Rode Hard Wall  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  8,750' Lat, Long:  42.5845, -108.7334 Map Page Views:  10,154. Good page?    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Monomaniac on Sep 19, 2006 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

The roof-capped left half of the Rode Hard Wall. ...

Description 

The Rode Hard Wall is a great destination for climber's of all abilities. Those in search of lighter fare will enjoy the juggy slabs of Buckskin Billy and its neighbors, and the burliest of 5.13 masters will struggle with the legendary Todd Skinner's powerful roof boulder problem of Copenhagen Angel. If that's not enough, there are also a couple of projects, and some fine bouldering in the aspen glen to the south.

This wall has been enjoyed for decades, and is home to The Wild Iris' first bolted route, Rode Hard and Put Up Wet. These routes are not only some of the oldest, but also some of the best. Wind & Rattlesnakes is considered one of the best routes in Wyoming of any grade, and Easy Ridin' is one of the most popular moderates at The Wild Iris.

Although this crag faces South like the rest of the areas at The Main Wall, a dense forest at the base, a large roof overhead, and the somewhat concave shape of the wall provides substantially more shade than nearby areas. When Cowboy Poetry is baking in the stale sun only a few hundred feet to the East, this crag is often cool & breezy.

The cliff is not as tall as Cowboy Poetry, and the smaller collection of routes provides a more cozy atmosphere. There are three basic varieties of stone here, all top notch. On the left end of the cliff, the pure white rock is extremely monolithic, with very few features of any kind (until the highly pocketed roof is reached). The central section offers highly featured "dirty" yellow rock, with a number of cracks & flakes. To the right is a highly pocketed slab of black & white streaked stone.

Routes from L --> R:
1. Open Project ("Jones on the Jukebox")
2a. Full Circle, 5.13- Follow 2b to the roof, go left.
2b. Copenhagen Angel, 5.13b
3a. Phony Express, 5.12 Shares start with 3b, break L at roof.
3b. Rode Hard and Put Up Wet, 5.12+
4. Nine Horse Johnson, 5.11c
5. Wind & Rattlesnakes, 5.12a
6. Tomahawk Slam, 5.12-
7. Easy Ridin', 5.10d
8. Arizona Cowgirl, 5.11+
9. Cowboy Joe, 5.10+
10. Buckskin Billy, 5.10-
11. Hired Guns, 5.11+

Getting There 

Follow the main track from the parking lot. After only a few minutes, a single track trail, marked by a sign heads to the right. One option is to follow this trail, which heads directly to the Cowboy Poetry cliff, then head left along the cliff-base trail to the Rode Hard Wall.

The other option is to stay on the main track, to the bottom of a large depression, and follow the fork to the right. This trail leads directly to the Five Ten Wall. From this wall, turn right, following the cliff-base trail a short distance to the Rode Hard Wall. Both options take about the same amount of time, though the latter is more exposed to the elements on the high plain.

The Classics

Featured Route For Rode Hard Wall

Wind and Rattlesnakes 5.12a  WY : Wild Iris : ... : Rode Hard Wall

Sweet movement. Pretty and continuous. Start with a few easier pulls heading up and right into the bulging start. Don't think its over too soon. Keep on it!...[more]   Browse More Classics in WY