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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Shadowlands : The Dojo : Wax Off (5.12b)
By: Brent Larsen When: May 7, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: If you're like me, it helps to double up your rack so you can fire off at both hips, and have a back-up, or two, in case you drop a draw as you gravel your way up this no rest wonder. Tough climb. Be prepared.
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Location: WY : Sinks Canyon : Commercial Business Plannin...
By: Brent Larsen When: May 3, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: I wouldn't be too interesting in visiting Sinks Canyon again if it started to resemble the tourist traps I want to escape from.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon
By: Brent Larsen When: Apr 25, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: Spearfish Canyon is a bit odd during the months of April and Early May. During this time of year we typically get our biggest snowfalls. However, the temps are usually warm (45-75 degrees F) and you can climb anywhere. Bring your snowshoes, winter boots, hats, gloves and down coats. The Sunshine Wall will still be your best bet in terms of having no snow on the trails or at the base of the cliffs. This time of year the Sunshine Wall gets blaring sun and stays nice and toasty until about 3 or 4 p... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Ice Box : Photo
By: Brent Larsen When: Apr 15, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: As of last year, this sign, the picnic area and the outhouse were all taken down due to budget cuts. I wonder if the ancient Romans looked around and saw their society going down the toilet and made connection before it was too late? "Gee, Magnus. We used to have public latrines and picnic areas. What are those barbarians doing at the gate?"
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon
By: Brent Larsen When: Apr 11, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: The closest camping to The Sunshine Wall, The Darkside, The Danks and The Shadowlands is at Hana Campground. This campground is on the left-hand side of Hana Road which you can easily find if you are close to the Cheyanne Crossing Store. Hana is a paid campground and has water, fire grates and outhouses onsite. "Free Camping" can be found about two miles up the road from Hana. This free camping is less than desirable though since it is in the middle of a mosquito infested field of grass. If you ... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Skeletal Remains : Sewn Up (5.4)
By: Brent Larsen When: Mar 17, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route is called Sewn Up. It's in Cronin's new guidebook. Good route for kids. Way to go, Jack! Get some!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Attitude wall : Dancing With Myself (5.12a) : Photo
By: Brent Larsen When: Mar 12, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great photo! Did ya'all use my rope?
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Location: SD : Custer State Park : Cathedral Spires : Spire Three : International Chimney (5.6 R)
By: Brent Larsen When: Jul 10, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Got a chance to climb this with Peter Lev, which is like getting chance to visit the moon with Neal Armstrong as your guide. Awesome route! I took the last pitch that starts just a few feet from the rap chains on the first pitch. The secret gear is a number 4 Black Diamond stopper in a very small, not-so-obvious crack on the face before you start the committing moves on the last pitch. You can even place this piece of pro before you start climbing. Get up onto the face about seven feet up and to... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Blue Sky : Indecent Exposure : Eyes Without a Face (5.10c PG13)
By: Brent Larsen When: Jun 25, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is a great route that is probably being overlooked due to its weird location. The rock is clean, the moves are hard, and it is a very difficult onsight for the inexperienced five ten climber who might not have attained a certain level of strength. I don't think it deserves a PG-13 rating unless, of course, you are completely inexperienced as a leader or you have a belayer who has no idea what they are doing. I'm sorry I got the ball rolling in that direction for this area since I described ... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : The Mohican : Assassin Wall : Merchants of Death (5.11a)
By: Brent Larsen When: Jun 7, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Four stars! Not for the brain-dead climber. This is another classic Pete deLannoy rocket science route that requires more advanced thinking and deductive reasoning skills than a final exam in an advanced calculus class. Pumpy! Technical! Pulled it in down in one hang. After a long, hard battle I could have gotten an onsight if I hadn't wussed out at the last bolt. HINT! At the last bolt, head straight up for the anchor. Don't wander left or right just move in one straight line and go for it!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Skeletal Remains : Lon's Route (5.9)
By: Brent Larsen When: Jun 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I believe this is known as ScarFace. Great route! One of my first leads as a beginning climber one hundred years ago.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Black Betty Wall : bam-A-lam (5.11b)
By: Brent Larsen When: May 19, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I've actually put in a lot of laps on this route over the years. I wouldn't call the Black Betty Wall a destination per say, but it is a fun place to climb if you have a limited amount of time. I see a lot of chalk here now, hope people are enjoying this place as much as I have.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Euphamiah Beresford Memoria... : The Euphamiah Beresford Mem... (5.11a) : Photo
By: Brent Larsen When: Dec 1, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: That was a sweet, snowy day, Reggie. Hope to climb with you soon!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Big Black Face : Cougar's Pupil (5.11a)
By: Brent Larsen When: Dec 1, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Awesome route! However, it is a route to avoid during the winter climbing season when heavy snows up top are melting. This "Cat Wall" area has a funnel effect and is prone to rock fall.
And with that said, it is a great summer route because it does get shade early on and tends to have great sending conditions when the rest of the routes at Sunshine get greasy due to the heat.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Land of the Shorties : Half A Full Monte (5.10a/b) : Photo
By: Brent Larsen When: Dec 1, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Go G-Man! Go!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Big Black Face
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 29, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Seeking a winter climbing area with lots and lots of sunlight baking the rock to sending temperature perfection? This is the place! Nice mud free belays and black rock make this place like the beach. You can climb in a T-Shirt in January.
However, on a cautionary note on warms days when there is a lot of melting snow be careful for rockfall! Helmets are not a bad idea when climbing and belaying. Also on that note, on warm days that had a lot of snowfall proceeding them a few climbs, if not all ... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : First Wall
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 29, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: For those seeking full-blown sun during the winter climbing season this is the wall to hang out at all day long. This place bakes and the belay stations are typically less snowy and muddy than other places.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Next Wall
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 29, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Rechristened as The Snext Wall, in the new guidebook, this killer little area gets pretty decent morning sun, Electric Sex, Vibrator and Lucky Strike get blasted by sunlight most of the day and makes for great cold weather climbs on a sunny day. However, if you don't want a tan, this area also has some routes to the far right that go into the shade much earlier than the routes at the First Walls. If climbing in the winter this is the place to hit early in the morning before moving onto the Light... more >>
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : The Bunny Slope : Bugs Bunny (5.8)
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 25, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun! Fun! Fun!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : The Bunny Slope : Rabbit's Foot (5.8)
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 25, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: The second best first lead or first toprope climb in Spearfish Canyon. Nice rock, nice comfy belay. After you take this one down skip the next bolt line and move 1 over to the right for the ultimate, mind-blowing, 5.8 experience the canyon has to offer.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Euphamiah Beresford Memoria... : Photo
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 25, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route is called Bad Medicine. It clocks in at 5.11c.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Light Bulb Buttress : red hooks for red eyes (5.10a)
By: Brent Larsen When: Nov 25, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Awesome! A great ten! Oddly enough does not get morning sun until much later in the day. If you want full blown sunlight blaring on the rock at 9:00 am your best bet would be Land Speed Record if you want a nice 5.10a experience. However, Land Speed Record is longer. A guaranteed short climb in the 5.10 range can be found down at The Land of the Shorties. Or, keep walking past the Lightbulb Buttress to The Coin Shop.
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Blue Sky : Pheromone Wall : Dragonfly (5.9)
By: Brent Larsen When: Oct 25, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Climbed it for the umpteenth time the other day in between 5.12 projects and it still sends a chill down my spine! Awesome route! Get on it!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : Sunshine : Land of the Shorties : Greatful Deadpoint (5.10a)
By: Brent Larsen When: Sep 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Send this awesome little climb and then head straight to your left for an even better time on Porcupinging Away!
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Location: SD : Spearfish Canyon : The Mohican : The Gully Of Biblical Propo... : Forbidden Fruit (5.11b)
By: Brent Larsen When: Sep 17, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: I don't care what anyone says, this is a four star canyon classic! It has a level of technical difficulty and a headiness factor that are a notch above most 5.11b's in Spearfish Canyon. It is worth doing because it is old school. Within this climb the developer created a test piece of art, which has a different quality when compared to other Black Hills sport climbs. It is one of many climbs at this grade that I have yet to red point, but this one is just that much harder for some strange reason... more >>
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