Chopping Block  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  14,756. Good page?    Administrators:  Andrew Gram, Peter Gram, Greg Parker, Andy Busse, Mike Housiaux, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Peter Gram on Jul 15, 2002 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Chace moving up to the anchors

Description 

This is the namesake rock for this area. This rock is steep on all sides, and provides many hard routes from 5.9 to 5.13. The most popular routes on this rock are Baba Cool (5.9+) and Meat is Murder (5.11).

Getting There 

Follow the trail up the hill from the parking lot. Wrinkled Rock is on the right, and Chopping Block is on the left. First encounter a steep bolted line called Tender Vittles, but continue uphill for the rest of the routes. Go around the corner to the left when possible and look for two faces with a large dihedral in between. This is where the bulk of the climbing is.

The Classics

Featured Route For Chopping Block

Valdez Overhang 5.9  SD : Mount Rushmore National Mem... : ... : Chopping Block

Valdez Overhang is a classic 'gym' line in the Chopping Block climbing area. Finding it is a bit tricky your first time, but this route gets so much traffic that the trail becomes obvious. From the CB sign-in (with your back to the road) walk on the trail leading to your left. Follow this up a smaller run, down a little, then way up a steep hill past large granite faces on your left. See such lines as "Slang" and "Snow Emergency Route" overhead on the left. Follow this trail to the crest of...[more]   Browse More Classics in SD