All Locations > Colorado > Independence Pass > Grotto Walls Area

Second Grotto Wall Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map This is our best guess at this area's location.
Fix Location

Routes in Second Grotto Wall

L › R R › L A › Z

	Back Scratcher Start T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13
	Brockanator T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Cristal Negro T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Hot Tamale T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Jay's Arete T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Lower Plaque Nose T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Might as Well Jump S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a
	Necronomicom Direct T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	On Ramp, The T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Plaque Right T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Stone Age T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Zebra, The S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a

Order Wrong? Sort Routes

Explore this area in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

GPS:	39.1198, -106.69987 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	11,011 total · 42/month
Shared By:	Richard M. Wright on Jul 16, 2003
Admins:	Alvaro Arnal, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Description

The Second Grotto Wall is the obvious bulk just uphill from Lower Grotto Wall and is characterized by a huge plaque on the upper left side of the crag. Take the faint trail and bushwhack to LGW. Then hump left around and up to SGW. The right side of the crag holds half a dozen long, high quality sport routes. Most take double ropes to rap to the ground as they are 140 to 150 ft long. Major attraction on the right ascend the blackish rock and include the classics The Zebra and Might as Well Jump. There is not a lot of warm-up sport-wise, but some moderate trad exists on the left side of the crag. Overall, this is a terrific crag with good sun, a nice setting, and enough hump (20 minutes) to keep the crowds down.

Getting There

Use Matt's directions for the Lower Grotto Wall if you are coming from Aspen. If you are coming in from Denver/Boulder, it is probably much more direct to take US 285 to Johnson's Corner and then take Colo 24 North to Twin Lakes and the fork on to Colo 82. Travel West on CO 82 to the top of the pass, and set the odometer to zero from the West end of the tourist parking lot. This is also the parking for the Instant Karma cliff. Exactly 9.6 miles West of the Independence Pass parking, and on the left side of the road, is the parking for Grotto walls and adjacent cliffs. The cliff are largely on the North side of the road and just a heart-beat outside of the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness - with all of its restrictions.

12 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location:	Second Grotto Wall Change
Type:	to Trad Sport Toprope
Quality:
Pitches:
Sort by:	then:

Classic Climbing Routes at Second Grotto Wall

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

5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 5 ● Jay's Arete Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 31 ● Plaque Right Trad
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 4 ● Hot Tamale Trad 3 pitches
5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a 11 ● The Zebra Sport