Ben Kiessel enjoying the view of the Kachina Spire...
Description
The Kachina Spires stand proudly over the upper reaches of Hell Roaring Canyon. Though relatively easy to approach, these towers feel remote and offer an unrefined climbing experience. They’re perched atop a soaring fin that juts into the canyon from it’s southern edge and are obvious from the parking area.
To get down to the bottom hike clockwise around the first small arm of the canyon, passing a fence and keeping on slickrock as much as possible. There is a way to get down without fixing a rope but it involves crawling along a ledge system. We didn’t see these ledges so we fixed a rope for a 30 foot section of cliff and used it to batman down and up.
Once you reach the canyon floor, it’s worth taking an extra 15 minutes to check out the Barrier Canyon Style pictographs left by the Native Americans of the area. They’re located in a large alcove across from the spires and slightly down canyon.
This area went untouched by climbers until 1999 when Paul Ross and Paul Gardner bagged the North Tower. The following year Smith Maddrey and Wells Cambell climbed the South Tower from the opposite side of the fin calling their route Beyond the 80th Meridian. Regardless of which route you climb, you are likely to be the only ones in the canyon.
Getting There
Use the Spring Canyon Bottom Road Approach as described on the main Hell Roaring Canyon page.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Kachina Spires:
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