The Lion's Den Rock Climbing
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GPS: |
40.45374, -105.3704 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
Page Views: | 32,745 total · 124/month |
Shared By: | Jesse Ryan on Jul 16, 2002 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: Area closure - now lifted. Previously: Storm Mt./Cedar Park road is reopened to all
Details
Per Kurtz: The Monastery is open again! fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO….
Per Julie Nelson: the forest is closed due to after fire concerns in this area until June 30, 2021. There is a sign at the trailhead about the closure. See the US Forest Service website for further updates.
Previously: per Bruce Hildenbrand: Storm Mountain Road is open to all.
Per Hank C: the Storm Mt./Cedar Park area is closed to locals-only traffic for the time being due to wildfire concerns. We were turned away by a park ranger this morning (9/12/2020).
Per Julie Nelson: the forest is closed due to after fire concerns in this area until June 30, 2021. There is a sign at the trailhead about the closure. See the US Forest Service website for further updates.
Previously: per Bruce Hildenbrand: Storm Mountain Road is open to all.
Per Hank C: the Storm Mt./Cedar Park area is closed to locals-only traffic for the time being due to wildfire concerns. We were turned away by a park ranger this morning (9/12/2020).
Access Issue: Access issue - Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc. - open since 2023
Details
Update: per Bruce Hildenbrand: the area has been open since 2023.
Per JF M: as of May 2022, there is no signage on-site, nor information on the USFS webpage for the Cameron Peak Fire (nor on their published map of closures) that indicates the area is closed.
Per Bruce Hildenbrand: it appears that the Forest Service has closed access to all the climbing areas accessed via Storm Mountain Road (Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc.) until they can clear all the dangerous dead trees from the Cameron Peak fire.
I worked this issue with Eric Murdock at the AF, and it looks like the Forest Service picked Devil's Gulch Road as the southern boundary even though all the climbing areas on MP.com were not burned.
Per JF M: as of May 2022, there is no signage on-site, nor information on the USFS webpage for the Cameron Peak Fire (nor on their published map of closures) that indicates the area is closed.
Per Bruce Hildenbrand: it appears that the Forest Service has closed access to all the climbing areas accessed via Storm Mountain Road (Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc.) until they can clear all the dangerous dead trees from the Cameron Peak fire.
I worked this issue with Eric Murdock at the AF, and it looks like the Forest Service picked Devil's Gulch Road as the southern boundary even though all the climbing areas on MP.com were not burned.
Description
Haven't found your fill of classic sport lines wandering the main corridors and spires of the Monastery? A few more gems are hiding out in the Lion's Den. Here you might find a little more solitude, more underbrush and scree beneath the routes and even better views. The lines tend to be short and spread about the maze that is the LD. Routes in the LD proper as well as the adjecent Nursery will be described here.
Getting There
The LD lies uphill - northwest of the Guardian. The approach path(s) are quite faint. After reaching the Guardian, the first rock reached via the Monastery trail, head directly uphill passing the Catacomb on the left. Keeping close to the rock formations on the left, the Nursery will shortly come into view. Two superb bolted 5.6 are located here accessible to toproping. Climb further uphill past the last major rock formations (few or no routes currently) and drop down the hillside to the SW. You will reach a small crag with 2 sport routes (7 and 11a) and a 11a wide crack. Just downhill from this is Bearhug(11a), a sport line with a very nice position on a gently overhanging prow. Down a loose scree filled gully you will finally reach the sport lines on Wedding (a 7 and 9 sharing an anchor) and Barnacle Rocks (a 9+) Alternatively one can access these two rocks by dropping down from the main approach into the Catacomb past the routes the Gravestone and Mausoleum, and scramble right across and below several rock ribs.
Classic Climbing Routes at The Lion's Den
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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