feel very bold, but overall it is very safe, and one of the top adventure routes in Red Rock. The crux is one boulder problem protected by a bolt, super chill. The rest of the route follows the Original Herbst line. There are a couple of dirty pitches but overall the good pitches make the climb very worth it!!Getting there- Hike past Intiwatana until you are below the Aeolian wall roof. If there is a fixed line, ascend it, if not belay up the mossy crack to the left.P1: 5.10d PG, Start below the roof, Climb some flakes and blocks to a bolted anchor (30ft) skip this anchor and climb the crack system into a chimney (the first moves off bolted anchor protects with a #2 DMM brassy) Climb the difficult chimney into a great crack with amazing rock until you are parallel with the bolt on the traverse. Anchor takes .5, .75, 1, 2, choose whateverP2: 5.12 a/b Traverse right and clip a bolt, pull off a v4ish boulder problem then traverse to the arete. The rest of the pitch is easy climbing (5.10- ish), however, it has some exciting runnouts, definitely R/PG-13. Once around the arete, clip a bolt with a double-length sling (makes the whip easier on your partner) climb the face about 40 ft to another bolt then another 30ft to an old 1/4 bolt and fixed piton, belay about 5 ft above the piton with a 3 and 4.P3: 5.10, This is a very interesting pitch, typical Mt. Wilson rock, but kind of fun. Climb up a thin flake to a really small crack, place some nuts/brassy, and climb the face to the right of the crack, reaching into place gear as you go; at one point I got a bomb black totem. Climb the crack system into a cool chimney with a fixed bong. Follow the crack system to Crotch ledge. You can belay in the boulders on the left with a blue and yellow totem, or place a couple of #2s in the flaring crack.P4: 5.9, Follow a wide crack up and left. Good dirty hand jams in the back. Move back and forth between climbing the crack and the face. Climb past a 1/4 bolt and continue up the face to a large cave. This pitch sucks if it's wet but pretty fun when it's dry.P5: 5.8 R, This is probably the coolest chimney you will ever climb, No gear for the entire pitch but it is a cruiser chim chim. It's good to have an 80m rope for this pitch, a 70 will probably make it, a 60 will require some simul climbing.P6: 5.9+, Climb up an off-width, this is where it is good to have a #6, traverse right to a ledge and gully system whenever possible. If you don't want to huck a #6 up the wall, you can avoid the offwidth by climbing a face into a sandy chimney that has a small tree at the bottom, but the off-width is better. belay below a short chimney.P7-8: 5.9, Back to good rock, climb a short chimney with two boulders at the top. At the end of the chimney, there is a sweet cave, if you have a headlamp it's really cool to look deep inside it. Climb another, really neat chimney and go up the gully system to a tree. I did these pitches by stretching out an 80m, but it can easily be broken up.P9-10: 3rd class to the summitdescent: typical Wilson, pick your poison

A historic and bold route for its time, the Aeolian Wall remains a seldom climbed testpiece of Red Rock climbing.  Despite being one of the parks oldest routes it has seen only a handful of ascents over the 35 years since it was established.  One can only imagine what Hamilton and Herbst must have been thinking going up this foreboding wall in a time before cams & high angle rescues. 

  The adventure aficionado will enjoy a route much unchanged from those times.  A few bold & spectacular aid pitches on mostly solid rock eventually give way to more moderate but varied climbing above.  Rock quality varies significantly but is generally of decent quality.  This odyssey through the bowels of lady Wilson is an experience few undertake but rewards those who endure with an unforgettable experience that no pullout climb can provide.    

  Approach   Just up the gulley from the Resolution Arete the approach requires climbing up a mossy crack on the left-hand side of a water-streaked slab.  Climb this crack to a small shrub and then move left on easier terrain to reach the large ledge system below the route.  Continue back right up ramps to the base of the unmistakable vertical wall with the large left facing corner. 

  Pitch 1   5.9 120ft   Climb flakes in the corner past some loose rock near the corner to a new looking 2 bolt anchor.  (Old threaded slings nearby) 

  Pitch 2   5.9 A2 150ft   From the anchor, move right to the chimney climbing past a star-drive bolt.  Free climb and aid the chimney and taking a nice crack leading onto the right face.  Belay at a stance with hand sized gear about 20ft below a bolt above.   

  Pitch 3   5.9 A3 190ft   Continue up the corner past a bolt into a knifeblade seam.  At the roof move right on 4 original bolts and then continue out the roof on knifeblades (A3 exciting and airy).  Pull the lip, clip another ancient bolt and continue up 5.9/A1 cracks to a claustrophobic chimney with fixed bong in back.  

  Pitch 4 - 5.8 - 110ft   Continue out the chimney and up cracks to the Crotch ledge.  Good bivy for 3+.  

  Pitch 5 - 5.8 - 195ft   Take a chimney that moves up & angles left into a slab.  Climb the slab past a bolt to a cool cave-like ledge.  Good bivy for 4+. 

  Pitch 6-7 - 5.8 - 220-260ft   Take yet another nice chimney above with sparse protection to a ledge. 

  Pitch 7 - 5.8 - 190ft   From the ledge climb a small step through bushes and up a 4-6 inch crack.  At a convenient point traverse right into the next gulley system over (Lots of options). 

  Pitch 8-9 - 5.9 - 100-250ft   Move up the gulley system through a series of ledges and chimneys to reach a saddle (near Resolution Arete). Belay from trees/bushes.   

  Pitch 10-13 - 3rd class   Turn right (west) and move up generally the left side of the rock towers near the top to gain the summit ridge. 

  Descent:   Take Oak or First Creek descents 

A long and sustained route up one of the most obvious features in red rock. With a keen eye it is visible from town. It is the easiest route up the aeolian wall and one of only a couple sub-5.10 routes that summits the mountain. It has a lot of fun and interesting climbing but has a few sections of extremely mossy rock that detract from the overall experience. Even still it is a worthy adventure that will clean up with traffic. P1- Head up easy face into a funky and mossy corner with a hand crack, possibly heady at times but the gear is there. Continue up the corner and turn left into the easy gully and continue up to a huge tree to belay. This is the "approach pitch" for the original route. 200' 5.9 P2- A short low 5th boulder problem leads to a 4th class scramble up to the base of the main wall. 60' 5- P3- Scramble up the ramp straight above and into a corner with a wide crack, funky stemming leads to some easy face to the base of a flare. 5.7+ 140' P4- Head straight up the strenuous flare (crux of the route), continuing straight up the featured wide crack and hand crack. Step right at some overlapping cracks, belay at a small ledge below a shallow corner. 100' 5.9+ P5- Straight up the crack a short ways, then step right into the corner. Stem up the corner to some chockstones, face climbing out left avoids the stones, continue straight up to a ledge next to a mossy wide crack. 100' 5.9 P6- THE MOSS PITCH; step right for some easy face climbing through the moss (5.6), then step back left into a short chimney, continue up the crack to a mossy roof (5.9+), a hand crack above leads to a creative stance below the next big roof (Dont worry most of the moss is done with after this pitch) 100' 5.9+ P7- THE BULGE; stem straight up, some commiting moves before your first piece, then pull the fun hand crack roof. A splitter hand crack above leads to a finger crack bulge that stems, continue up to a stance 30' below a big bush. 100' 5.9+ P8- step left and stem easily around a tree, continue up the corner past a ledge (optional belay here) to an uncomfortable belay up in the chimney. 150' 5.9 P9- Continue up the chimney eventually turning into face climbing around a wide crack, belay at a stance below a big gaping flare. 140' 5.8+ P10- Up a short ways and step right into a seam that runs the length of the flare, this is runout with funky gear and isn't the easiest climbing. Alternatively, chimney the flare at an unknown grade. Head past the bulge and continue up the chimney. Chimney up past where it turns to a squeeze and cram your way through a pretty tight hole below the giant chockstone above. 180' 5.9R P11- another rope stretcher. head up the squeeze chimney, a little runout but pretty secure. Chimney out and around a small chockstone (a horizontal directional keeps the rope away from it) and continue up the corner past a short OW, easy flaring chimney moves lead you up to one final roof. Belay at some giant boulders and a ledge. 200' 5.9 P12- Mostly easy scrambling. head to the left side of the gully to avoid the brush, a short and easy finger crack leads you up to the notch where inti watana tops out. 120' 5.7-

 At this point you are below p15 of Resolution Arete as per the george bell topo (the same vicinity inti tops out)

 P13-18 follow res arete to the top

 Descent- The best decent off wilson is oak creek. The only bail option that keeps your rack intact is to rappel inti.

The 2hr approach makes this route a well earned prize.  Just keep moving west from the base of Resolution Arete til you get to the west side of Aeolian Tower.  Climb straight up easy/wide cracks forming the west side of the Aeolian Tower for 3 pitches then the crux bolted pitch awaits on the main wall.  Spicy and fun, the crux comes at the start of pitch 4 and it's well protected but a bit of a zig zag, since Joanne bolted it on lead with hooks!  After that, it remains a steep mostly direct line that trends a bit left to top out.  The very last couple pitches are a bit loose but nothing unmanageable.  Get a late return ticket because you will take all day.  Joanne and I started walking at 0430 from the highway and returned to the car @ 11pm.  Awesome climb and lady.

This is the aesthetic crack and corner system ever so slightly uphill and lookers left Inti Watana. The crux pitches are spectacular; exciting, sustained and cerebral movement on bomber varnish. The easier pitches that follow continue up equally good rock in steep featured terrain to round out a proud line. The first pitch starts about 150 ft left of inti. P1&2- approx 270 ft 5.8+; the route starts out on a lower angle chimney system. A short steep twin hand crack section is a highlight. Many belay options, or link together with a 70 with very little simuling. Belay at a couple pins on the right wall. P3- 130ft 5.10c; This is the huge improbable looking right facing corner. Climb the corner until about 3/4 of the way up. Gear stops, but an easy exit out right becomes obvious. Don't miss the 0.3 placement after the moves exiting the corner, otherwise your follower will rightfully wish to hit you. Traverse right on 5.7 for 40 ft with no gear and clip a pin, find a blind foot around the corner and downclimb to it. a balancy 5.9+/10- compression-slab-boulder-problem gets you into the wide corner on the right. Belay in a crack just above. P4- 100 ft 5.11a; This pitch feels like it belongs on a tower! Steep, unrelenting and physical. Start off with some awkward 5.9+ OW right off the belay, continue up this strenuous flare to the scooped roof. Pull the athletic roof into a short splitter #6 crack. A bizarre overhanging chimney above caps the pitch. Belay at a stance with a tree. P5- 160 ft 5.9/10a; Start up the squeeze on the left, a funky and distinct crux move gets you from the squeeze into the flaring hand crack above. flaring crack and chimney continues up to a stance, belay above a rap anchor. P6- 140 ft 5.10; This pitch is mostly easier but is still engaging. Continue up the chimney to the first roof, many features keep it surprisingly easy. A second roof above a ledge is a little harder to read. And a third roof above leads to the belay tree. This final roof is kind of flared and awkward to protect. Some crunchy 5.7R to the left optionally avoids it and makes this pitch 5.9. P7- 130 ft 5.10a; Up easy face and cracks trending right, Climbing right of a water streak and aiming for the huge gash above. A final short corner crack guards the ledge above. This has a move or two that feels a bit hollow but is short-lived. Walk up this dirt ramp doing your best not to kick down dirt and rocks and squeeze into a cave at the end of the ramp. belay in the back of the cave. P8- 80 ft 5.9; Squeeze through the tight hole to the right then chimney up to the top of the chockstone. This squeeze is quite tight, you may have to remove everything from your harness to fit. Easier blocky climbing above leads to a short corner to a roof. A short traverse spits you out on a ledge on resolution arete.

 At this point you are at the base of p13 on the bell topo for the res (5.9+ traverse into the 5.7 chimney)

 P9-15 finish on resolution arete

 Descent- Best descent off Wilson is oak creek.

Enough has been written and rewritten about the Res to confuse anyone including the first ascentionists. Suffice it to say that (imho) the best and most accurate description of the approach and climb can be found in Joanne Urioste's new Red Book Supplement. This is a very big route not a casual day at the crags. 1.5 hours to approach and 3 hours to descend, not to mention how ever long it takes to climb the route. This is really more of a desert mountaineering route. You will encounter a little (or a lot) of every thing the Red Rocks has to offer, except the crowds. You will be very much "on your own".

Inti Watana is an excellent face and crack climb.  Although there are bolts on most pitches, it is not a sport climb.  This climb is grade V if Combined with the upper portion of resolution arete.  If anyone has first ascent info, please post. 

  Approach mount wilson from the old oak creek campground.  Look for gully with a red and white rock cliff at the base.  Continue up and around this and into the gully with cairns.  When you reach a large pine tree go around to the left and up gully with a massive chock stone.  Tunnel under the chock stone and look up to the right for bolts on the first pitch. 

  P1- Follow bolts up rock that climbs much better than it looks (5.10-). 

  P2- The crux of the route.  Continue up the beautiful and intimidating head wall past many bolts to a belay stance (5.10+). 

  P3 through P9- Many pitches up to (5.9) in difficulty.  Mixed gear and bolted climbing.  One pitch is long and has no bolts on it.   

  P10- Climb up past many bolts on the the overhanging wall.  The position is amazing on this pitch (5.9).  

  P11- Short pitch up past more bolts (5.9). 

  P12- The last pitch of the route.  Continue up through an overhang and crack to the top of the pillar(5.9+). 

  From here the last part of resolution arete may be climbed or rappel the route.  Bring some extra webbing for the rappel.  If continuing to the top of Mount Wilson descend to a saddle and drop into first creek.  This descent seems to have never ending gully travel.  Once out of first creek walk the road back to the car.

The Aeolian Wall is the unmistakable and massive diamond-shaped feature that comprises the entire right side of Mt. Wilson. Bounded on the left side by the prominent Resolution Arete and on the right side by Wind God Tower, this awesome wall terminates at the summit proper. The Aeolian Wall is the site of the "Original Route" on Mt. Wilson, the Aeolian Wall V 5.9 A3. Done by Joe Herbst and Larry Hamilton in 1975. For those curious about the name, an Aeolian is a harp that produces musical sounds when the wind blows across the strings. A resonant experience for many Red Rocks aficionados to be sure.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Aeolian Wall