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Fossil Hill Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Fossil Hill

1. Fossil Hill West 0 / 17 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 17

2. Fossil Hill Central 0 / 19 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 19

3. Fossil Hill East 0 / 32 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 32

4. The Hideout 0 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 10

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Elevation:	8,817 ft
GPS:	42.71327, -108.8475 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	77,222 total · 505/month
Shared By:	Tom Rangitsch on Oct 1, 2011
Admins:	Mike Snyder, Taylor Spiegelberg, Jake Dickerson Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: 2023 RAPTOR CLOSURE UPDATE Details

All routes between "Burly but Sensitive" and "Sound Of Silence" are temporarily closed for raptor nesting. Please respect the closure!

Description

Fossil Hill is similar to Wild Iris in the fact that it is a series of buttresses with wind exposed faces, but it's more like the Sinks Canyon main wall in terms of height. There are more crimps here than at the Iris, and more pockets than at Sinks. The rock quality is some of the best in the area. There are about 100 routes here, described in Steve Bechtel's excellent guide.

The climbs are mostly vertical with steep bulges at the top and have between 8 and 12 bolts, for the most part (although some have up to 19 bolts). Grades range from 5.6 to 5.14c.

The area is about 1000 feet higher than Sinks and is more west facing. Good in the fall and late summer evenings, but it can get hot in the middle of the day.

Classics include Casual Entertainment (5.11b), Hang Fire (5.11d), Valkerie (5.12d), The Righteous and The Wicked (5.13a), and When the Cubans Hit the Floor (5.13d).

Getting There

Drive all the way up Sinks Canyon, past Bruce's Camp. Continue on the paved road up the switch backs. The road is closed here from the late fall until around Memorial Day, effectively prohibiting access unless you have a snow machine or want to ski 4 or 5 miles up the road.

Just after the switch backs, look for a dirt parking lot on the left of the road with a pit toilet. Park here. The main part of the wall is not quite visible from the parking lot. You will see a really steep two track that leads straight up to the cliff. Do not take this trail. Rather, find a single track that goes up and right, passing a fence at about 200 yards. This will eventually deposit you at the main wall, near Casual Entertainment.

78 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Fossil Hill

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

5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 86 ● Merely Mortal Sport 2. Fossil Hill Central
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a 113 ● Casual Entertainment Sport 2. Fossil Hill Central
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a 39 ● Fossil Logic Sport 1. Fossil Hill West
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a 10 ● No Seat in Hell Sport 1. Fossil Hill West
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 29 ● Channel Zero Sport 1. Fossil Hill West
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 98 ● Hang Fire Sport 2. Fossil Hill Central
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 28 ● Big in Japan Sport 3. Fossil Hill East
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 22 ● Space Needle Sport 2. Fossil Hill Central
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 18 ● Bicameral Mind Sport 4. The Hideout
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b 27 ● Hips Like Cinderella Sport 2. Fossil Hill Central
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 16 ● The Righteous and The Wicked Sport 3. Fossil Hill East
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 4 ● Milk Bone Sport 1. Fossil Hill West
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 4 ● Tremors Sport 1. Fossil Hill West
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 21 ● Valkyrie Sport 3. Fossil Hill East
5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a 4 ● Asian Orange Sport 3. Fossil Hill East