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Elevation: 8,299 ft
GPS: 41.1924, -105.38555
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 290,587 total · 2,547/month
Shared By: Skip Harper on Nov 3, 2014
Admins: Mike Snyder, Taylor Spiegelberg, Jake Dickerson, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Aeon Aki
Warning Access Issue: Bad Bolt Submission Form DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

The well-kept secrets of Blair are slowly being discovered. Blair is the ultimate Klettergarten of Greater Vedauwoo and actually has a climbing history stretching back into the mid-nineteen hundreds. It is far off the beaten track and away from the masses. Even today it is usually so quiet throughout the heavily forested area it is cloaked with the ambiance of an empty church. The only sounds one hears are the cries of falcons, breezes prowling through the trees and an infrequent call of another animal... 'off belaaay'. It used to be that seeing another climbing party was a shock; however, that is changing, for better or worse.

High quality climbs for nearly every level of climber are found throughout the area, ranging from easy to hard face to a multitude of cracks from fingers to hands to offwidths, easy fives to 5.12s as well as some very provocative bolted routes. Climbers come from all over in search of the most sought after climb in Blair .... 'Spectreman'. Also, one of the two most difficult climbs in all of Greater Vedauwoo is found here called 'Son of a Wanted Man' (13c), a name that evokes the true cowboy spirit that pervades this one-of-a-kind place. Climb this one and you will enter the rarified air of true hardmen capable of such feats. So mount up, dig in your spurs and get ready climb routes quietly put in over the last few decades by talented, experienced 'locals' and a few others.

Nowadays, Blair is commonly divided into Lower and Upper Blair, not only for convenience, but because Upper Blair sits about two hundred feet above Lower Blair. Each contains several aesthetic formations which, in turn, contain many routes. You will find Upper and Lower Blair each occupying its own page with considerably more detail than that shown on the 'overview Beta photos' shown here. Every route is not located, however many of the popular ones are. From these key points and using one of three guidebooks available for the area or consulting vedauwoo.org, you should have no problem finding your destination, much unlike in years past when Blair existed as a nondescript, confusing jigsaw puzzle.

Getting There Suggest change

There is no designated turnoff for Blair on I-80. (While the following directions may sound convoluted, just find the way once and it's easy from then on.) Also use the upcoming 'roads and trails map' that will be found here soon. Therefore, access is by a frontage road that parallels I-80 along its west side.

IF you are coming from the East (i.e. from Cheyenne), take the Vedauwoo Exit #329, turn left under the overpass and find the Frontage Road.

If you are coming from the West (i.e. from Laramie), take the #329 exit, turn right and find the 'Frontage Road'. Head North (right) on the Frontage Road for approximately 2 miles, find another underpass (the 'Blair Underpass') on your right, and turn east (left) onto a dirt road...this is USFS Road #705 (S. Blair Road).

Alternatively, if you are coming from the West (i.e. from Laramie), you can take Exit #323, the Happy Jack Exit. Turn right onto S. Blair Road, go about 3.5 miles and find the 'Blair Underpass' (same one as mentioned above) on your left. Turn left (east).

Whichever way you get to the 'Blair underpass', follow the winding dirt Road #705 approximately 2.5 miles (eastward) and find the turnoff (right/east) for Lower Blair Parking. (*Note: this is a fee area). If you are going to Upper Blair, continue on #705 for about a mile to a distinct 'T'. Take the right hand turn and proceed uphill on Road #707 for approximately a mile, and find Road #707a on your right. Under normal circumstances, you would follow #707a for a third of a mile, turning towards the Eight Ball Formation on Road #707af for Upper Blair Parking. *NOTE: At the present time (2014), the USFS has closed this road to vehicular traffic (see photo), although you can park outside the gate and hike in to Upper Blair using the same roads just described. Alternatively, you can hike into Upper Blair from the Lower Blair parking area, although it's a long, uphill slog. I'd suggest heading along the trail on the N. side of Blair 3, continuing eastward up the moderately steep slope to the N. side of South Corner and access Upper Blair from there.

Go to the individual pages for Lower Blair and Upper Blair for more detailed topos of trails, formations, parking, and route locations.

Per Dean Allison: the road into Beehive Buttress (and Blair) is closed before you get to Blair from the south and at the Lincoln Memorial from the north. This seasonal closure went into effect Feb. 1, 2021, and it looks like it might not be lifted until around Memorial Day. See fs.usda.gov/detail/mbr/news… for details. It looks like it's about a 3 1/4 mile hike into the Beehive from the north and about a 4 mile hike in from the south.

Per Mark D: as of June 4, 2021: I called the Forest Service today, and all seasonal road closures have been lifted.

175 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Blair (overview)

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
V6 7A
 11
Crack Named Sue
Trad, Boulder
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 169
Le Petit Arbre
Trad 2 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 133
Intimidation
Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 38
Bragging About Jesus
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 82
Raised On Robbery
Trad
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 42
SS Maywood
Trad
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 4
30 is the new 50 AKA Slim Pickins
Trad
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 33
A Thing of Beauty
Trad
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 20
Hard to Believe
Trad
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 35
Medium Cool
Trad
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 32
Burning Man
Trad
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 61
Take 5
Trad
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
 164
Spectreman
Trad
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c V4 6B
 14
University of Mars
Trad, Boulder
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 12
Pretty Girls with Long Knives
Trad 2 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Crack Named Sue Lower Blair I,… > Miscellaneous Lower B…
 11
V6 7A Trad, Boulder
Le Petit Arbre Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair I
 169
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 2 pitches
Intimidation Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair III
 133
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad
Bragging About Jesus Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair III
 38
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Raised On Robbery Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair I
 82
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
SS Maywood Upper Blair > N Corner
 42
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
30 is the new 50 AKA Slim P… Upper Blair > John's Tower
 4
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
A Thing of Beauty Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair II
 33
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad
Hard to Believe Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair III
 20
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Medium Cool Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair II
 35
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Trad
Burning Man Upper Blair > John's Tower
 32
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad
Take 5 Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair III
 61
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad
Spectreman Upper Blair > Heap
 164
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c Trad
University of Mars Lower Blair I,… > Miscellaneous Lower B…
 14
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c V4 6B Trad, Boulder
Pretty Girls with Long Knives Lower Blair I,… > Lower Blair III
 12
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Trad 2 pitches
More Classic Climbs in Blair (overview) »

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