Joe Kinder Grabs the FA of 31° at Puoux

After 8 days of battling frigid temps, broken holds, and a seeping wall Joe Kinder has clipped the chains on another 5.14 first ascent. Joe bolted the line then spent the better part of eight days working through terrible conditions before he was able to redpoint the route.

 

 

Winter in Colorado is not very predictable and climbing in bad conditions can be frustrating. Numerous times Kinder thought he was going to clip the chains, but a hold broke or he slipped off a wet foot hold. Determination won out and he was able to fight off mounting frustrations and grab the FA. The new line, which he is suggesting the grade of 5.14b for, is located at Puoux, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. 

 

Puoux, pronounced Pukes, (a play on the more famous and much higher quality French crag Buoux) is perched high on a hillside above I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. The wall gets good sun making it an option on colder days when nearby Rifle Canyon is freezing. In addition to Joe’s new route, local climber and route developer Dave Pegg recently added a classic, 30-meter, 5.12d called Experience proving that all is not done at the Puoux.