Fossil Hill  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  548. Good page?    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Tom Rangitsch on Oct 1, 2011 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

At sunset, Marc nails the final moves on Righteous

Description 

Kind of a hybrid crag, combining Wild Iris style butress climbing on wind exposed faces, but more like the Sinks Canyon main wall in terms of height. There are more crimps here than at the Iris, and more pockets than at Sinks, but the rock is better quality dolomite than Sinks. There are about 40 routes here, described in both Bechtel's and Collins'/White's guides.

The climbs are mostly vertical with steep bulges at the top and have between 8 and 12 bolts, for the most part. I do not think a 60 meter rope is required for anything here. Grades range from 5.10 to 5.14a.

The area is about 1000 feet higher than Sinks and is more west facing. Good in the fall and late summer evenings, but it can get hot in the middle of the day.

Classics include Casual Entertainment (5.11c), Channel Zero (5.11d/12a), Hips Like Cinderella (5.12c), The Righteous and The Wicked (5.13a), Tremors (5.13b), and When the Cubans Hit the Floor (5.14a).

Getting There 

Drive all the way up Sinks Canyon, past Bruce's Camp. Continue on the paved road up the switch backs. The road is closed here from the late fall until around Memorial Day, effectively prohibiting access unless you have a snow machine or want to ski 4 or 5 miles up the road.

Just after the switch backs, look for a dirt parking lot on the left of the road with a pit toilet. Park here. The main part of the wall is not quite visible from the parking lot. You will see a really steep two track that leads straight up to the cliff. Do not take this trail. Rather, find a single track that goes up and right, passing a fence at about 500 yards. This will eventually deposit you at the main wall, near Casual Entertainment.

The Classics

Featured Route For Fossil Hill

The Righteous and The Wicked 5.13a  WY : Fossil Hill

Start off on a just past vertical face and pull a small bulge. The crux is the first few bolts, using crimps and gastons. Get established on the vertical face above and climb techy rock for 30 or 40 feet, 5.11. You encounter a steeper finish for the last 2 bolts with a redpoint crux at the end, weighing in at about 12a or b....[more]   Browse More Classics in WY