All Locations > Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Big Thompson Ca… > Palisade Mountain

Jewel of the Nile Wall Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map This is our best guess at this area's location.
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Routes in Jewel of the Nile Wall

L › R R › L A › Z

	Country Mile T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Family Jewels T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Pearly Burly Brooke T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a

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GPS:	40.43765, -105.31658 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	6,476 total · 40/month
Shared By:	1rsties4life Carnes on Sep 12, 2011 · Updates
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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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.

Description

This area is a very secluded sheer face that faces Southeast just near the top of Palisade Mountain. Anyone who is a climber can't help but stare at Palisade Mountain as they drive West toward Estes Park in the Big Thompson Canyon. This wall caught my attention back in 1999, as I'm sure it has many others making the same journey. It sits high on the left hand summit skyline and is the sheerest, cleanest looking wall on the entire mountain. From the road below, you can make out the splitter crack running up its middle, and for all of you who are putting the pieces together reading this...that crack is every bit as good as it looks!!

Getting There

Approach One: Hike to the Horse Head and wrap Northeast around its Eastern side along a bench that will lead you to the base of the wall with a short scramble up 2nd class at its end. "Note" when hiking along the bench, if you stay along the Eastern shoulder, the approach will be much easier.

Approach 2: Climb the Horse Head to its summit for a warmup, scramble off the back towards the Northeast and hike to through the saddle to the base of the wall.