Urban? Alpine? This diminutive wall in Deer Creek Canyon has a uniquely North Face feel only seconds from a busy road. Urban – well-bolted, moderate, sport routes with interesting and cerebral climbing on fairly solid gneiss/schist with a Clear Creek feel and a 45 second approach. Alpine – said approach is horrendously loose and steep; lichen, moss, dirt, and a bad weather magnet give a distinctly un-sport crag appeal. Add in some rattlesnakes, unstable ground, and aggressive vegetation and you have the making of an adventure within sight of DTC. This little fin of rock will give you your money’s worth with some tenuous, inobvious climbing, and “thinky” routes. All the routes are short and as mentioned, very well-bolted. This is a great little crag for those after work burns on the Southwest side of the Metro.

Due to the nature of the rock and difficulty of getting above, most routes are not top-rope friendly with the exception of K2 and Morin a Minute. Plan on leading. All the routes can be easily done with a 60 meter rope. The very friendly nature of the bolt spacing makes these excellent first time leads at the grade. The starts are usually the most difficult section of the routes, and although the climbing can be tenuous, the rock is very well featured. Since this is a new crag, it still is being cleaned, and there are little pockets of loose rock. It is best to protect the belayer here. It is North-facing and shady even in the high summer.

Deer Creek Canyon is far south and west in the Denver Metro. Make your way to the intersection of C-470 and Kipling Parkway in Littleton. Heading south from this intersection, make the first right turn onto W. Ute Ave. (heading west). Pass the Johns Manville plant and Xcel energy, round a couple of sharp turns and head into the Canyon proper. Set your odometer at the electric substation at the mouth of the Canyon.

From the substation, go exactly 3.0 miles up the windy Deer Creek Canyon Road keeping an eye out for the Canyon’s namesake. On the right (north) side of the road, you'll see a graffitied garage. The parking pullout is on the opposite (south) side of the road. Hang a dangerous u-turn here or head up the road further and turn around at a safer spot and come back. The crag is a couple hundred feet to the west (up-canyon) of the pullout. Cross the road and head straight up to the base.

EDIT: the graffitied garage is no more.

There is a nice pullout on the side of the road where the trail starts, about 50 or less down the road from the trail.

A. Gneiss Lee Done, 10, 1p, bolts.
B. Mike in the Fast Lane, 9+, 1p, bolts.
C. Hasbeen Done, 10-, 1p, bolts.
D. Morin a Minute, 10-, 1p, bolts or TR.
E. Roach Clip, 9, 1p, bolts.
F. K2 (Kerry Kell's Route), 7, 1p, TR.