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Treasure Falls
WI4-5,
Trad, Ice, 140 ft (42 m),
Avg: 3.2 from 20
votes
FA: unknown
Colorado
> CO Ice & Mixed
> Wolf Creek Pass…
> Wolf Creek Pass- W Side
Description
Treasure Falls is the classic climb in the area. Don't let the bottom mislead you. The top usually kicks back pretty vertical. Make sure you have enough strength to finish it.
Protection
This climb can eat up your screws. Be careful when topping out, try not to kick through the bubble. The trees to climber's right on top work well for anchors. Please add that two ropes are needed to rap, since this climb is approximately 140'.
Per Jesse Morehouse: There usually is a fixed anchor (tat) around the large pine on climber's left.
[Hide Photo] Great view texted to me from a passer by. This gives the scale from a distance.
[Hide Photo] Treasure in unusually easy (WI 4) conditions. A cool shot from the road of me and my wife gittin' 'er done! By the way- "easy" on Treasure is still not like climbing in an ice park- water wells o…
[Hide Photo] Treasure Falls - photographer Jonathan Jackson.
[Hide Photo] Treasure in '07. This is pretty fat conditions. This was my first time climbing it and as noted by others, it sure is deceiving! Much steeper and longer than it looks, even with me on there for…
[Hide Photo] Treasure Falls - 2/26/22. Just a little past its prime. This had a big window on the bottom and is quite thin ice at the top near the bubble. Still great climbing; really soft, easy ice that wil…
[Hide Photo] Mike Keegan topping out on Treasure Falls, a very warm Feb. afternoon, 2012.
[Hide Comment] When I climbed this in 1995, it was a beautiful pitch. Near the top, there was a fantastic "window" of ice inside which we could see water cascading. Beautiful, but dangerous, we tried to avoid climbing near this window. When going past the window, when we removed our picks, water started shooting out of the holes. Beware on this climb as there is a large volume of water flowing under the ice, some years it may be possible to fall through the ice and into the waterfall underneath.
Jan 23, 2002
[Hide Comment] Finally got on Treasure Falls this year. It is steeper and taller than usual. The left side is getting chopped out, yet is still stiff Grade 4. Lots of big dinner plates. The right side is a series of WI5 columns. The top is also thicker than most years. No worries of kicking through. The climb only gets sunhit in the late afternoon.
Feb 3, 2002
[Hide Comment] This is a full 200 foot pitch to the belay, so use two 60m lines to get off. There is a nice WI5 60 foot tall pillar at the top of Treasure Falls if it is in. It is well worth the extra credit.
Aug 9, 2007
[Hide Comment] There usually is a fixed anchor (tat) around the large pine on climber's left. It's handier than digging for anchors on other trees. Definitely a classic. My impression is that it appears foreshortened and easier than it always turns out to be!
Aug 28, 2008
[Hide Comment] Talked about climbing it for years, happened to be on a ski trip last weekend and got it, powder all day and also topped out on Treasure in the afternoon. Bigger than it looks, my measurements say 180' from the first swing to the rap tree. The tree had a single 6mm cordelette and 1 aluminum ring, wish we had something to make it better. We rapped without issue, but FYI it needs another ring and cordelette.
We didn't think the route was difficult, but the screws were questionable on the steep section, maybe too much sun? Nearly every screw made it to the running water
Feb 22, 2012
[Hide Comment] Great, steep climb. Do this one early in the season as it gets a lot of sun. The top is thin and delicate. Don't kick through the bubble like me.
Also, don't TR off the climber's left anchor. You can lead or follow on it (I recommend belaying from above), but it's really easy to get the rope stuck if TR'ing.
Mar 22, 2022
Avg: 3.2 from 20
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Boulder, CO
Pueblo, CO
Santa Fe, NM
CO
Winter Park CO
We didn't think the route was difficult, but the screws were questionable on the steep section, maybe too much sun? Nearly every screw made it to the running water Feb 22, 2012
Crestone, CO
Also, don't TR off the climber's left anchor. You can lead or follow on it (I recommend belaying from above), but it's really easy to get the rope stuck if TR'ing. Mar 22, 2022
Taos, NM