New 10-pitch route near Golden B.C. is Gorman Gold

Andrea Eitle and Cody Lank have completed a new 10-pitch 5.11 called Gorman Gold. The crux is 5.11b and takes a direct line up an aesthetic tower and links into an upper corner system climbed 20 years ago by Tom Raudaschl and Rich Marshall.

“The climb is near Golden up by Gorman Lake, a beautiful spot.,” said Golden-based Eitle. “The climb has very much an alpine feel to it, awesome exposure pulling through on quartizte jugs.”

The route was first climbed entirely on traditional gear, but Eitle and Lank returned to bolt anchors and “straighten the line out,” said Eitle. The wall faces northeast so it could be chilly. “There’s been a good buzz of route development around Golden this summer so hopefully the momentum will keep going,” Eitle said.

Golden has long housed many of Canada’s top performing climbers. Until recently, many of the crags have been kept off the radar because of access issues. As new areas are established, more climbers are turning their attention to the well-known ski town.

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Happy Canada Day ??!! 🙂 Here are some photos from Gorman Gold two days ago. I can’t help but to thank the first ascentionists @a_eitle and Cody for establishing this route and returning to equip it with anchors and bolts where necessary so climbers such as myself can simply enjoy. Beautifully done ✅ @thenorthface @thenorthface_climb @lasportivana @trailbutter @dmm_wales #canadaday?? #neverstopexploring #futurelight #alpineclimbing

A post shared by Brette Harrington (@bretteharrington) on Jul 1, 2020 at 4:55pm PDT