All Locations > Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons > North > Skunk Canyon

Ridge 1 aka Stairway to Heaven Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Ridge 1 aka Stairway to Heaven

L › R R › L A › Z

	Ariel T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Armed Forces S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Arms Reduction T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
	Army T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Better Than Better Than Love T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Better than Love T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
	Casual Slabs T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c PG13
	Forget Me Not T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
	God's Kingdom on Earth S 5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Guardian, The S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Gunky T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
	Heaven and Hell S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Hellbound S 5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
	In God We Trust T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b X
	Inscrutable T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
	Like Hell It Is T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Love T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
	Party Of One T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Pepé Le sPew S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Pious Polecats S Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c
	Seeker, The T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
	Stairway to Heaven T 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a
	Wanderer, The T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
	What, What? TR 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Who, Who? T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13

Order Wrong? Sort Routes

Elevation:	6,760 ft
GPS:	39.979, -105.29 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	42,037 total · 190/month
Shared By:	Mark Oveson on Apr 18, 2005
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

Access Issue: 2018 Raptor Closure Lifted Details

As of May 16, 2018, per Flatirons Climbing Council: the raptor closures have been lifted here due to no or failed raptor nesting.

Currently 105744237 is not applicable.

Access Issue: Temporary Trail and Raptor Closures Details

Click here for the trail closures. Some are M-F, some are 24/7. These impact the Bear Canyon/Fern Canyon regions primarily:

flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…

Click here bouldercolorado.gov/service… for the latest in raptor closures.

Description

This is the first major ridge ascending out of Skunk Canyon on the right (north) side. Quality of the rock is very good--perhaps slightly better than "average" Flatiron rock. Routes range from the classic 1000'+ slab and ridge climb called Stairway to Heaven (5.2-ish, but mostly 3rd/4th class) to the enjoyable Love (5.4) and Better Than Love (5.5) on the west side of the rock, to the massively overhanging Guardian (5.12).

The rock gets few visitors, but the Colorado Mountain Club occasionally climbs Stairway to Heaven with groups of 10 climbers or more. Other than those times, it is a quiet and beautiful place to climb. Views of Satan's Slab [on Ridge Two] to the west, particularly from Better Than Love, are stunning.

[Ridge One] is notable in that it is the only ridge in Skunk Canyon that DOES NOT close for raptor nesting.

Getting There

From the NCAR trailhead, hike to the Mesa Trail, go north, and cross the Skunk Canyon creek. Continue steeply up a few switchbacks until you can see a faint trail heading into the canyon. You may have to climb over or around a log fence to reach the trail. If you reach the point where the Mesa Trail flattens out and heads east out of the canyon, you went too far (but not by much).

25 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location:	Ridge 1 aka Stairway to Heaven Change
Type:	to Trad Sport Toprope
Quality:
Pitches:
Sort by:	then:

Classic Climbing Routes at Ridge 1 aka Stairway to Heaven

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a 158 ● Stairway to Heaven Trad 6 pitches
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c 31 ● Love Trad 3 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 3 ● Party Of One Trad
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 8 ● Armed Forces Sport
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b 19 ● God's Kingdom on Earth Sport
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b 9 ● The Guardian Sport