Coolest Features to Climb in North America

should be on the list.

Have to agree with devil's tower.
South ridge of mt. Gimli.

Castle Rock Spire ......

South Face of Half Dome

http://mountainproject.com/v/scuzlocks/106389059

christoph benells wrote:Lotus flower tower mt. huntington ak high exposure/gunks incredible hulk polar circus

One of those just doesn't belong!
Seriously, High Ex is arguably the most overrated climb in North America. There are much better climbs in the Gunks at that same grade. But there's also nothing in the Gunks that deserves to be on this list.

Allen Sanderson wrote: Yes, it does (several in Oregon). Some are lake stacks (Turnip Rock). There are stacks in Canada and Mexico.

Fair enough. The Oregon coast stacks are chossy but pretty.

Here's the tallest vertical cliff in North America:

Great list so far! I would add Keeler Needle , El Gigante , and North Six-Shooter Peak

Notch peak north face, west desert of UT

Marc801 wrote: One of those just doesn't belong! Seriously, High Ex is arguably the most overrated climb in North America. There are much better climbs in the Gunks at that same grade. But there's also nothing in the Gunks that deserves to be on this list.

it's rated #4 top classic here on mountain project...

you have to see the entire picture buddy, its not just a grade or the wildest cliff.

christoph benells wrote: isn't it rated like #1 or #2 here on mountain project? you have to see the entire picture buddy, its not just a grade or the wildest cliff.

I maintain that quality rating is wrong.
The *only* thing that makes High E semi-interesting is the last pitch that goes up improbable terrain for the rating. The first two pitches basically suck.
I climbed in the Gunks from 1972-2000. I did High E only three times - my first time on the route I led it, and that was after having done Directissima. The second time was long enough after the first to have forgotten most of the route other than the crux. The third time was kinda forced on me by a visiting friend.
BTW, the visiting friend thought Middle Earth, Madam G's, Limelight, and Disneyland were all much higher quality climbs. Disneyland was still rated 5.5 at the time and Limelight was a 5.6.
Like I said, wildly overrated and not that interesting.

Don't forget Ironman Traverse, it's classic.

christoph benells wrote: it's rated #4 top classic here on mountain project... you have to see the entire picture buddy, its not just a grade or the wildest cliff.

I think the big picture is probably that it's 5.6 and close to New York City ;-)

The twin sisters at the city of rocks

Marc801 wrote: One of those just doesn't belong! Seriously, High Ex is arguably the most overrated climb in North America. There are much better climbs in the Gunks at that same grade. But there's also nothing in the Gunks that deserves to be on this list.

I don't know about that...you don't think that Yellow Wall or Fat City Direct belongs on this list?

Coolest features, as in pieces of rock, not coolest climbs. The gunks have cool climbs but from a distance it's not exactly an awe inspiring feature.

I'll go with my Sierra Nevada bias and say castle rock spire.

Lotus flower tower has to be a contender for the lead.

Shiprock ...

The Finger of Fate and the Elephants Perch in the Sawtooths. Warbonnet and Sundance in the Cirque of the towers. Locations I would also describe as Tolkienesque.

The Diamond. The Elephants Perch. The north face of North Twin(Canada).

Thor Peak on Baffin Island looks awesome and is on my bucket list even if I have to do it from the easy side ;)... btw what is the grade on it? I tried using the route finder on here but it didn't have much info, other than location.