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Arrowhead Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Arrowhead

L › R R › L A › Z

	Airhead T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Arrowplane T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Artemis T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Bequeathed T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
	Country Life T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Diamond Back T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	East Face/Arrowhead T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
	Full Metal Jacket T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Gimme Shelter T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Glacier Gorge Traverse T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Godfather, The T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
	Ithaca T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Lost Arrowhead T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Orange Pillar T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Rain Dance T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Ramp Tramp T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Refugium T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Ripsaw/Northeast Ridge T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Shaft, The T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Shoshone T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Sidewinder T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	South Ramp T Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c
	Thai Hot T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c C1 R
	V-Free T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Warhead T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Watership Down T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
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Elevation:	12,642 ft	3,853 m
GPS:	40.2683, -105.65 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By:	Kurt Johnson on Dec 22, 2001 · Updates
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Access Issue: Closures Details

Seasonal closures Feb. 15-July 31. Per the Denver Post:, the Cathedral Wall and all areas above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond Trail are closed to off-trail travel! Per this RMNP website, "Initial closures now occur in Feb. 15 and April, when raptors return to the region and scout for nesting sites. Areas containing general habitat preferred by raptors are closed during this time. Once raptors have selected nesting spots, the initial closures are lifted or adjusted. The specific areas which raptors choose for nesting sites are closed."

For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.

General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.

Description

Arrowhead is the name given to a collection of spires in the Spearhead Cirque attached to McHenry's via its northeast ridge, directly above Black Lake. Up until a few years ago not many routes had been put up here, probably due to the long approach and relatively short climbs (most are 4 to 5 pitches in length). Recently, however, the abundance of clean, aesthetic lines compacted into a relatively small area has drawn droves of first-ascentionists looking for virgin rock in an otherwise mostly climbed-out Park. The rock here is quality granite, and if the entire formation were picked up and moved to a place like Lumpy Ridge there would already be 100 named routes on it.

Getting There

To get there, park or take the shuttle to the Glacier Gorge lot and follow the trail that goes to Black Lake via Mills Lake. Once at the lake, skirt around the right side and scramble up directly underneath the long prominent fracture which leads straight upslope to the base of Arrowhead. Once at the beginning of the fracture, work your way diagonally left up grassy ledges until you're up in the cirque near the base of the rock. From here, you can either head up and left to access routes along the ridge connecting Arrowhead to McHenry's, or scramble up and right for the routes above Black Lake. You can also head up the left side of Black Lake as if you're going to Spearhead, but it's farther and takes more time. For routes on the far right side of Arrowhead, bushwack up and right from Black Lake.

26 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Arrowhead

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

Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c 17 ● South Ramp Trad, Alpine
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 23 ● Glacier Gorge Traverse Trad, Alpine
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 11 ● Rain Dance Trad, Alpine
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 4 ● Warhead Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a 6 ● Artemis Trad, Alpine 4 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 20 ● Ripsaw/Northeast Ridge Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 60 ● Arrowplane Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13 5 ● The Godfather Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a 16 ● Ithaca Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a 27 ● Airhead Trad, Alpine 5 pitches