This route is a beautiful line with a several spectacular pitches. The most notable is the shamrock roof pitch which goes out a huge roof.  The pitches above the roof in the groove have similar rock and climbing feel as the wide pitches on Crimson Chrysalis minus the bolts.  There are no bolts or fixed anchors on the route.  The time to climb the route itself is probably an average grade III but with over 1000ft of approach pitches and a very involved descent you will probably be getting a grade V type of effort.   

  The R rating comes from the wide upper pitches which may be mitigated with wide gear.  Anywhere the climbing is difficult the protection is good. 

  Pitch 1:  5.9 170ft     Begin climbing the right side of a small red pillar moving past a small roof on the left.  Move right out of the mini-roof into the tan rock and up a mossy crack.  Follow this crack up to a small ledge with a bush for the belay.   

  Pitch 2:  5.8 120-160ft     Move up and left from the belay and climb to a long ledge.  Traverse on the ledge to the right through bushes to reach the base of a large dihedral with the spectacular sweeping Shamrock roof above. Belay in cracks or continue up to stance in the dihedral above. 

  (Optional)Pitch 3: 5.10a 80-170ft     Climb up the corner using the crack and features on the face.  Belay at the last stance before the roof on small ledge or link with next pitch.   

  Pitch 4:  5.10b 90ft     The Shamrock Roof.  Climb up the corner and out the spectacular sweeping roof.  Belay in good vertical cracks just past the edge of the roof. 

  Pitch 5:  5.9 200ft     Climb straight up past a bush in a dihedral.  Just past the bush move up and right on a slightly overhanging wall with big holds turning the outside corner and climbing onto a featured face (5.9).  Continue climbing up and right on the face until you meet up with a crack that widens into a chimney (5.6).  Belay in a notch. 

  Pitch 6:  5.8+R 195ft     Continue up the chimney/OW and belay at a stance. 

  Pitch 7:  5.7+R 175ft     Climb another long pitch up the chimney/OW to a nice large ledge (a bush can be seen about 25ft above through the crack)  

  Pitch 8:  5.7+ 205ft     Continue up Chimney/OW again until it tops out as a finger crack. 

Celtic Cracks

Worried Wives Club

Tiers of the Setting Sun

Contrail

Jet Stream

The Minotaur

This route begins just above the First Creek Slabs descent gully.  Start up a wide crack leading past a large bush (this is also the beginning of the Guinness Book), and bear left when possible to belay beneath a big, left-facing corner.  Three pitches lead up the dihedral.  The third involves strenuous liebacking to a small ledge.  Above this point the corner becomes unprotectable, but an improbable escape to the right allows progress to a large ledge.  From the left end of the ledge, follow the chimney system for several pitches to the summit ridge.

This adventurous line, when combined with any of the First Creek Slab routes is one of the longest lines in Red Rocks providing 2500+ feet of boltless climbing. The route is similar in nature to Resolution Arete but with better rock quality.  

  The first pitch begins to the right of a striking hand and finger crack.  The start begins about 30ft to the right of a crack with many huecos.   

  P1  5.9 Take the crack to a ledge at 30 ft with a large bush. Continue up the chimney to a right facing corner, pull a 5.9 roof and belay on a sloping ledge. (55m) 

  P2  5.9 Continue ascending this corner as it widens to an offwidth using the crack and edges on the face to a belay in a sheltered alcove under a huge block on the left. (55m)  This pitch is R unless you bring big gear.   

  P3  5.9+ Continue up and right through an easy squeeze to a 5.6PG ramp.  Continue up the ramp to a stance below a spectacular dead vertical 5.9+ hand and fist crack with lots of lichen. Follow the crack up and onto a ramp to the best belay stance you can find at the end of your rope. (55m)  

  P4  5.9 Continue up the ramp and onto some 5.7R face climbing on poor rock past a bush through a 10 ft section of 5.8 crack to a large ledge with a tree.  Climb some awkward 5.9 moves to get to another ledge 25 ft higher on the left. The final headwall will stretch above. 

  P5  5.11 or A1/5.10 PG13 Take the mossy finger to hand crack starting on this ledge that splits the spectacular headwall to a good size bush for the belay (55m). 

  P6  5.10+R From the belay traverse down and right on 5.6R face moves and traverse right 50 ft (no pro!) to gain a 5.7 crack. Continue up the crack as the difficulty increases to 10+ and the gear options decrease. The crack turns to stemming then OW/ Squeeze and ledges out at the base of an OW/Squeeze. (~60m) 

  P7  5.9+ Climb the OW/Squeeze to some 5.7R face climbing to reach a ledge (~60m) 

  P8  5.5 Scramble up 5.5 terrain for 30m to the top. 

P.1) Start either with Jet Stream/Celtic Cracks or Worried Wives Club/Guinness Book and climb to the base of the dihedral. 200'   P.2) Climb the dihedral to a small ledge and hanging belay on the right. 100' 5.10   P.3) Continue up the stellar dihedral to the top of the pillar. 175' 5.10b   P.4) Go down the bushy backside and traverse 15' right to a crack when the ledge drops off. Follow this and belay above some small trees. 180' 5.8   P.5) Climb up and left to a seam on the face, continue up the face on the head wall, left of the shallow dihedral, wandering back and forth. Belay at the base of the large rectangular recess. 200' 5.9   P.6) Climb the left side of the recess, starts as fingers and widens to offwidth at the roof. Cross under the roof (C1) to exit the right side. Belay on the large wedged blocks that form the roof. 100' 5.10c,C1   P.7) Climb the steep, now slightly less mossy, crack to a ledge. 100' 5.10   P.8) Continue up the crack to the top. 200' 5.7   Descent: Rappel the route (the first rap goes left to a small ledge on Jet Stream/Worried Wives Club).

P.1) Start in a shallow right facing dihedral at the next crack to the right of Big Sky. After 10' move left and follow the crack that forms the left side of the rock stack that made the dihedral. Go up to a ledge and through a short chimney then go left across sloper ledges to a crack (Big Sky) and up to the large owl cove.200' 5.5   P.2) Angle out the owl cove on the crack to the right. After 40' follow a crack that diverges left, peters out to face, and straight up to a nice ledge at 200'. Simul climb or short pitch 40' to the next ledge and base of the white/black dihedral. 240' 5.5   P.3) Climb the dihedral past a steep section. Belay at a sloper stance before the trees when the crack bends onto the right side of the huge pillar that forms the first half of the climb. 180' 5.7   P.4) Climb out left onto the center or so of the pillar. Near the end of a rope length there is a belay stance on the right side of the face, run out but easy. 200' 5.4   P.5) Climb straight up and angle to the left side of the pillar. The last 15' is a pro-less head wall that caps the pillar. Where the slab meets the head wall go around the left side of the pillar onto a hidden ramp/ledge with protection. 200' 5.5   From the top of this pillar go up the gully behind until an exposed discontinuous ledge goes back left across a cliff onto the main ramp that separates First Creek Slabs from the Labyrinth Wall and then down to the large pine tree and campsite that mark the rappels to the wash.   P.6) Start behind the pine tree. To the right of a right facing chimney/offwidth, climb an hourglass shaped flake up to the crack that tarts 30' up. When the crack eases off and widens, angle up and right across easy run out slabs to a small pine tree on a ledge at the base of an awesome dihedral. 200' 5.9   P.7) Climb the dihedral passing a camouflaged microwave sized loose block to a weakness and small ledge on the right. 100' 5.10   P.8) Go right, into the chimney on the backside of the dihedral, climb up about 80' and exit the chimney to the right on a crack that becomes a small ramp leading to the large bushy ledge. This and the next pitch likely take the same line as The Guinness Book.  175' 5.9   P.9) From the bottom right side of this ledge, traverse 15' right to a crack. Follow this crack (which becomes the right side of the huge channel) up past a couple trees and belay at a comfortable stance when the crack widens. 180' 5.8   P.10) Leave the crack to the left and face climb the prow next to the crack with some gear for 40' or so then angle left to the base of a shallow right facing dihedral that begins at a head wall. Climb the dihedral 40-50' getting some shaky RPs and TCUs. When you realize the climbing is pro-less 5.10, step left onto the arete where its only pro-less 5.9 (this is a 50-60' run out). Belay on a ledge that forms the bottom of a large rectangular recess in the center of the channel. 200' 5.10   P.11) From the left end of the belay ledge, climb left into the crack round the corner. Follow till the end of the rope and belay on a comfortable but small ledge to the right. 200' 5.9   P.12) Follow easy discontinuous cracks and slabs up and right to the top at the center of the huge channel. 200' 5.7

The Minotaur is a relatively moderate climb in a spectacular position. You get great views of Wilson, the Strip, and all the First Creek Slabs below. The climbing isn't that bad either but does have a few runout places. Be careful on the 7th pitch. It is easy climbing but pro is sparse. Combining this with any of the lower slab routes would make for a big grade IV day.There are no bolts on this climb but belays are generally good and easy to get. This is probably the easiest way to get up the labyrinth wall. As with any new route however, be aware that all holds may not be bomber. I give the route 3 stars because of its position, length, and a few really neat pitches. That being said, it has some sections of mediocre rock, is runout on some easy terrain, and would be better compared to a Resolution Arete style of climbing. In short, its a moderate level adventure that if combined with the lower slab routes provides for 2000+ft of climbing.Pitch 1: 5.10a/b 180ftStart up a right angling crack that turns vertical. Continue up the thin crack and face and make a delicate traverse right 10 ft to gain the upper thin crack. Belay at a bush.Pitch 2: 5.9 205ftClimb up 15ft and traverse left into the right facing dihedral. Climb the dihedral to a ledge.Pitch 3: 3rd Class 50ftScramble back and up 3rd class terrain to the right.Pitch 4: 5.9 165ftClimb up a right-facing corner passing a short 6 offwidth section and up a groove. Where the groove dead-ends into a steep blank wall traverse left and climb up onto a short step and belay.Pitch 5: 3rd Class 40ftStep left and through a short corridor to another wall.Pitch 6: 5.9 215ftClimb the handcrack up 40ft, traverse right to another crack and take it up and through a roof. Belay where the crack bends left and makes a small ledge.Pitch 7: 5.7 R 185ftFrom the belay first traverse right on the face for 15ft. Place gear and move up and generally trend left on face holds and almost no protection to a ledge with stacked blocks around the left corner.Pitch 8: 5.9 R 95ft Move up and then left from the belay and follow a large crack on poor rock. Continue up a white rock chimney to another ledge spaced 2 feet across a gap from the yellow headwall.

The Labyrith Wall is a steep multi-towered/tiered section of rock that rises above the First Creek Slabs. The north facing wall gets early morning sun and remains shady for the remainder of the day. This secluded wall is guarded by 1000+ feet of easier climbing below.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Labyrinth Wall