Mountain Project: Climbing South Platte

The Cathedral Spires area, including Block Tower, Cynical Pinnacle, Snake Buttress, the Dome, Hall of Mirrors, Sunshine Wall, and Poe Buttress, are closed annually starting March 1 for raptor nesting. After careful monitoring of nest sites, Jefferson County Open Space opens certain areas of Cathedral Spires and maintain spot closures for active nests through July 31st. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates.

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project.
You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

BETA PHOTO: Sunshine Wall!

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Sunshine Wall:

Turkey Foot Crack 5.9 Trad

Muddy Past 5.9 Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet

Gonzo's Lament 5.9 Trad, 4 pitches, 330 feet

Wear Cattle 5.9+ Trad, 1 pitch, 95 feet

Rip Van Winkle 5.10a Trad, 1 pitch, 170 feet

Fallen Angels 5.10b Trad, 2 pitches, 170 feet

Deception Past 5.10b Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet

Buckshot 5.10c Trad, 3 pitches, 200 feet

The Meat Cleaver 5.10+ Trad, 3 pitches

Equinox 5.11a Trad, 4 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II

Standard Route 5.11- R Trad, 5 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II

Astro Turkey 5.11b Trad, 1 pitch

Arch Nemesis 5.12a Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet

Far Reaches 5.12c Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet

Featured Route For Sunshine Wall

Equinox 5.11a CO : South Platte : ... : Sunshine Wall

This route is on the right side of the Sunshine Wall's south face. To get there park at the large parking area and follow the old logging road past a switchback and across the mostly dry streambed, then start looking for a cairn and a faint trail on your right. This will lead straight uphill to the left side of the Sunshine Wall. Hike right until directly under the multiple large overhangs. Equinox's first pitch starts to the left and ascends a 3rd class ramp that leads to some 5.9 R, and a b...[more] Browse More Classics in CO

Photos of Sunshine Wall

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Pat Peddy leading Airborne Froth 5.11a with the bi...	Sunset atop Sunshine Wall, Feb 09. Gets cold quic...	On top of the Standard Route.
Turkey Foot Tower.	Sunshine Wall right before sunset.	Sunshine Wall with late morning shadows....
Volunteer trail work on the "new" trail up to Suns...	Temporary sign for the cut-off to the new trail. ...

Comments on Sunshine Wall

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By Joshua Merriam
From: Boulder, CO
Sep 11, 2007

Ouch! went to do standard route today with Aaron Lucas. At the top of the Third pitch, when we were supposed to go right to some bolted 5.10, we got suckered into a line of 6 bolts up some continuous, hard slab left of the belay. It's not in either book I looked at, or on the site. Anyone know what it is?

By Kevin Stricker
From: Evergreen, CO
Sep 11, 2007

The route is called Sunkist and the 3rd pitch you climbed is 12a. (edit: we finally redpointed this pitch on 2/10/08 and I guess I sandbagged you a bit. The pitch is more realistically 12 b/c.

By Jason Kaplan
From: Glenwood ,Co
Dec 8, 2008

What is the seam just left of Gonzo's with a fixed pin, just right of some bolted left facing flake route. Looked like a thin nailing route... is this an aid line?

By Darren Mabe
From: Flagstaff, AZ
Dec 9, 2008

Jason, it is "Far Reaches", 5.12.

By Christopher Jones
From: Denver, Colorado
Jan 3, 2009

I wish I read about Joshua's mistake before going up the Standard route yesterday. I thought I was on the hardest 5.10 slab in the Platte. Did a little aid climbing at each bolt but still had to make some free moves between bolts. Took a couple long falls. The bolts really look like they are part of the Standard Route. Nice job Kevin, I hope to free it sometime down the road.

Sunshine Wall

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