The Sapper Cave  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  4,524. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Pinklebear on Dec 5, 2001 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 69° | 45° 81° | 48° 84° | 46° 75° | 45° 86° | 46°

Minko on Left El Sapper.

Description 

The Sapper Cave is the quiet, forested zone just up canyon from the Project Wall and includes the Sapper Cave itself and outlying routes on the vertical walls to the right and left. It is a good place to get back from the road a bit, and offers fair to classic routes in the 5.11 to 5.13 range.

Must do-routes include: Rumor Has It (11b), Cool World (11c), Right El Sapper (12b), Hand me the Canteen Boy (12d) and Cantina Boy (13a/b). Rumor Has It is one of the most popular routes at Rifle -- be ready to take a number on weekends or mornings during the summer. The super-sustained Hand me the Canteen Boy is also very popular for the grade and often has draws on it, a plus given its overhanging, traversy nature.

The rock and the hang are nice back here. This wall holds shade until about one or two during the summer and, along with the Project Wall, is a good place to spend the first half of your day.

Getting There 

Park at the Project Wall and walk 50 yards up canyon on the road, taking a climber's trail on the right. This trail deposits you directly under the very short Handy Boy (12b/c), a four-bolt boulder problem on the chossy right side of the cave.

If there's no parking at the Project Wall park up at Ruckman or down at the anti-Phil, but certainly NOT along the road itself.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Sapper Cave

Left El Sapper 5.12a  CO : Rifle Mountain Park : The Sapper Cave

Enter the Sapper Cave and head left to the top of a small hill. This route climbs up the face before the trees come into the wall. This route is a one move wonder, and the one move isn't that great. It is an easy tick for boulderers....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO