West Buttress - South Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 6,144 ft | 1,873 m |
GPS: |
42.12441, -113.67193 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 26,660 total · 117/month | |
Shared By: | David Tvedt on Apr 19, 2006 · Updates | |
Admins: | GRK, Mike Engle, Eric Bluemn |
Access Issue: (1) BLM Managed Lands at Castle Rocks PERMANENTLY CLOSED TO CLIMBING!! Castle Rocks State Park and US Forest Sevice lands are OPEN TO CLIMBING. US Forest Service Lands closed to new route developement. (2) Highlining temporary ban in place at CIRO/CRSP
Details
(1) The BLM has amended the Cassia Resource Management Plan (RMP) to permanently close the 400 acres of land it manages in the Castle Rocks Interagency Recreation Area to staging, traditional rock climbing, sport climbing and bouldering, as well as overnight camping and development of new trails. Here is a link to a map that shows the BLM land in yellow. parksandrecreation.idaho.go…
The adjacent Castle Rocks State Park and the National Forest Service land to the north remains OPEN TO CLIMBING,
as does the nearby City of Rocks National Reserve.
(2) HIGHLINING IS PROHIBITED
By the authority of the park manager, Highlining at City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park is temporarily prohibited as of August 28, 2019.
The park(s) is reviewing highlining activities. Here are Google Drive links to the closure and the updated Code of Regulations for CIRO. drive.google.com/open?id=1y… and drive.google.com/open?id=1Y…
Arrest and/or hefty fines are likely if caught rock climbing with ropes and gear in the BLM land.
Please respect this closure to ensure access to the open climbing at Castle Rocks is not threatened.
The "Final Supplementary Rules for the Castle Rocks Land Use Plan Amendment Area, Idaho" is located in the Federal Registry. This document gives the details on the closure but doesn't provide a map. You can check it out here: federalregister.gov/documen…
The adjacent Castle Rocks State Park and the National Forest Service land to the north remains OPEN TO CLIMBING,
as does the nearby City of Rocks National Reserve.
(2) HIGHLINING IS PROHIBITED
By the authority of the park manager, Highlining at City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park is temporarily prohibited as of August 28, 2019.
The park(s) is reviewing highlining activities. Here are Google Drive links to the closure and the updated Code of Regulations for CIRO. drive.google.com/open?id=1y… and drive.google.com/open?id=1Y…
Arrest and/or hefty fines are likely if caught rock climbing with ropes and gear in the BLM land.
Please respect this closure to ensure access to the open climbing at Castle Rocks is not threatened.
The "Final Supplementary Rules for the Castle Rocks Land Use Plan Amendment Area, Idaho" is located in the Federal Registry. This document gives the details on the closure but doesn't provide a map. You can check it out here: federalregister.gov/documen…
Description
This spur off the west side of Castle Rock has several routes on it's south face that include: Claim Jumper (sport), Shock and Awe (sport), Enemy Combatant (Top Rope), Advance to Idaho (Trad), Squench (Sport). This wall faces directly south but gets some shade earlier in the morning from the main Castle Rock to east. You may have a waiting line for Shock and Awe on busy days. Around the left corner on the northwest side of the buttress, there are several more routes: Sword in the Stone (bolts and gear), Excalibur (trad) and Shifting Gears (bolts and gear). This wall has good shade until mid afternoon.
Approach the left most routes of this buttress by scrambling to a ledge 100 feet left of the gully.
Approach the left most routes of this buttress by scrambling to a ledge 100 feet left of the gully.
Getting There
Approach this crag by following the trail along the old ranch road that skirts south side of Castle Rock. Continue along the trail until you reach a signed trail that leads to the Hostess Gully. Follow the trail and flagging up through a boulder field to the routes.
Continue on the trail past Red Rib and Patina Atoll, take a left when you reach the base of the gully, and look for a flagged sign for Shock and Awe and head up the trail to the buttress on the right. The area can also be approached by following the trail/road along the south side of Castle Rock, then following it north along the west side of Castle Rock. This approach goes right along-side the west tip of the West Buttress.
Continue on the trail past Red Rib and Patina Atoll, take a left when you reach the base of the gully, and look for a flagged sign for Shock and Awe and head up the trail to the buttress on the right. The area can also be approached by following the trail/road along the south side of Castle Rock, then following it north along the west side of Castle Rock. This approach goes right along-side the west tip of the West Buttress.
Classic Climbing Routes at West Buttress - South
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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