Hell's Gate/ Hagerman Pass  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  4,404. Good page?    Administrators:  Alvaro Arnal, Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Bryan Gall on Oct 20, 2003 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 79° | 39° 79° | 39° 73° | 36° 66° | 36° 63° | 23°

Tracy Wilson finishing up the last pitch of Taliba...

Description 

Hell's Gate near Hagerman Pass is a stellar granite area offering both traditional and sport climbing. Situated between 9000' and 10000' feet, one may find splitter cracks, run out slabs, big boulders, and awe inspiring views of the frying pan drainage. While some tradsters may have visited for years, most of the climbing is less than five years old. Hell's gate itself, a massive granite outcrop, is located near the Nast tunnel which pulls water destined for the Pacific over the continental divide and into front range water taps. The Hagerman pass road was originally a railroad corridor carrying people and goods from Leadville to Basalt. Basalt is the nearsest town with amenities.

Getting There 

Hagerman pass is located between Leadville and Basalt, south of the Holycross Wilderness area, north of Independence Pass. To reach from the Roaring Fork Valley drive north east from Basalt off of CO Hwy 82 along the Frying Pan Road, pass Ruedi Reservoir and Chapman Dam to where the pavement ends. Hell's Gate may be reached from below by taking a right which dead ends in about three miles at the gauging station, or taking a left on the clearly marked Hagerman Pass Road, which states "Hell's Gate 6 miles". The granite is fairly obvious right off the road in both cases, with the upper road because of switch backs taking you to a location approximately 700' above the lower dead-end road.

The Classics

Featured Route For Hell's Gate/ Hagerman Pass

Taliban Blues 5.9-  CO : Carbondale : ... : Slab from Hell

P1. Climb up the slab to the first bolt, make a long, awkward move to the flake on the left and then follow bolts up to the crack. Follow the nice splitter (might be some vegetation in spots, as it doesn't see much traffic) as it widens from fingers to fists. Best to move up past the first anchor to the next anchor 20' higher.P2. Follow the bolts up the edge of the face. The exposure in spots is excellent, as the formation drops steeply into the gully on your right. Stop at the obviously belay a...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO