Suicide Point  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  9,300' Lat, Long:  42.4798, -108.5636 Map Page Views:  742. Good page?    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Jikimika Dinglehoffer Merritt on Sep 9, 2012 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 73° | 45° 73° | 46° 70° | 46° 66° | 43° 63° | 46°

The Wind Drinker Prow

Description 

Suicide point is Lander's highest and most alpine sport crag, and one of it's most dramatic in aesthetics and climbing style. Deeply weathered and twisted dolomite rises in steep faces, bulges, roofs, and prows. The iconic 'hatchet blade' of Wind Drinker dominates the skyline.

To the southeast, the cliffband continues intermittently and joins the Baldwin Creek Cliff a couple miles down-canyon

The wind and sun here can be intense, but summer temps are nearly always good. Potential thunderstorms are easy to track in the western sky. Small storms occasionally blow by, and usually end in the time it takes you to tie in and put shoes on.

The climbing and the approach are well described in Steve Bechtel's 'Lander Rock Climbs' (2011)

Getting There 

Drive: From Lander, drive Baldwin Creek Road until, at mile 5.5, it becomes dirt while a paved bend to the left will be Squaw creek road. Continue on dirt. Follow Shoshone Lake Road as it threads behind red butte, up the switchbacked sagebrush incline, into the wooded foothills, and past the parking for the Baldwin Creek Cliff. After about 10 miles of dirt road, much of which is loose and unimproved, the road goes downhill, then back uphill, and forks left before a saddle. The 'hatchet blade' prow should be visible, and a rutted road will take you to a flat parking spot on the ridge below the cliffs. 50 minutes from Lander.

A 4wd vehicle is necessary. The Shoshone Lake Road supposedly opens on June 1st and closes on November 15th, but due to snow conditions and wildlife closures, the gate is often shut for much longer.

Hike: Uphill for 5 minutes, the trail leads to the base of the prow with Wind Drinker

The Classics

Featured Route For Suicide Point

Wind Drinker 5.12b  WY : Suicide Point

The wildest and most exposed sport pitch around. a quick scramble and 60 feet of 5.6 arete climbing take you to a horizontal break with bail anchors. Take a deep breath, clip the bail anchors for pro, preferably with a long runner, and cruise out 15 feet of richly featured HORIZONTAL ARETE CLIMBING. The prow stays steep for another 15 feet, and then remains vertical to the very top of the beautiful formation. One of so many inspiring Skinner routes....[more]   Browse More Classics in WY