Shale Shakedown

Start approximately one mile from the base of Factory Butte on the northeast side, near a small shale spire visible from the main Factory Butte road. From this point, identify a prominent shale ridge on the northeast aspect of the butte and follow it upward, staying on the ridges to reduce exposure to loose debris. About a quarter of the way up, veer slightly west off the ridge and traverse onto a boulder-filled talus slope. Scramble this third-class terrain up to the base of the sandstone cliffs, then traverse left (east) across hard-packed shale. Care is essential from this point forward—kick in steps as a slip on this steep slope could result in a significant slide/tumble. Upon reaching the eastern corner of Factory Butte, where the north and east aspects meet, continue kicking steps along the base of the cliffs as you move south.

When you reach the southeast aspect, ascend a series of fourth-class broken shale bands to access the first climbable sandstone layer. The first pitch is a 5.6 chimney, which leads to another talus slope. From here, bypass a couple of easy but chossy options, and continue upward to the top of the talus slope. At this point, tackle a 50-foot 5.9 offwidth crack, using heel-toe techniques and hand-fist stacks to gain the next section of talus. For the final stretch, while there is an easier walk-up option, climbers seeking more challenge can ascend a 30-foot right-facing finger and hand crack rated at 5.8 to officially top out on the caprock.

The descent involves walking back to the top-out point and heading approximately 300 feet west to locate a 5.4 downclimb. After this, proceed directly south to the next cliff band, about 100 feet east of the offwidth pitch top-out. Look for a chimney with webbing slung around a large chockstone, where a 35-meter rappel will drop you to a point where downclimbing leads back to the contact with the unstable Mancos shale. Carefully retrace your ascent route to return to the start. This route is a mix of technical climbing and delicate route-finding through shale terrain, requiring experience and confidence in varied conditions.

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Climbers attempting this route may bring climbing gear for the technical pitches, though the route has been soloed. Recommended gear includes 2–3 #4 cams, a #5 cam, and smaller cams like a #0.4 and #2 for the final crack sections. A 35-meter rope is nice to have to avoid any legitimate x-rated downclimbing.