I set off from La Plata Canyon up the direct route for Parrot at 4:25a. I returned to my car coming down from Deadwood at 1:28a. This route covers a lot of peaks and terrain. Instead of going through the entirety of my day, here are a few highlights and insights:
Summiting Middle Babcock from the west is sketchy AF. Every rock in the steep pinner I climbed was ready to sail. Extreme care warranted. Hesperus dinner plate choss is endless ankle torture. But Sharkstooth takes the cake for most dangerous choss pile. I set off several big rock slides ascending and descending it. Nothing is stable. I made one major navigational error between Efendi and Indian Trail. Got cliffed out atop a large gendarme, doubled back and had to bypass to the east. Lewis's north ridge catwalk is incredible. It's long with knife edges in places but it's all passable without any serious climbing or deviating from the ridge proper. Maybe the most solid rock in the LPs? Spooky exposure in the dark. Managed to rip my finger open while descending its scree on the south. Scree and darkness don’t mix.
This route really worked me over. La Plata choss is mentally and physically taxing.
My watch reset on Lewis where I restarted it so I combined the two files. Started at 4:25a. Finished at 1:28a. For 21 hrs, 2 min, 51 sec