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Elevation: 882 ft
GPS: 46.75229, -92.17159
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 42,282 total · 201/month
Shared By: nodin on Dec 5, 2006 · Updates
Admins: K Ice, Kris Gorny

Description Suggest change

Casket Quarry has been frequented by ice climbers for several decades. There was some rock development here in the 80Â’s (4-5 routes) but the incredibly chossy exfoliating rock is less than inspiring so it was pretty much abandoned.

With the rising popularity of Ice and Mixed climbing, more folks started using it as a training ground for other arenas. Top-roping on loose blocks/flakes and vertical kitty litter is great for testing the limits of adhesion and practicing your “I’m-light-as-a-feather” mantra…

Then the crowbars and drills showed up. Mike Dahlberg pioneered the use of RB’s or removable bolts to lead a couple mixed routes but since nobody else owned the uber specialized hardware, they never got repeated. In 2005 Mike and James Loveridge started putting some serious cleaning time in. Countless days were spent hanging from a rope with all sorts of home made “technical trundling” equipment dangling off harnesses. Eventually, if all went well, a route would emerge from underneath the choss.

Now the crag has close to 20 Ice and mixed routes all of which can be lead ground-up with good protection. If this crag were in Colorado there would be 50+ climbers there every weekend! Luckily itÂ’s in Northern MinnesotaÂ…. Come on up here, tie in and start gettingÂ’ on the sharp end! Oh, buy Mike D and J.Lo some beers for all the money theyÂ’'ve spent on boltsÂ…

Please Note: If you plan on TRÂ’ing a route off the anchors, PLEASE use your own biners/draws to avoid wearing out the expensive hardware prematurely. If there are biners or other clip in replaceable hardware on the anchor, feel free to use them. If they are looking worn and sketchy, just replace with biners of your own. Thanks in advance for being a responsible and thoughtful crag steward!

In 2015 Casket Quarry was officially established as "Quarry Park", Duluth's newest city park. The Duluth Climbers Coalition will be working to manage some aspects of the park including conditions updates which can be found on the Quarry Park Facebook site. Please email info@duluthclimbers.org or check out the website, duluthclimbers.org with any questions.

Getting There Suggest change

From the south: As you begin to descend the I-35 northbound hill into Duluth, take the Cody St exit. Turn left at 59th Ave W. At the stop sign (Highland St) continue straight, crossing the railroad tracks. Park in the lot on the right. The trail to the quarry is off the back corner of the lot.

From Duluth (or other locations north):
Take the Central Ave exit from I-35 southbound. Continue through several stoplights to a stop sign at Cody St. Turn left on Cody. After about 8 blocks, turn right onto 59th Ave W. At the stop sign (Highland St) continue straight, crossing the railroad tracks. Park in the lot on the right. The trail to the quarry is off the back corner of the lot.

Parking is NO LONGER ALLOWED at the 57th Ave W access point.

Caution:

Suggest change
It is potentially highly dangerous to rock climb these bolted routes in the summer. Even though the routes themselves are cleaned of large debris (mostly...) there are many hanging blocks on either side of the existing lines that could calve off at any time. Avoid climbing the Mixed routes at Casket unless itÂ’s been below freezing for a week or so.

Use caution when parking in the 59th Ave W city lot. A spring on the high side of the lot causes a large section of the parking lot to completely ice over. Take note of where the ice has formed and park elsewhere in the lot.

30 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Casket Quarry (ICE/MIXED)

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