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Elevation: 12,575 ft 3,833 m
GPS: 40.2567, -105.63834
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 229,484 total · 793/month
Shared By: Charles Vernon on Dec 31, 2000 · Updates
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC
Warning Access Issue: Closures DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

A beautiful, white northeast-facing wall which starts as a slab and steadily rises to vertical, Spearhead is surrounded and dwarfed by taller mountains in the center of the Glacier Gorge Cirque-- one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Expect clean, sharp flakes and cracks, as well as some brilliant face climbing on the harder routes. Sykes' Sickle is possibly the best 5.9 in the Park (and the Sickle itself, a huge dihedral/roof on the upper part of the face, is a good route-finding landmark), the North Ridge (5.6)  is a classic moderate alpine ridge climb, and there are numerous excellent climbs in the 5.10-5.12 range, including the Barb (III 5.10). Spear Me The Details and All Two Obvious are sought-after face-climbing test-pieces in the 11+/12- range, and Stone Monkey (5.12a) is a stunning crack that apparently does not get attempted often.

Spearhead's summit is as wild as it gets in the Park, especially considering it can be reached by non-technical climbing. It's composed of giant stacked blocks that overhang the center of the fact. It's worth the ~5 minutes it takes from the top of most routes to scramble up and check out.

Descent: from the summit, or from routes that end west of it, descend third class to the SW, down scree and slabs, taking care to go far enough left so as not to be cliffed-out. Some routes on the left half of the face end on a ledge which provides access to a fourth class descent on the mountain's east flank. This is the best descent for any route that starts on the left side of the wall. Again, take care not to get cliffed-out. If you do it right it ends on a ramp system which spits you out near the northeast corner of the cliff.

There is also a mostly-bolted rappel route (two ropes) that starts from the top of the route All Two Obvious. The first anchors are just below a ledge where the east-side fourth class descent route begins, and they would be hard to spot unless you know where to look. I am unfamiliar with the condition of the anchors, aside from the top three anchors, which are on the last three pitches of All Two Obvious and are in good shape. There is a topo for this rappel route in Richard Rossiter's guidebook to The Park.

Getting There Suggest change

Park at the Glacier Gorger Junction trailhead (a mile below Bear Lake), and follow signs to cliff-ringed Black Lake at 5 miles. Head east above the Lake on a faint trail until you reach tree-line, then cut back south to the base of the now-obvious cliff across slabs and meadows.

Per Daniel Kay: as of 2021, bivy permits are a flat $30 cost, regardless of party size or number of nights. Max party size of 4, max stay of 3 consecutive nights in the Spearhead zone.

15 Total Climbs

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Location: Spearhead Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Spearhead

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 373
North Ridge
Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 11
Spearhead, Chiefshead, Pagoda, L…
Trad, Alpine
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 247
Sykes' Sickle
Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 27
East Prow
Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 11
Age Axe
Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 338
The Barb
Trad, Alpine 9 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 14
Obviously Four Believers
Trad, Alpine
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
 5
Three Stoners
Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13
 59
The Kingfisher
Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 67
Spear Me the Details
Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 7
Stone Monkey
Trad, Alpine
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
 37
All Two Obvious
Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
North Ridge
 373
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
Spearhead, Chiefshead, Pago…
 11
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, Alpine
Sykes' Sickle
 247
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
East Prow
 27
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
Age Axe
 11
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
The Barb
 338
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad, Alpine 9 pitches
Obviously Four Believers
 14
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad, Alpine
Three Stoners
 5
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13 Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
The Kingfisher
 59
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13 Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
Spear Me the Details
 67
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
Stone Monkey
 7
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Trad, Alpine
All Two Obvious
 37
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
More Classic Climbs in Spearhead »

Sun & Shade Suggest change

Routes Mostly Face: North · Northeast
Sunny Roughly 7am to 2pm during high season
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