West Face 

There are now two bolts just below the tree traditionally used as the belay for the first pitch.

There is a good line between West Face and PLS up the obvious cracks and through a small roof. Same belay at the rings.

Climbed this route yesterday, very fun. I am a beginning leader, and I have to agree with the previous comment about loose rock, etc. This is not a real friendly beginner lead. We did the route in 3 pitches, which seemed to work well. Belayed at the tree and at the ledge in the notch. At one point I grabbed a seemingly bomber flake, and felt it move... I have climbed 5.6's that felt easier.

One of the crappiest climbs I have ever done...if you want to waste your time feel free but the canyon has a lot better to offer!

Did the 5.7+ route in the picture. We climbed it 2 days ago. I was the 3rd person up and while at the belay the 2nd almost got bit by a rattlesnake!!! In late October on the West Face of the Castle two pitches up a rattlesnake. Can anyone explain this? Wildlife Alert: super pissed off rattlesnake in the dark chimney above the 7+ in this picture!!!! Beware until first hard freeze!!!No I'm not kidding.

Dear AC,

October is prime rattlesnake season at Castlewood Canyon, but I am surprised to learn that they are still active twelve miles up Boulder Canyon!

Also being serious, are you sure it wasn't a bull snake, they can live at higher elevations and try to mimic rattlesnakes...

I did some research online and found out that rattlers can live as high as 10000 ft. and that it was common seeing them in the fall. I guess he was headed home for the winter.If it was a bull snake he sure did a good job of sounding like one big pissed off rattlesnake!! We have kicked around several ideas even a bird dropping the thing on the route. Thanks for the input, After this experience I think anything is possible....JC

I'm a beginning trad leader and thought it was a good climb. Tons of good placements. Did it in 2 pitches, p1 to bolts. Lots of rope drag with the long p2 - it sets up well for 3 short pitches.

If you're bringing up noobs, keep in mind the nontrivial downclimb. I ended up lowering my second.

Deceptively hard for the rating. In general it is no more than 5.2 or so, but there are some dicey moves on each pitch that raise the average rating to 5.5. In particular, route finding off the first belay is interesting. The protection is there, but it won't be real comforting for a beginning leader. P3 features either an exposed, runout slab, a grunt chimney, or an interesting off-width.

Not a great route but not a horrible one either. I personally feel like it would be a great beginner route. On the second pitch (relative I know) head up the wider crack with the choke stone and not the thin crack that goes straight up.

Also, from the notch above what is the obvious second pitch, it is possible to head up a couple chimneys and some random face moves to make the climb end on the summit proper. This is probably off route but it puts you on the summit as opposed to the traditional end of the route (a ledge short of the top).

A great night time climb, preferably when it's pouring rain.

Climbed this route today, and we couldn't clean a cam on the 5.7+ variation of the first pitch. It's an old school Wild Country Friend about a half inch in size. It walked itself deep into a crack and over-cammed, I spent a half hour trying to get it then lowered my partner who also spent a half hour trying to clean it. It's practically an antique and I doubt anyone would want to use it, but I'd appreciate it back. As for the climb, it's not bad, quite a bit of loose rock though, and I would call the variation we did barely 5.6 not 5.7+.

To descend, walk north from the middle of the large level area on the north side of Castle Rock below the summit to third class terrain. Find the slab gently downsloping to the east; at the edge of the cliff, find a vertical pinch about 20 inches high; if you look carefully, there is a gap behind it maybe 2 inches wide, just wide enough to fish a piece of webbing through. This can be used as a rappel anchor. From here, you can rappel directly to the eastern tree on the ledge about 60 feet below, or lower your partner(s) and downclimb. Alternatively, downclimb the cliff and slab following the wall on your right, make a left turn around a 4 inch tree, downclimb five feet of vertical rock, and get to the middle tree on a large ledge with three large trees. Proceed east along the ledge about 25 feet to the eastern most tree which has an old rusty rappel anchor chain around it (probably best to backup this chain with webbing). Rappel 95 feet to easy walkoff terrain. Alternatively, you can end the rappel at about 70 feet, and then downcliimb the last 25 feet to easy walkoff terrain.
Have fun,
Tom Stocker
Aug. 4, 2008