Black Dog

Black Dog is a fun, mostly-crack line on Greyrock's Southeast Face with an exciting, runout face-climbing crux. It is mislabeled on the SE Face topo in the Leubben/Cross/Scott

Poudre Canyon Routes

guidebook as route 68.

P1. Climb the side of the flake (left side is easier, right side is much nicer and only about 5.7) and a short stretch of face above to a crack that runs through two small roofs. Clamber over the roofs (5.8 or 8-), passing a fixed pin after the second. Continue up the enjoyable crack as it squeezes down to nothing and spits you out on thin, protection-free, friction climbing. Man up, crimp down where possible, and work out the sequence up and left until you reach a large ramp. Belay here, 5.9 (?) R, 150 feet.

P2. Follow left-trending seams and finger cracks with nice face holds for a rope length or so until a belay can be had on lower-angle terrain. This pitch trends naturally toward

Central Chimney

. If necessary, an intermediate, semi-hanging belay could be made along the way, 5.9-, 200 feet.

P3. Ascend lower-angle terrain, either trending left toward

Central Chimney's

finish, or following lichenous but interesting features straight up for more "full value" climbing. Belay at or near the summit plateau, 5.6 (harder if you choose), 150 feet.

About 70 feet climber's right of

Central Chimney

, and about 20 feet right of

Inner Mountain Flame

, a large flake leans up against Greyrock's main face behind a tree. Black Dog ascends this flake (either side works) to a handcrack that passes through two roofs above the flake.

The protection is excellent on this route, with the exception of 15+ feet of very bleak friction climbing at the end of pitch one. Unfortunately, this section coincides with the hardest climbing on the route. A standard rack protects pitch one just fine, but extra small cams and nuts will get used on the lengthy, mostly thin pitch two. Testicles/ovaries of steel also useful.