With Michelle out of town and high winds in the mountains, I decided to take a shot at climbing Angel's Way a rock ridge in Boulder's Flatirons. Angel's Way is a mostly Class 4 climb with spots of 5.0. Dalton didn't want to go, so I decided to take a look at it as a free solo.
I trust my discretion and skills, but can't take responsibility for yours. Therefore, I am not recommending this climb without a rope. 5.0 is still 5.0, so act accordingly. Especially in December when you can encounter snow and ice. The route is only open from 7/31 to 2/1.
It has taken me a couple of trips to identify exactly which ridge in Skunk Canyon is Angel's Way. Roach says it is 100 feet west of Satan's Slab and it is. Reading about it and being there are two different things for me. Here's the coordinates: N 39 58.700 W 105 17.333, Elevation 6479.
The climb starts out at 5.0 on small holds. There is a headwall with some buckets you can see in photo 2. The ridge above is Class 4 and about 1,000 feet long. The intensity of this climb without a rope was at my limits.
I tried to continue my day with a climb of Green Mountain, but the snow covered rocks made it no fun. I fell once on my shoulder which gave me a month long bruise. So I turned around and descended the gully. On my return to NCAR there was a nice heard of deer grazing in the broad field which lifted my spirits a bit.
