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Wendell Spire Rock Climbing
Routes in Wendell Spire
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Ba Ba Bob Bob Horan S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Bag of Tricks aka Flake S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Beak, The S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Black Streak, The S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c |
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Bob's Nob S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Castlewood Capers S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Cheesedick Soiree S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Cobble Wobble S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Horizontal Bop S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Icerigger S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R |
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Nob Job S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Noodlers' Nightmare S 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a |
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Nose Job S 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a |
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Peter Rubble S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Phalloid Void S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Pit Viper S 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
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Pocket, The S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Prarie Dog S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Ruse, The S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Seamless aka Knappweed Infestation S 5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
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Sidewinder S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Slot, The S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Song from the Wood S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Sub, The S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b |
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Sun Cave Direct S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Sun Cave Right S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Svengali S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Textured Landscape S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Travesty, The S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b |
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Triskaidekaphobia S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Unknown Chimney T,TR 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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| GPS: |
39.33646, -104.74539 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
| Page Views: | 52,091 total · 197/month |
| Shared By: | Richard M. Wright on Sep 25, 2001 · Updates |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: Historical seasonal raptor closures with 2023 updates
Details
Per Castlewood Canyon: there is a new closure for nesting raptors this year: Five and Dime will be closed March 1st through July 31st. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me, Rachel Chaffee (Park Ranger) at dnr_castlewood.canyon@state.co.us or by phone at 303-688-5242.
Per Garrett Garner-Wells:
the current raptor closures, announced by CPW and reported on Denver7:
The following climbing route closures are currently in place:
- Morning Sun Wall is closed March 1-July 31.
- Porky’s Wall is closed March 1 - July 31.
- Vultures Wall is closed March 1-July 31. (per Rachel, CCSP Ranger, dnr_castlewood.canyon@state.co.use or 303-688-5242)
- Shakespearean Theater is closed March 1-May 31.
- Mind Meld is closed March 1-May 31.
As of 2020:
There is a very new and active nest of owls midway up the cliff at the north end of the Neanderthal Wall between Cro-Mag and Up The Red. There is no active nest around the south end of Neanderthal Wall.
As of June, 2017:
The 3 toprope routes at the far south end of Neanderthal Wall (far north end of Allied Wall) have a nesting pair of Snowy Owls. Please stay off these routes until further notice. The park has been notified and hopefully some signage will be put up. The route Rock Rat is included.
As of March 7, 2012:
Shakespearean Theater - restricted March, April, May.
Mind Meld - restricted March, April, May.
Porky's Wall - restricted March, April, May, June, through July 31.
Vulture Wall - restricted March, April, May.
Morning Sun Wall - restricted March, April, May, June, July.
Per Garrett Garner-Wells:
the current raptor closures, announced by CPW and reported on Denver7:
The following climbing route closures are currently in place:
- Morning Sun Wall is closed March 1-July 31.
- Porky’s Wall is closed March 1 - July 31.
- Vultures Wall is closed March 1-July 31. (per Rachel, CCSP Ranger, dnr_castlewood.canyon@state.co.use or 303-688-5242)
- Shakespearean Theater is closed March 1-May 31.
- Mind Meld is closed March 1-May 31.
As of 2020:
There is a very new and active nest of owls midway up the cliff at the north end of the Neanderthal Wall between Cro-Mag and Up The Red. There is no active nest around the south end of Neanderthal Wall.
As of June, 2017:
The 3 toprope routes at the far south end of Neanderthal Wall (far north end of Allied Wall) have a nesting pair of Snowy Owls. Please stay off these routes until further notice. The park has been notified and hopefully some signage will be put up. The route Rock Rat is included.
As of March 7, 2012:
Shakespearean Theater - restricted March, April, May.
Mind Meld - restricted March, April, May.
Porky's Wall - restricted March, April, May, June, through July 31.
Vulture Wall - restricted March, April, May.
Morning Sun Wall - restricted March, April, May, June, July.
Description
Wendell Spire is actually a sector of the East Canyon rim. It is demarcated on the right (East) by Wendell Spire, which as Tom Hanson points out is a true "summit", being a 40 foot detached pinacle. Routes have been installed West along the wall for close to 400 feet where a natural break in the wall separates them from the Corporate View Block (and more climbing).
The climbing begins on the Spire proper. The Wendell Spire area is characterized by typical CWC conglomerate stone. However, the rock here is overall much steeper than at any other place in CWC and as such hosts the most difficult climbing at CWC. Most routes are in the 5.11 to 5.12 domain, although one of the best hard lines in CWC, at 5.13b, is present in the Wendell Spire area. A few warm-up routes exist, along with perhaps the easiest bolted line in the Front Range, at 5.6.
Some of the FAs can be well documented in the Wendell Spire area, although much of the FA data are impossible to attribute. The FA crew often worked with several folks on a line at one time. However, the main crew spinning drills included the notorious Mr. Big (aka Tom Hanson), Tod Anderson, Richard Wright, Scott Sills, Mike Lane, and Pat Burwick.
While all of the routes top out between 40 to 60 feet, bring the guns anyway. The climbing is pumpy, difficult, and fun. As a South-facing wall, the Wendell Spire area offers great sun for most of the day. Strictly for convenience and to impose some order on the numbering, I have called Phalloid Void on the spire proper #1, with numbering running right to left. Hopefully this will be fixable when the West limit of this area can be defined.
The climbing begins on the Spire proper. The Wendell Spire area is characterized by typical CWC conglomerate stone. However, the rock here is overall much steeper than at any other place in CWC and as such hosts the most difficult climbing at CWC. Most routes are in the 5.11 to 5.12 domain, although one of the best hard lines in CWC, at 5.13b, is present in the Wendell Spire area. A few warm-up routes exist, along with perhaps the easiest bolted line in the Front Range, at 5.6.
Some of the FAs can be well documented in the Wendell Spire area, although much of the FA data are impossible to attribute. The FA crew often worked with several folks on a line at one time. However, the main crew spinning drills included the notorious Mr. Big (aka Tom Hanson), Tod Anderson, Richard Wright, Scott Sills, Mike Lane, and Pat Burwick.
While all of the routes top out between 40 to 60 feet, bring the guns anyway. The climbing is pumpy, difficult, and fun. As a South-facing wall, the Wendell Spire area offers great sun for most of the day. Strictly for convenience and to impose some order on the numbering, I have called Phalloid Void on the spire proper #1, with numbering running right to left. Hopefully this will be fixable when the West limit of this area can be defined.
Getting There
Get to Wendell Spire from the East Canyon Visitor's Center from CO 83. Park at the West paved lot (the furthest lot possible from the Easet), and stroll down through the picnic area to a marked (paved) trail (now labeled "K" on the park map) that takes you down to the creek. Follow the trail across the creek and head downstream (left!/west); pass the phallic block in the trail, and several hundred feet further take small but obvious trail up to the climbing. This will deposit you at the base of Ruse, Wendell Spire is to the right about 100 feet.
Classic Climbing Routes at Wendell Spire
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
Sun & Shade
Sun Angles Details:
Routes Mostly Face: Southwest
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