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Cactus Drop

5.10d, Sport, 70 ft (21 m),  Avg: 3.1 from 194 votes
FA: unknown
Colorado > Canon City > Shelf Rd > Sand Gulch > Contest Wall

Description

This route is located to the right of "Little Mecca" and to the left of "Regroovable". This route is one of the newer routes in the area, and may seem soft for the rating compared to some of the old school climbs near by.

Follow the shallow crack to a bulge, and work your way to the left. Some of the holds are hard to spot from below. They are also alittle sharp as the name suggests. This is probably one of the top three 5.10s on the Contest Wall.

Protection

7 bolts

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Sand Gulch, Contest Wall.
[Hide Photo] Sand Gulch, Contest Wall.
Climber, Alex Jin, pulling up and under at the thin crux.
[Hide Photo] Climber, Alex Jin, pulling up and under at the thin crux.
Kai Huang on Cactus Drop, 10d, Shelf Road, CO. Photo by Phill Tearse.
[Hide Photo] Kai Huang on Cactus Drop, 10d, Shelf Road, CO. Photo by Phill Tearse.
Original homemade anchor hangers/chains on Cactus Drop (bed frame?). I didn't bring a camera on the climb - these were replaced with modern hangers and links + hooks.
[Hide Photo] Original homemade anchor hangers/chains on Cactus Drop (bed frame?). I didn't bring a camera on the climb - these were replaced with modern hangers and links + hooks.
Tristin Crane, 12 yrs.
[Hide Photo] Tristin Crane, 12 yrs.
The route.
[Hide Photo] The route.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Anonymous Coward
[Hide Comment] Actually Cactus Drop is one of the old routes on this crag. Regroovable is fairly new. Sep 30, 2003
Guy H.
Fort Collins CO
  5.10d
[Hide Comment] AC, you are correct. I checked the old Van Horn guide book, and Cactus Drop was put up before 1990. Sep 30, 2003
Michael Amato
 
[Hide Comment] Varied climbing with great bolt placement... pockets, edges, flakes, underclings and even a finger jam! Great body positions and a very thin crux. Excellent route. 6 bolts. Oct 18, 2004
Derek Lawrence
  5.10d
[Hide Comment] There are 7 bolts on this route. (The bottom bolt is visible but not marked in the photo above). Really fun route! Apr 21, 2008
Wiled Horse
 
[Hide Comment] So good I had to do a few runs on it. One of the best of its grade I have done anywhere. May 3, 2010
richard magill
 
[Hide Comment] Nice line. May 10, 2010
Joshua1979
Colorado Springs, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Superb line. Go do this one. Mar 20, 2011
brat .
Salt Lake City, UT
[Hide Comment] For my 5'3" self, I thought this one was harder than Regroovable next to it! Mar 18, 2013
Jordan Hirro
Carbondale
 
[Hide Comment] Such a fun route. After the 4th or 5th bolt comes the thin, super fun crux. A must do. Dec 22, 2013
S E
[Hide Comment] Feels harder than Regroovable to me. Oct 4, 2018
Alex Costakis
Denver, CO
  5.10d
[Hide Comment] The moves aren't quite as hard as Regroovable, but it might be a tougher onsight. Oct 29, 2018
Greg Barnes
  5.10d
[Hide Comment] Homemade anchor hangers replaced, and hooks added, 10/16/22.

Hardware supplied by the ASCA - please consider making a donation! Safeclimbing.org. Oct 17, 2022