Anti-Phil Wall

Description 

The Anti-Phil is one of the larger areas at Rifle, hosting over 20 mostly excellent and difficult routes. The routes generally take steep to overhanging lines without pulling through the big caves as you find at Ruckman, The Nappy Dugout, etc. The stone is varied, but solid overall. Some of it is the very pale rock typical of the Wasteland, and some is more like the grey to blue tinged limestone found at higher elevations and scattered throughout Rifle. Although there are a few 5.11 climbs to be found, the trend is toward the upper 5.12 and 5.13 range. The numbering used here follows Hassan Saab's guide from left to right with Joe Desimone's project as #1 (this may no longer be a project).

Getting There 

Park at the picnic area several hundred yards down stream from the Ruckman Cave. Anti-Phil, Winchester Cave, and the Bauhaus are all directly across the stream. There is a plank crossing with a tree to assist. Pick up a trail just across the stream. Hike down stream just a bit to pick up each of these areas. The first one you come to is the Anti-Phil Wall.

Featured Route For Anti-Phil Wall

Easy Skankin' 5.12b  CO : Rifle : Anti-Phil Wall

How about six stars on a three star scale? Smack dab in the middle of the Anti-Phil is a pounded out bit of turf with a dozen killer lines firing straight off the turf. Easy Skankin' is in the left side of this cluster. Scramble up a bit to the first clip and follow a complex face to a grey/blue head wall. The route never gets very steep, although it feels as though it were a bit past vertical most of the way (the rope can't lie however, and the ...[more]