Wendell Spire

BETA PHOTO

Description 

Wendell Spire is actually a sector of the East Canyon rim. It is demarcated on the right (East) by Wendell Spire, which as Tom Hanson points out is a true "summit", being a 40ft detached pinacle. Routes have been installed West along the wall for close to 400ft where a natural break in the wall separates them from the Corporate View Block (and more climbing). The climbing begins on the Spire proper. The Wendell Spire area is characterized by typical CWC conglomerate stone. However, the rock here is overall much steeper than at any other place in CWC, and as such hosts the most difficult climbing at CWC. Most routes are in the 5.11 to 5.12 domain, although one of the best hard lines in CWC, at 5.13b, is present in the Wendell Spire area. A few warm-up routes exist, along with perhaps the easiest bolted line in the Front Range, at 5.6. Some of the FA can be well documented in the Wendell Spire area, although much of the FA data are impossible to attribute. The FA crew often worked with several folks on a line at one time. However, the main crew spinning drills included the notorious Mr. Big (aka Tom Hanson), Tod Anderson, Richard Wright, Scott Sills, Mike Lane, and Pat Burwick. While all of the routes top out between 40 to 60 ft, bring the guns anyway. The climbing is pumpy, difficult, and fun. As a South facing wall, the Wendell Spire area offers great sun for most of the day. Strictly for convenience and to impose some order on the numbering, I have called Phalloid Void on the spire proper #1, with numbering running right to left. Hopefully this will be fixable when the West limit of this area can be defined.

Getting There 

Get to Wendell Spire from the East Canyon Visitor's Center. Park at the West paved lot, and stroll down through the picnic area to a marked trail that takes you down to the creek. Follow the trail across the creek and head down-stream (left!); pass the phallic block in the trail, and several hundred feet further take small but obvious trial up to the climbing. This will deposit you at the base of Ruse, Wendell Spire is to the right about 100 ft.

Featured Route For Wendell Spire

The Black Streak 5.13b  CO : Denver South : Castlewood Canyon

In my opinion easily one of the top 3 routes at [Castlewood]. It is between [The Sub] and [Seamless]. A jump start followed by some powerful campus moves gets you to the first bolt. Then some technical crimping on small pebbles and sloppy little dishes lead to a toss for the big obvious jug. Get a shake then crank a couple easier moves until you are at the crux. It's a big toss left to a crappy little rock, get your feet on and your home f...[more]

Add Photo Photos of Wendell Spire

Snowmelt over The Sub and Black Streak