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Elevation: 10,400 ft
GPS: 42.772, -109.223
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By: Ron Olsen on May 23, 2006 · Updates
Admins: Mike Snyder, Taylor Spiegelberg, Jake Dickerson

Description Suggest change

A superb alpine climbing area with some of the most stunning scenery in the Winds. Home of the classic Northeast Face on Pingora and East Ridge of Wolf's Head.

Summitpost.org has excellent information on the Cirque of the Towers.

Pooping in the Winds: Please Pack Out Your Poop

Every climber, backpacker, and hiker is expected to use a wag bag and pack out your poop. Though it often feels remote, the Cirque of the Towers is visited by more and more people each year- we are loving the area to death. Please bring multiple wag bags any time you are hiking into the Winds. 

Lonesome Lake, in the Cirque of the towers, has been declared unfit to drink from, even when filtered or treated because of fecal contamination. Help keep other lakes in the Winds from this same fate of contamination by using Wag bags. 

Getting There Suggest change

Cell service gets spotty on the way in, so have the route mapped out and stick to it. Don't expect many services except a gas station or two unless you pass through Pinedale, which is slightly out of the way. Boulder, WY is just a gas station/bar combo. Once you get on the dirt roads they can lull you into a false sense of security before whipping a hairpin turn at you out of nowhere, so keep an eye out for that. Most passenger cars should be able to make it to the Big Sandy Trailhead, but there can be some big rocks poking out of the road so take your time.The parking lot at the trailhead always seems to be full. It may be easier to organize your bags in the big field people are parked in on the way in, pull up and drop your bags off, then drive back out to the overflow lot. It adds a half mile or so to walk from there.

The trail to the Cirque is well traveled and pretty straightforward. If I remember correctly, all major trail junctions have signs. Expect it to be flat-ish until Big Sandy Lake, where you'll lose most of the backpackers and hikers. Then the trail gets steep, then flat, then steep, then flat, etc until you get past Jackass Pass. If you are a strong hiker it goes pretty quick and the scenery is great. Parties with several days worth of gear may take longer on the hike in.

Note: people with recent experience climbing in the Cirque of the Towers, please feel free to add additional info on access, hiking, camping, and other logistics.

63 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Cirque of the Towers

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 668
East Ridge
Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 140
East Face, Left Side Cracks
Trad, Alpine 11 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 389
South Buttress
Trad, Alpine 4 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 73
Cirque of the Towers Traverse
Trad, Alpine 20 pitches
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 436
Northeast Face
Trad, Alpine 12 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 69
North Face Center (Ecclesiastes)
Trad, Alpine 9 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 30
South Face, Right
Trad, Alpine 4 pitches
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 7
Roof of Tears
Trad, Alpine 3 pitches
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 38
Northeast Arete
Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b R
 23
feather buttress
Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 124
Black Elk
Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 5
The Plume: Broken Arrow, NE Face
Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 8
Col du Ane
Trad, Alpine
5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 13
Red Cloud
Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
 7
White Buffalo
Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
East Ridge Wolfs Head
 668
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
East Face, Left Side Cracks Pingora
 140
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, Alpine 11 pitches
South Buttress Pingora
 389
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, Alpine 4 pitches
Cirque of the Towers Traverse Pingora
 73
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, Alpine 20 pitches
Northeast Face Pingora
 436
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, Alpine 12 pitches
North Face Center (Ecclesia… Mitchell Peak
 69
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, Alpine 9 pitches
South Face, Right Wolfs Head
 30
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, Alpine 4 pitches
Roof of Tears Warbonnet Peak
 7
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad, Alpine 3 pitches
Northeast Arete Sundance Pinnacle
 38
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
feather buttress Warbonnet Peak
 23
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b R Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
Black Elk Warbonnet Peak
 124
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Trad, Alpine 8 pitches
The Plume: Broken Arrow, NE… Warbonnet Peak
 5
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
Col du Ane Warbonnet Peak
 8
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Trad, Alpine
Red Cloud Wolfs Head
 13
5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
White Buffalo Wolfs Head
 7
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
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