All Locations > Colorado > Leadville

Finback Crags Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Finback Crags

Emperor Wall, The 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4

Fortress, The 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Pyramid, The 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	12,000 ft
GPS:	39.19943, -106.19054 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	11,826 total · 99/month
Shared By:	Justin Talbot on Jul 2, 2014
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Description

Situated at 12,000 on the north side of Finback Knob in the Mosquito Range, these cliffs offer a good escape from the mid-summer heat of Leadville. The cliffs on Finback are up to 250 high and have a great alpine crag feel, perched above a stream and waterfall in the valley below. The routes here have been established over the last few summers, and care has been taken to make high quality anchors and judicious bolt placements. While few of the routes feel like sport climbs, most can be reasonably protected; at least a little loose rock exists on all climbs.

Getting There

-A Subaru Outback or other high clearance vehicle is recommended.

-Follow County Road 2 (California Gulch Rd, paved) until you reach CR 6 (right at Route of the Silver Kings sign, the dirt road over Long and Derry).

-Take CR 6 over Long and Derry, and 1/2 a mile past the large State Division of Wildlife signs, take the left road at the junction with a small house-shaped sign on a tree (left arrow on sign).

-Follow this narrow road until you reach a T-Junction and an old metal boiler in the bottom of Empire Gulch.

-Take a left up a rough road and park on the side of the road after driving about ½ a mile (at the end of a large clearing). The total drive time from Leadville is 30 minutes.

-Hike up the road and a discontinuous trail for 2 miles (50 minutes), and then hike straight up to the cliffs staying out of the loose boulderfields as much as possible.