[Hide Comment] Lots of loose rock near the anchors, make sure to bring a helmet. Fossils were visible on the third pitch. There is a short walk on the ledges between the first 4 pitches that make this take a little bit longer to climb. Climbing is just OK, but the view on the climb makes up for it.

When I went up, there were extremely strong winds that made the easy climbing on this more fun. Oct 31, 2016

[Hide Comment] We stayed in the nearby town of Choteau, a scenic 40 minute drive from Blackleaf Canyon that is navigable by passenger car. On our first day the wind was calm, but it was near freezing (last week of October). The approach is a super easy 5-10 minute walk, but allocate ample time to find the first bolt. White spots on the limestone cliffs make the bolts nearly invisible. After deciding to bail at the top of the 3rd pitch (we got started too late) we went back to the hotel. The next day, we arrived at sunrise and enjoyed watching the light move across the surrounding peaks and cliffs as we made our way to the bottom of the first pitch. Conditions the second day were very different. While there was little cloud cover and it was about 10 degrees warmer, winds were ~40 mph sustained with gusts up to 60 mph that rapidly and unpredictably changed direction. This slowed our ascent significantly, allowing the stronger 2 of 4 in our group to finish the 4th pitch, then promptly beginning a miserable, slow descent due to the wind tangling our ropes. If you don't bring the right gear, your ascent could be cold or downright dangerous. The route isn't super great but like Joe said, the view is incredible. It feels alpine like when you get up on the cliff. Good luck finding the first bolt.

My Gear:
-Safety glasses- if your eyes are sensitive like mine, the cold wind could make seeing difficult even without the flying mini-choss

-HELMET!- the amount of choss is ridiculous. there were a few bowling ball sized rocks in addition to the never-ending choss on the belay/rappel ledges, so be careful when you reach the top, are belaying, rappelling, or pulling ropes.

-Pants- I wish I had worn long underwear. wear abrasion-resistant clothes (I ripped my Patagonia down jacket)

-top- I wore a synth-down under a military surplus BDU coat. it protected me well from the razor-sharp rock

-balaclava- the wind was brutal

-camera- Blackleaf is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been Nov 9, 2016

[Hide Comment] Fun place to get some good exposure. Great view of the canyon and people hiking or hunting will wave at you. Did it in gusts up to 55-60mph which made the 5.8 a really fun climb. Check the weather before you go because it can get pretty windy in the canyon. Tons of choss so bring your helmet!! Sometimes it's nice to get rid of rocks on the ledges where you belay from when there is no one underneath you so your belayer doesn't get a brick to the head. Went in October with a party of 4 but only 2 of us made it to the top of the 4th pitch (5.8)

Climbing is pretty great and the view makes it worth it. Also fun to bivy on top of the second pitch for a starlit night. Just clear choss above you if you're paranoid... Apr 14, 2017

[Hide Comment] Note: It's a very easy, straight forward walk off after the third pitch (AKA, you can go 5.4, 5.4, 5.7 and easily walk off). If you go to the top you can walk off or you can rap back to the top of 3 with a 70 -- it will reach! Jul 29, 2020

[Hide Comment] This climb is awesome, its not nearly as chossy as people say, esp. the last two pitches which were pretty choss free. Lower sections were far chossyer than the upper pitches.

FYI you need 14 draws if you want to do the last 5.9 pitch. May 17, 2021

[Hide Comment] We climbed this in July 2022. P4 was very chossy. At the belay, we dislodged a death block, and another close by was ready to go. Some holds I tested were ready to blow as well. Exercise great caution on this pitch. Aug 31, 2022

[Hide Comment] The beginning can be a little confusing! We accidentally started on the wrong route (listed in the guidebook for the area but currently not on mountain project) so when we got to the top of pitch 1 we spent a good 20 minutes looking for the next bolt. Ended up doing roughly a 60ft scramble and then traverse up and over to the right to get to get to the next anchors. It seemed there was a bit of scrambling in between each set of anchors, so be we didn't realize we messed up until the very end. We only climbed to the top of pitch 3 due to time constraints, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Even despite our error, the climbing was very easy and the view was breathtaking. The lower walkoff was a little sketchy due to the high amount of loose rock everywhere. Overall it was a beautiful, very relaxed climb with outstanding views. Aug 13, 2025