Access to Cathedral Park Ranch crosses private property in some areas. Consult a map and park your vehicle before Clyde and the tunnel to avoid crossing private land.
This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
The view looking back as you pass the main area. P...
Description
An unusual collection of spires, ridges, and chunky domes stands out of the area as you drive to Cripple Creek along Gold Camp Road. The nature and number of ascents in this obscure area is surely lost in memory or neatly written down somewhere out of sight. Harvey Carter is rumored to have put up routes here.
Getting There
From where the paved road turns to dirt on Old Stage Road, set your odometer. Around Sugarloaf mountain and before St. Peter's Dome, the road connects with Gold Camp Road. At 12 miles you will pass Rosemont Reservoir. A small sign will reveal the town of Clyde, which is just before the tunnel at mile 20. Seven Lakes Road turns to the right before you cross a creek. At this junction you are still on NF land. The area is on the right just after the tunnel.
It looks great from the road, but the granite is generally Pikes Peak choss. I climbed a dozen routes here in the early '70s with Doug Snively and Billy Westbay. The granite is very crystalline and granular so jamming is painful. Plus much of the rock crumbles when you step on it. Lastly...the approach is on private property. Good luck on it but there's lots of better rock to climb on then Cathedral Park.
By Stich From: Colorado Springs, Colorado Jul 20, 2008
Thanks for the info, guys. Knowing what rock aint so good is sometimes just as useful as knowing what rock is good. I'll move on to other stuff.
By Allen Hill From: FIve Points, Colorado and Pine Aug 1, 2010
Max Kendal and I did a route up a slab somewhere in there. We found a long dong piton at the base of it. I recall a very scary unprotected 5.9 pitch. I mean unprotected, one piece of gear maybe. We called the route "Astro Pin." The high point of the day was Max attempting to "birch jump" a barb wired fence only to find out the sharp and hard way that Aspens are much weaker at the root base than east coast Birch trees. I recall doing another route higher up the hill and thinking it was alright the same Fall. And it is a nice place to be in the Fall.
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