Tettegouche is the crown jewel of Minnesota climbing. Palisade Head boasts 100 or so climbs with potential for more and Shovel Point holds dozens of climbs. Dramatically positioned over Lake Superior, both areas carry an air of seriousness not found at other Minnesota crags. All climbs must be rapped in to lead or top-roped from above.
There is a strict no-chalk ethic in the area and nailing and bolting is not allowed. That being said, you will occassionally find people using chalk here and you will find old in-situ pins as well as old (and not so old) bolts on some climbs. A free permit to climb is required by the state park and can be picked up during business hours at the park headquarters. Some people get passionate about the chalk debate.
Both areas are good places to wear helmets as tourists abound. Be nice to them and hopefully they'll be nice to us.
Getting There
Just north of Silver Bay and about 60 Miles north of Duluth on Highway 61. It's pretty hard to miss the sign for Tettegouche.
Featured Route For Tettegouche SP (North Shore, MN)
The route meanders in a shallow dihedral cut by ledges and delivers great climbing with balancy moves. There are no huge run-outs on this climb but rock quality and pro aren't great at spots where a fall could be rough - hence the R rating. The route starts from the top of triangular talus block and has three "cruxes" intersected with easier but delicate traverses and climbing on good holds. The low crux (5.10R) is the start of the route with no ...[more]
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A shot of the north end of Palisade Head from Shov...
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By Eithet From: Superior, WI May 17, 2008 CONDITION REPORT
I've been up to palisade once already this year, and i will be going in the morning.. the weather is not bad this time of year.. it's worth going..
If I recall correctly from the late 80's/early 90's there was an older book for the North Shore areas of Lake Superior (IE Tetagouche- Palisade Head and Shovel Point) made a big deal about how that rock was so rare... That it was Rhyolite and that it was found there and in Turkey (yes, the country).
But if you go to the NM page, the comments there include some regarding rhyolite climbing there.
Can someone confirm that there was such a book in print and that it did say that? My memory is usually very accurate for that sort of thing, but 20 years is a long time for minutia.
The "no chalk" rule for Palisade Head is news to me -- but then I have not climbed Palisade Head since 1976 when my friend Dave Austin and I lead climbed several farily difficult routes in this area for what I am reasanably sure was the first time. We had no chalk with us then, but if we had, I'm sure we would have used it. Does that mean Dave and I, probably being the first or among the first to set new routes in the area, had the right to set rules of ethics for how everyone who followed us should or must climb Palisade Head, including whether they had the right to use chalk? I don't think so. The whole idea of a "chalk-free area" somehow strikes me as more than a little preposterous. Maybe I am missing something.
I've been hoping to get up there too, as I'm sure many have, but weekend weather hasn't been cooperative. What's it like in mid/late May? Anybody's guess. Could be shorts and tshirts, could be sideways snow. Keep an eye on weather forecast and cross your fingers!
Tettegouche SP (North Shore, MN)
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