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Hantavirus Cave

Montana > Southwest Region > Gallatin Canyon > Stormcastle

Description

The Hantavirus Cave ("The Cave") has some of Bozeman's steepest climbing and a great concentration of nearly 30 routes from 5.10b-5.13. The rock is similar if not a bit better to the composition of its nearby and more-popular neighbor Scorched Earth. It is host to what has become somewhat of a local test piece "Weapons of Mass Destruction", a compression route just to the right of the cave.

Getting There

Approach take around 5 minutes and follows a well defined trail to up to the cave. From Bozeman drive as if you were going to hike Storm Castle. After turning over the majestic old bridge turn right (a turn left here would take you to Scorched Earth) and drive .8 miles down the road. There are two small pullouts and a well defined trail up to this area.

Routes from Left to Right

5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 4
● Unknown
Sport
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 2
● Unknown
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 49
● It's-It
Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 2
● That's That
Sport
5.12c/d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
 6
● The Raven
Sport
5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b
 1
● Rodents of Unusual Size
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 21
● Of Mice and Men
Sport
5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
 1
● Infected
Sport
5.13a/b 8a 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c
 3
● Bi-Winning
Sport
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
 11
● Hantavirus
Sport
5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
 2
● Thunderstruck
Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 23
● Weapons of Mass Destruction
Sport
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
 4
● Can-Dunne (aka: Kundun)
Sport
5.13- 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c
 1
● The Last Resort
Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
 4
● Sub-Zero
Sport
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
 15
● On the Job Training
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 1
● Waterspout Left
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 34
● Geriatrix
Sport
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 6
● Well Heeled
Sport
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 13
● No Sense of Fashion
Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13
 2
● Moose Knuckle (aka Pinoe)
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 10
● Bonehead
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 10
● [Redacted]
Sport
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 4
● Wilde Dreizehn
Trad
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 4
● Wilde This
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Unknown
 4
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
● Unknown
 2
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
● It's-It
 49
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
● That's That
 2
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
● The Raven
 6
5.12c/d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b Sport
● Rodents of Unusual Size
 1
5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b Sport
● Of Mice and Men
 21
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
● Infected
 1
5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a Sport
● Bi-Winning
 3
5.13a/b 8a 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c Sport
● Hantavirus
 11
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c Sport
● Thunderstruck
 2
5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a Sport
● Weapons of Mass Destruction
 23
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
● Can-Dunne (aka: Kundun)
 4
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b Sport
● The Last Resort
 1
5.13- 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c Sport
● Sub-Zero
 4
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b Sport
● On the Job Training
 15
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a Sport
● Waterspout Left
 1
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
● Geriatrix
 34
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
● Well Heeled
 6
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Sport
● No Sense of Fashion
 13
5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
● Moose Knuckle (aka Pinoe)
 2
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 Sport
● Bonehead
 10
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
● [Redacted]
 10
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
● Wilde Dreizehn
 4
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Trad
● Wilde This
 4
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport

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Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Ben Mackall
Bozeman, MT
[Hide Comment] All new route additions will be part of the cliff known as "Wildecliff" or "Old Squaw" in the D&K guide. To keep things simple, because they are all on the same cliff band and follow the same approach trail, they will be included in this area as the cave is the best landmark on this section of cliff.

As the description states, the rock here is in general of a much higher quality than at Scorched Earth. Not as polished (except for the hard 12s... let's keep it that way!), less loose, and less prone to nasty seepage and silting after rainfall. Aug 4, 2014
Ben Mackall
Bozeman, MT
[Hide Comment] Good to note that some enterprising soul has put up another 10-15 routes of apparently more moderate nature on the clean gray slabs to the right of this area. Very nicely built-up belay areas, good rock, and some room for more. THANK YOU to whoever did this, Storm Castle limestone needed some of its more moderate potential tapped for a long time now. Sep 30, 2019
Kevin Macartney
Laramie, WY
[Hide Comment] B-Mkll Mackall, where exactly are the routes you are talking about? Touch The Sky put up 6 or so on the far right of the wall as it dies off about 7 to 8 years ago that are moderate. Or are these some newer additions elsewhere on the wall? Sep 30, 2019
Ben Mackall
Bozeman, MT
[Hide Comment] Kevin it is definitely possible that these are those climbs-- though the hardware is very shiny and many still show scarring below bolts from the drilling debris. There is one wall with a short blank slab, another with two climbs on it, and another with 5 or 6 pretty squeezed in shorter routes (6-8 bolts tightly spaced) of 5.7-5.9 difficulty.

No beta beyond that. Climbed some of them and they were definitely worthwhile especially given ease of access and moderation compared to pretty much all the rest of the limestone in the area. May 25, 2020
Ted Lange
Bozeman, MT
[Hide Comment] Here are more routes to add left of It’s It. Whit Magro was there yesterday and gave us a tour, complete with entertaining history of the route names:
Arete immediately left of It’s It - Unknown name or history - three-star 11b
Unknown - kinda dirty but cool 12b - see description I posted last year. Thought it was King Cobra but I was wrong
King Cobra 12c - see description in the book- watched Whit climb this yesterday and it looks amazing! Probably 4 stars.
The Venom (new 5.12)
Unknown new 5.12 - 80 meter rope required!! Many (19?) Bolts! Mar 29, 2021