This route is named in memory of the hip hop artist, The Gift of Gab. Paragraph President was the name of one of his songs, and he played in the Durango area several times. He will be remembered as one of the greatest poets and hip hop artists of his generation. To see evidence, find his song

Alphabet Aerobics.

There is a crux at the start, then it is tricky up high, especially if it's dirty.

Paragraph President

Into the Great Wide Open

Genesis

Thundercling

Gildenstern

Easy Rider

Book of Life

Bolting Therapy

30 and Dirty

The Red Sea

Baby Blue

In the Beginning

Revelation

Jug Life

Labor of Love

Bolting Therapy is another new line on the Entrance Wall with a deceptive crux up high. As with many Cascade routes, it climbs well when cleaned and all chalked up.

Paying homage to the late, great Tom Petty: this route is a nice new addition to the Genesis Wall and has a bit of everything on it. A delicate first section leads to a crux section at bolts 3 and 4. A less than optimal top forced the anchors to be lower but yet ends on a nice clipping jug.

Thought provoking and fun sequences make this a worthy route. Super minimal cleaning was needed, with overall excellent rock. It's the last section of really good rock on the wall before there is a mini-arch that lets runoff cascade down. Hop on it, enjoy, and have fun.

Genesis is the namesake route for the

Genesis Wall (Canyon Entrance)

. This is a fun route with some good movement and is solid for the grade.

The only beta is to find the thundercling. Ben Griffin and I worked this thing to figure out where the bolts should go and figured out some beta. Adam Ferro came in for the send!

Gildenstern is a recently reinstalled route, using stainless steel glue-in bolts, provided by the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA).

The original name, Gildenstern, seems fitting.

Thisi is a new line on the far left side of the Entrance Wall. It will need some traffic to clean up.

This is a fun route that climbs up a shallow, right-facing corner with some good, technical movement.

This is great climbing on the best chunk of rock in the canyon. It is hands down the best route on the Entrance Wall! Climb perfect blue/grey rock on sidepulls and fat pinches with maybe only 2-3 down-pulling holds on the entire route. The climbing is powerful and engaging from the bottom to the top.

It should be noted that there was an abandoned line of studs (bolts with the hangers taken off) a few feet to the left. The studs were pounded in, and the line was redirected a few feet to the right, keeping it on the steepest and best part of the wall.

Climb up easy edges, to smaller edges below the roof (crux).  Have an easy perch and then a little power move through the roof and done.

Baby Blue has fun movement on high quality rock. Get some nice finger jams off the deck.

The crux is up high, probably somewhere in the 10+/11- range.

There's a cool plant growing out of the rock on route near the top of the climb.

Start left of

Book of Life

. Do a bouldery start to small roof, then make a big huck to a great pocket.

Start up a small, left-facing corner. Vertical and technical moves trend up/right towards a small right-facing corner and the chains.

Start on a small boulder, reaching up to a flat edge. Move right into a corner then left onto a face. Move right for the finish at the same anchor as

Thundercling

.

This route wrapped up a summer of bolting new lines in Cascade—bolting therapy I called it—to keep myself busy and occupied. This one took the longest to clean, and my fixed rope also got stolen. I'd left a fixed rope on the climb for easy access while bolting and more importantly so that people would not climb it and pull off dangerous loose blocks that I was cleaning with a hammer and crowbar.

(The rope is a black static line, if anyone has it or know who does please contact me.)

I definitely was angry when the rope was stolen - it was new this summer, and I took it as an insult that while developing something for the community I'd have something taken from me, but I calmed down and reflected on all the kindness that people have shown this summer while I've been dangling on the wall cleaning and putting bolts in. Everyone I've interacted with has been either curious or grateful; sometimes both.

In the end, it was my decision to choose love over anger and hence Labor of Love it is.

Please bring a brush, and wear a helmet. There's some loose rock still, and there's plenty of dirt. It should go from a two star route to a three star with cleaning.

UPDATE: the stolen rope was returned!

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Genesis Wall (Canyon Entrance)