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Angel's Wings aka Devil's Wings

Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons > South
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Description

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.

Getting There

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.

Routes from Left to Right

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Angel Wings get a little shower during the 2012 fire.
[Hide Photo] Angel Wings get a little shower during the 2012 fire.
To answer a commenter's question about The Keel as an approach for the south side of The Wings: the distance between the top of the Keel and the base of the South Wings is considerable.
[Hide Photo] To answer a commenter's question about The Keel as an approach for the south side of The Wings: the distance between the top of the Keel and the base of the South Wings is considerable.
The Devil's Wings as seen from the East.
[Hide Photo] The Devil's Wings as seen from the East.
From left to right... The Tower of The Moon (small, shaded), the Jamcrack Spire, the Maiden, the Fatiron, The Devil's Thumb, the Flying Flatiron, and the Devil's Wings as viewed from the South-East on the Old Mesa Trail.
[Hide Photo] From left to right... The Tower of The Moon (small, shaded), the Jamcrack Spire, the Maiden, the Fatiron, The Devil's Thumb, the Flying Flatiron, and the Devil's Wings as viewed from the South-East…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] An interesting ice route sometimes forms on the Angel Wing at the top of the diagonal scree slope. Apr 3, 2002
neil chelton
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] The Angel's Wings are also known as the Devil's Wings. Dec 9, 2010
[Hide Comment] Devil's Wings? I always knew this as Angel's Wings from at least as far back as 1987. I think I got the name from Roach's book (which I don't have in front of me right now).

Anyway, as I recall, it presents excellent, remote, adventurous scrambling. Oct 15, 2011
Shambu Collins
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] There are berries ALL OVER the place this time of year. They really like to grow in the talus fields and there is the motherload of raspberries over the summit of these rocks on the southwest side of Bear mountain. You could pick berries for hours without moving more than 30 feet at the top. Jul 28, 2017
[Hide Comment] Has anyone climbed the center/Third Wing? Also, is The Keel a good way to approach all of The Wings, or just the two Northern ones? The description for the Southern Wings says to climb the screefield, but that just sounds miserable. Jul 1, 2023
Bravo Tango
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] @Les Zyla - The Keel is a likely bad approach to the Southern side of the Wings complex. There is a substantial talus field separating the two bases, and closer to the south base, you may also get cliffed out traversing from north to south.

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