All Locations > Colorado > CO Ice & Mixed > Vail Ice

Rigid Designator Amphitheatre Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Rigid Designator Amphitheatre

L › R R › L A › Z

	"Dolly Madison" S M6
	7th Chakra T,S WI5- M8+
	7th Testicle T,S WI5- M6+
	Aberrant Behavior aka LoweKey Lunacy WI6+ M7
	After 8 T M8+ PG13
	Amphibian T WI5 M9
	Built for Comfort S M9
	Choss Corner S M5+
	Cupcake Corner S WI4-5 M5
	Czech Route (aka unknown) S M10
	Divide S M7+
	Dr. Delicate T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c WI5 M6+ PG13
	Fang, The T WI5-6
	Fatman and Robin M9
	Flying Fortress, The S M13
	For The Ladies S M8-9
	Fuck The System S M10-
	Godzilla T WI5 M8
	Hooded Cobra M8
	Hurt Locker S M8
	Little Higher S M8-
	Lucky S WI5 PG13
	Octopussy T WI6 M8 R
	Outsiders, The T WI5+ M7 R
	Pitch Black T WI4 M9 R
	Psychotic Behavior T WI6 M7+ PG13
	Queen Cobra/Queen Cobra Extension S M10
	Red Beard S M12
	Red Bull and Vodka S M11
	Reptile T WI4 M9-10
	Resurrection WI5-6 M8-
	Rigid Designator T WI5-
	Rigid Designator Steps, The T WI4 M6
	Saphira S M14-
	Seventh Tentacle T WI5 M6
	Somnambulist T WI/AI? M9-
	Steel Balls S M9
	Superfortress S M13
	Tatranka M7
	Teriebel Traverse T WI6 M6 PG13
	Thang aka Frigid Inseminator, The T WI5+ M5+ R
	Timid Resignator T WI4-5 M8- R
Unsorted Routes:

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Elevation:	8,855 ft
GPS:	39.64212, -106.33005 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By:	Chris Zeller on Nov 29, 1999 · Updates
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Description

Vail's Rigid Designator Area is arguably the most famous ice climbing area in Colorado. Although the climbs here are not the longest or hardest in the state, the combination of aesthetic beauty, difficulty, route density, and accessibility make this the premier spot to push your climbing to a new level, regardless of your ability level. Indeed, it was on these climbs that pioneers pushed climbing to new levels in defining pure waterfall and mixed climbing as a sports of their own. Octopussy, Jeff Lowe's M8 testpiece, is just to the right of the Designator (a world-famous climb in and of itself). The area boasts a variety of slabby ice sheets, incredible ice pillars, and moderate to heinously difficult mixed climbs. Despite the amount of activity in the area, new routes are still being done on the overhanging rock and thin smears of ice that occasionally form above. All of the climbs here are single pitch sport-ice climbs with excellent anchors at the tops of the climbs. All the climbs can be toproped, although leading them first is the only reasonable way of getting to the tops of most of the climbs.

Getting There

Take I-70 West out of Denver to Vail Ski Area. Find a legal parking spot. Don't walk on the cross country ski tracks.

Per Austin Gardner: from the Pumphouse parking area, walk east along the Frontage Road to the junction of the Frontage Road and Aspen Lane. Continue east on Aspen Lane for a short distance, and take the first right turn onto Aspen Court. At the end of this cul-de-sac is a trailhead providing access to the cross-country ski trails on the golf course. Cross the creek on a footbridge, and immediately turn left (east) on the signed climber's trail.

Follow the trail as it crosses the golf course and then heads east to the right of the prepared track. After a few minutes of walking, the trail leaves the valley floor and executes a rising traverse into the drainage below the Rigid Designator, directly opposite Booth Creek. Continue on the trail as it climbs to the base of the Designator and Fang. You'll gain about 550 feet on the approach.

L->R:

work in progress, please be patient

A. The Outsiders, WI5+ M7 R, 1p, 120', gear.

B. Psychotic Behavior, WI6 M7+ PG-13, 1p, 110', gear.

C. Dr. Delicate, 8 WI5 M6+, 1p, 100', bolts & gear.

above C. After 8, M8 PG-13, 1p, 100', gear & bolts.

D. Teriebel Traverse, WI 6, M6-7?, PG-13, 1p, 120', gear, ice screws, a Spectre.

E. Pitch Black, WI4-5 M9, 1p, bolts.

F. Aberrant Behavior aka LoweKey Lunacy, WI6+ M7, 1p, 100', gear & screws.

G1. Rigid Designator, WI4-5, 1p, 115', screws.

G2. Timid Resignator, WI4-5 M8- R, 1p, 125', screws & gear.

H1. Somnambulist, M9?, 1p, bolts, gear, and screws.

H2. Resurrection, WI4-5 M7-8, 1p, 90', gear & screws.

I. Divide, M7+, 1p, 100', bolts.

J. Unknown, 1p, bolts.

K. Little Higher, M8-, 1p, 100', bolts.

L. 7th Chakra, M8+, 1p, 100', bolts & screws.

M. 7th Testicle, WI5- M6+, 1p, 85', bolts & screws.

N. Seventh Tentacle, WI5 M5, 1p, bolt, gear, & screws.

above N. Octopussy, M6-8, 2p, 150', bolts & gear.

above N. Reptile, WI5 M9-10, 1p, bolts.

O. Little Thang, WI5 M6, 1p, bolts & screws.

above N. Lucky, WI5+ M9?, 1p, 120', bolts.

P. The Fang, WI5-6, 1p, 135', screws.

RO. Cupcake Corner, M5, 1p, 70', bolts.

R. "Dolly Madison", M6+, 1p, 85', bolts.

SR. Tatranka, M7, 1p, 80', bolts.

TP. Queen Cobra/Queen Cobra Extension, M11-, 1p, 115', bolts.

T. Hooded Cobra, M8-, 1p, 80', bolts.

U. Red Bull and Vodka, M11, (P1 M8+), 2p, bolts.

V2V1UTP. Superfortress, M13, 1p, 115', bolts.

V1. Red Beard, M12, 1p, 115', bolts.

V2V1+. The Flying Fortress, M13, 1p, 115', bolts.

V2. Amphibian, WI 5+ M9 (P1 WI5 M8), 2p, 105', bolts.

WV. Godzilla, WI5 M8, 1p, 105', bolts & screw.

X. Steel Balls, M9, 1p, 70', bolts.

Y. Fuck The System, M8-9, 1p, bolts.

Z Saphira, M15-, 1p, 70', bolts.

AA. Czech Route (aka unknown), M10, 1p, 120', bolts.

BB. For the Ladies, M9, 1p, 85', bolts.

CC?. Project.

DD. Built for Comfort, M9, 1p, 85', bolts.

EE. Fatman and Robin, M9, 2p, gear & bolts.

FF. Little Higher, M7+, 1p, bolts.

GG. Hurt Locker, M8, 1p, 40', bolts.

HH. Choss Corner, M6, 1p, 40', bolts.

42 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Rigid Designator Amphitheatre

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

WI5-6 70 ● The Fang Trad, Ice
WI5- 159 ● Rigid Designator Trad, Ice
WI5 M6 62 ● Seventh Tentacle Trad, Mixed, Ice
WI5+ M5+ R 44 ● The Thang aka Frigid Inseminator Trad, Mixed, Ice
WI5 M9 38 ● Amphibian Trad, Mixed, Ice 2 pitches
WI5 M8 6 ● Godzilla Trad, Mixed, Ice
WI4-5 M5 77 ● Cupcake Corner Sport, Mixed, Ice
M11 19 ● Red Bull and Vodka Sport, Mixed 2 pitches
M9 5 ● Fatman and Robin Mixed 2 pitches
M6 52 ● "Dolly Madison" Sport, Mixed
WI5- M6+ 31 ● 7th Testicle Trad, Sport, Mixed, Ice
M9 6 ● Built for Comfort Sport, Mixed
WI6 M8 R 12 ● Octopussy Trad, Mixed, Ice 2 pitches
M10 17 ● Queen Cobra/Queen Cobra Extension Sport, Mixed
M14- 4 ● Saphira Sport, Mixed