All Locations > Colorado > Grand Junction Area

Grand Mesa Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Grand Mesa

Flowing Park 13 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 15 / 15

Land's End Area 67 / 40 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 95

Elevation:	10,000 ft
GPS:	39.0261, -108.1732 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	105,854 total · 811/month
Shared By:	Alex Garhart on Jul 3, 2012
Admins:	Jesse Zacher, Bradley Mark Edwards, Nick Reecy, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

Description

Grand Mesa is a prominent, east-west landform capped by hard, volcanic basalt. The original basalt field may have had a surface area of up to 750 square miles, but due to extensive erosion, the present-day remnant is about 53 square miles. This remnant has a "Y-shaped" outline, with Crag Crest on the east forming the stem, and the Palisade and Flowing Park lobes forming the branches. Thickness of the in-place basalt ranges from about 600 feet near Crag Crest to less than 200 feet on the western tips of the lobes.

In general, the basalt is highly fractured and climbable buttresses are rare. However, occasional large volcanic flow events deposited layers of basalt up to 70 feet thick, creating steep, featured walls with amazing rock quality.

Reference: Cole, R.; Weston, K. Geological Society of America Meeting Abstract (2007).

Getting There

The Grand Mesa is most easily accessed from Grand Junction by driving east on I-70 to Exit 49 and heading south on CO Highway 65. The drive time is ~1 hour.

To access the western edge of the Palisade Lobe and the Land's End Area, it is recommended to drive south from Grand Junction on US Highway 50 ~13 miles, past the town of Whitewater, and head east on Kannah Creek Road. Follow the signs to Land's End, ~18 miles. The drive time also ~1 hour.

110 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Grand Mesa

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

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 8 ● The Pika Strikes Back Trad Land's End Area > Kaleidoscope Wall
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 8 ● Mass Wasting Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 5 ● Ft Mac Gravy Train Trad, Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b 10 ● Jungle Gym Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 4 ● Vesicle Joyride Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b 9 ● Tribal Wisdom Trad Land's End Area > Beyond Civilization Wall
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b 3 ● Topographic Reversal Trad Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b 8 ● Candy Striper Sport Land's End Area > Kaleidoscope Wall
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b 3 ● Basalt Assault Trad, Alpine Flowing Park > Bionut Wall
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 4 ● Punctuated Equilibrium Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b 4 ● New Vision Sport Land's End Area > Beyond Civilization Wall
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b 5 ● Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds Sport Land's End Area > Kaleidoscope Wall
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 4 ● Ultramafic Sport Land's End Area > Paleosol Wall
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c 4 ● The Glass Menagerie Sport Land's End Area > Kaleidoscope Wall
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c 4 ● Fantasia Sport Land's End Area > Kaleidoscope Wall