Lives of Quiet Desperation ascends the crack splitting the prominent roof between the  Shakespearean Theatre and Revolution Buttress.  The crack system is nearly continuous from the base of the climb to the rim-top, though it peters out near the start of the roof; therein the crux is getting established in the crack system proper.

The climb starts from a critter-shit covered ledge 10' above the ground reached by 5.easy climbing.  The first, committing move makes use of a pocket large-enough for a single cam in a soft-rotting flake--part of which repeatedly kept flaking away with moderate funkness testing of tricam placements.  During an earlier FA attempt, this first piece failed, with a ground-fall ensuing (thus the 'R' rating).  The next move or two are also C2 before getting into C1 placements in good rock, with each of the opening moves having ground fall potential if blown.  If not for the marginal quality of the start, this climb would get more stars; once into the good crack, the climb is much more aesthetic.

Continuing out to the lip of the roof, additional cruxes are encountered surmounting the lip of the main roof, and two smaller roof bulges above.  Getting over the main roof exits out a somewhat-flared crack (tricams useful) that leads into a widening crack above.  The second bulge required a few awkward free moves (5.8ish) into a wide OWish crack that curves into a horizontal crack (a single OW sized piece could help aid this-C4 #6).  The next bulge widens to a #4 camalot size before getting thinner again for the final bulge that surmounts the rim.

A few notes:

-Rope drag is an issue if not soloing.

-The lip of the route is subject to water draining during snow melt--probably best to save it for a dry day.

-The aid rating given here takes into account the quality of a few key placments that have ground-fall potential.

-There are some previous swallows nests on this roof, minimize disturbances if these nests are active (in addition to any raptor closures).

-A conscious effort was made to make the FA using clean placements, nailing would compromise some of the clean placements used.

-Cleaning requires aiding the roof while seconding (with some fall potential) or doing some trickery while rappelling and down-aiding a few placements.

Lives of Quiet Desperation

The Taming of The Shoe

Much Ado About Bolting

The Two Hangdogs of Verona

Shakespur

In a Pickle

King Fear

Jamuary

Mind Meld

It's Greek to Me

The Revolution

Butterfly McQueens' Birthday

This route has a fairly staunch crux move, which is in the middle of the face between  a large cobble and a pocket. The climb resides to the left of the landmark vertical back water streak.

This is a tough little face to the right of

King Fear

.

This is the first, from left to right, of the climbs at The Shakespearean Theatre. After a bouldery start involving a long reach or dyno, this route gives way to easier climbing. The first clip is somewhat in the way for the first dyno crux move.

Begin in a left-facing, inside corner left of the arete. Halfway up, traverse right to the arete.

"In a pickle" is a phrase coined by Shakespeare and seemed fitting for the crag. Do a hard boulder problem off the ground, and then the climbing gets significantly easier. Follow the wide crack to the top.

This trad crack is located between two spot routes on the left side of this section.

This steep crack, to the immediate right of

Butterfly McQueens' Birthday

provides a long crack with several short crux sections between good to decent rests.  Although it is flared, it has enough non-flared placements to protect it well with nuts and fingers to hand-sized cams.  One bouldery move leads to a good ledge where the fun begins, go up the crack using jams and face holds and cobbles.  The crux comes 3/4 of the way up and involves pulling over a roof using face holds while reaching for jams above.  This is one of the better trad lines I've been on at Castlewood--steep climbing up a continuous crack that offers good pro.

Note: The line I marked Jamuary in the beta photo is really

Butterfly McQueens' Birthday

, Jamuary is the obvious, marked crack below and right of the Jamuary label in the pic.

A bouldery start is followed by some of the best cobble pulling in the canyon.

Jam a well-protected crux start before cruising through fun and significantly easier climbing above. This route was first climbed by two greek students making the Shakespearean phrase "It's Greek to Me" a fitting route name.

This route is on Revolution Buttress, a series of faces and cracks to the right of the landmark black water streak. The Drain, a classic bouldering traverse, lies immediately left of this line.

This route goes up the face just to the right of the large roof to the right of the initial crack but staying left of the

Jamuary

crack on the right.  It is a little tricky getting started up the initial overhang at the base of the route.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Shakespearean Theatre & Revolution Buttress