BETA PHOTO: The Southwest face of the Wind Tower, showing the ...
Description
This popular rock can be divided in character into its south and southwest face. The SW face has some of the most frequently climbed routes in Eldorado Canyon and is probably the best area in Eldorado Canyon for those seeking lower end difficulty climbing. The rock is stellar for the first two pitches of climbs on this face. Above this the rock has seen less traffic and still has loose rock for the unsuspecting climber. On its S face, you will find fewer companions since its vertical face and spartan protection options will deter all but the most ardent suitors.
Once, the summit provided an anchor point for the cable upon which crossed Ivy Baldwin on many death-defying crossings of the canyon. The cable was taken down in 1974. Today, the cable remains testament to a disappearing breed of adventurer.
These are some of the earliest stomping grounds for Colorado legends like Layton Kor, Dick Bird, Dallas Jackson, Cleve McCarty, Larry Dalke, Pat Ament, Jeff Lowe, Jim Erickson, Steve Wunsch, Kevin Donald, Charlie Fowler, Duncan Ferguson, Kyle Copeland, Dan Hare, Mike Brooks, Richard Rossiter, and others.
The low part of this wall does include some moderately popular bouldering and traversing.
Note, if anyone has particularly good base digital photos for rendering a topo for this page, please let me know
construction zone
Getting There
Once you enter Eldorado Canyon State Park, you will hopefully find parking within 200 yards in one of two areas. Park. Walk uphill to the obvious bridge across South Boulder Creek. Cross the bridge. Look up & right. Follow the trail to the SW face or veer right to the S face.
This is a great climb. P1. Start with a technical .9 crack underneath an overhang. This pitch has a reputation for being hard to protect, bullocks, it accepts small stoppers without a problem. Break left, surmount the roof and belay at a tree with two bolts next to it.P2. Although one can do the crux roof from here, it is a pain in the ass. I do a short 5.6 pitch to the base of the dihedral that forms the crux roof. From here, climb up t...[more]
Thanks to some help from Ron Olsen and approval of the FHRC, there is a new rappel anchor for descending from the big ledge half way up the SW Face of the Wind Tower. The anchor is 2 x 12mm SS Fixe' Triplex bolts securing a tan-colored powder-coated Fixe' "Traditional Anchor" i.e. chain + welded SS rap ring.
The anchor is located approx. 10 feet above and to climber's right of the "traditional" rap tree (now cleaned of slings). It can be reached from the small sub-ledge just below the big ledge. It is located in nearly a direct line below the 2-bolt anchor at the top of p2 of The Bomb, West Overhang, Boulder Direct and Reggae. With a 60m rope, you should be able to stay on rappel and (just barely) clip the new anchor when rapping from the p2 bolts. The location is indicated in the area photo above. One 60m rope will get you from the new rap anchor to anywhere on the starting ledge.
Note that if you plan to do one of the pitches above the big ledge, it's best to bypass the new rap bolts and set a gear anchor directly below your chosen route.
The Wind Tower
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