Erickson's Wide Crack

This climb is a variation pitch to

Breezy's

second pitch which links to the final pitch of

Wind Ridge

. The climbing here is fun. Being a true offwidth climb for a few body-lengths of the pitch, and a steep clean one at that, the crux climbing on this is a rarity for Eldorado canyon and is worth doing.

For the sake of the description, it will be described as a multi-pitch, but the line is direct enough that we ran a single 200' pitch from the base of

Breezy

/

Wind Ridge

to the walk off up top with virtually no drag.

Climb the first pitch of

Wind Ridge

to the ledge (optional belay). Continue a few feet up the corner above the belay before working out and right side of the corner;

Breezy

goes and stays left. Pick your way through delicate flakes and up to the bottom of a bulging wide crack. Place a solid #5 Camalot (new style) on the base of the crack and start working your way up past the crux bulge (fist jam, old or new #4 Camalot, knee lock,

etc.

) and grunt your way into the crack. Once established in it, the climbing gets much easier. Head up the crack to the arete and join the

Wind Ridge

(belay optional), continuing to the walk-off ledge up top.

Do be careful not to knock any loose rocks down on

Breezy

, below, which may be crowded.

This pitch starts at the top of P1 of

Breezy

, heading up the corner and then out right to the obvious wide crack, then continues up a shallow, left-facing corner to join

Wind Ridge

.

A standard light rack + a new-style #5 Camalot or equivalent + an old or new #4. A few longer slings are useful if you intend to run it all into a 200' pitch (recommended).