These are 5 huge wings that point towards the summit ridge South of Bear Peak just NE of South Boulder Peak. There is mention of these in Rossiter's guide; however, there seems little other documentation. These are big slabs. The 2nd from the left sports an 8 1/2 pitch (50m rope) climb. These must have been climbed over the years by others than us. It is a long walk, but there is good adventure slabbing. In the winter these really do look like angel's wings.
Per Tony B: The Devil's Wings are one of the largest formations in the Flatirons. Their remote location, long approach and lack of distinct route publications have also made them one of the least seldom visited despite the excellent rock and great views.
The rock is huge - the wings together have a surface area rivaling the First, Third, and Fourth Flatirons and perhaps even The Slab. They are perhaps 700 feet tall or longer and span almost a quarter mile at the base. The two distinct halves are split up the 'spine' in the center, with each half, north and south dropping in elevation eastward from the center at the base.
The rock gets light from dawn until the sun passes westward over the peaks of the mountains - when all East Face flatirons get shade. The rock is almost perfect - rivaling the quality of the 1st and 3rd Flatirons. Nearing the very top, some needles dropping from Juniper bushes are a minor menace in spots if not carefully avoided.
Addendum: these have subsequently been called Devil's Wings as well. Two submissions are combined here.
From the Mesa Trail, find yourself below these giant slabs, North of Shadow Canyon, North of The Maiden, near the Flying Flatiron. This involves a significant bushwhack up the hill. From the top, you can traverse across to the top of Shadow Canyon and hike down the trail.
Boulder, CO
Erie, CO
Anyway, as I recall, it presents excellent, remote, adventurous scrambling. Oct 15, 2011
Boulder, CO
Boulder, CO
I'm not only typing this from my current location at Abo's Pizza, which offers a perfect view of this area, but I've done both South and North Wings. When approaching the North Wing (which was much more licheny and less featured than the South), I soloed The Keel.
The hill-to-talus slope leading up to the South Wings is pretty woody for sure. It's been a few years, but I remember the better paths on the north side of the gully, which had slightly more southern exposure. Anything north-facing was (more) overgrown. Aug 27, 2023