Sitting at about 9200' in elevation off of Old Stage Road lies a quiet outcropping of granite called Grayback Peak. Much of the rock and routes are featured face to slab and are reminiscent of that which you would find on The Ascencion and Pearly Gates at St. Peter’s Overlook. About 60% of the climbing is sport and there are some moderate, gear protected pitches that are not to be missed. The crag is north- to west-facing, so it is suited particularly well for the late spring, summer, and early fall. The climbing tends to be very aesthetic and enjoyable, but the sweeping views of the Emerald Valley and Mt. Vigil coupled with the solitude are what make this a particularly memorable outing. The grades currently range from 5.7-5.11, and the walk in is about 1.75 miles and 1000' of vertical. Some of the final approaches to the base of the routes can be a little steep, so children and most dogs are not recommended. Sun aspects for each of the cliffs are as follows: Grayback Wall is north-facing, Obsidian Wall is southwest-facing, while the Emerald Valley, Appalachian Mud Squid and Battletoads Wall are all west-facing. As always, I am most curious about any of the climbing history at Grayback and would love to hear about any FAs or other climbers experiences there.

 As a final aside, please keep in mind that though this is not an unknown area to climbers, much of the development is new. I, like most developers, always new route with the safety of the community at heart and as such, every measure has been taken to remove any suspect rock. These include very careful route inspection and the employment of 3 foot prybars in special instances to clean routes, but due to the isolated nature of the crag, it would be wise to treat this area with the commitment of a backcountry/alpine experience until it gains more traction. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any questions, concerns, or feedback. Have fun, and stay safe out there!

Sam

At the start of Old Stage Road, there is a hairpin and a gate where the road turns to gravel. Reset your odometer, drive for 5.5 miles, and take a left at Forest Service road 371 which is marked by a sign that reads, “The Ranch at Emerald Valley”. Drive this road for a quarter mile, and that will put you at the Grayback Peak trailhead.... Or follow this link. https://goo.gl/maps/4jCYxbepJZSxC7cW8.

From the pullout, take the well-marked trail for about 1.5 miles along the scenic ridgeline, where you will have nice intermittent views of Grayback Peak to the south. At around the 1.5 miles, you will reach an aspen grove that empties out into a small, flat clearing. The climber's trail is on the right and is marked with branches, cairns, and blue flagging tape. The GPS coordinates for the cutoff are: 38.71478, -104.89812. Take the climber's trail on the right up the ridge for about a quarter mile until you reach the Short Stack Cracks and Battletoads Wall. From here, continue left (to the south) to get to the steep gully entrance for Grayback Wall. Once you dump into the Class 4 gully marked with a fixed line, you can proceed to the left, (south) to get to the Obsidian Wall, Emerald Valley Wall and finally the Appalachian Mud Squid Wall.

Expect about 1.75 miles on the approach with around 1000' of elevation gain. All told, to the base of the base of Grayback Wall should take around an hour once you have it dialed in, but expect a little longer if you've never been there before.