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gonzo chemist
climber
a crucible
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 11, 2010 - 06:15pm PT
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Most of my climbing experience is from my time here in California; but some the most fun, scary, or inspired climbing days I've ever had have been in the Splatte on the Sheep's Nose, Bucksnort Slab, Sunshine Wall, Parachute Rock, Turkey Rocks, Squat Rock, or in Eleven Mile Canyon. Hell, some of the first slab climbing I've ever done was on The Dome. Generally awesome granite, and cracks and slabs-galore makes (in my opinion) the Platte one of the best under-the-radar climbing destinations in the U.S.
and there's got to be TONS of f.a. potential still there!
A couple of random photos from a few years ago...
The Dome
Sheep's Nose
leading Kirk's Corner on Squat Rock (before the closure)
buttshot of me on the 1st pitch of Lost in Space, Sheep's Nose. We ended up getting lost and wandering all over the damn formation, having no real idea where the climb goes. Got caught in a nice hail storm too...that was real fun.
Classic Dihedral
my buddy Mike Murphy on Higher Education on Squat Rock.
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taorock
Trad climber
Okanogan, WA
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Feb 11, 2010 - 06:22pm PT
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Two thumbs up. Nice mellow camping at Turkey Rocks too.
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bob
climber
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Feb 11, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
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I have no pics, but during the 90's when I was a raft guide we'd hit that place until the water got high then we'd hit it again for a month when the water went low and usually sneak off in between. Man I did some sh#t there that I would not do today....I think. Some of the best times all around I've had. The whole experience. We'd wonder around sometimes never finding what we set out for and it was never bad. Almost died of a lightning strike, but that's not the only place. So many splitters, slabs, mix, etc plus all the countryside!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow.
How about that Whimsical Dreams!!!! Sheet everything at Turkey Rocks!
Bob J.
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Dick Danger
Trad climber
Lakewood, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2010 - 07:00pm PT
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Right on Gonzo! Thanks for dishin' out some love to the Platte! Been my home stomping grounds for darn near 20 years or so now... Never a dull moment!
Heading up to the Cathedrals to do Center Route early Saturday morning. Good stuff! A "must do" for anyone in the neighborhood.
Tom
Good shot of Cynical Pinnacle:
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Feb 11, 2010 - 07:07pm PT
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Love Turkey Rocks! I'm on the East Coast and climbed there a few times with Jimmy Dunn. Really liked Drumstick Direct.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Feb 11, 2010 - 08:14pm PT
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Definitely a cool place. I did Childhood's End on Big Rock Candy Mtn. last year. 9 pitches of interesting face climbing with a tough crux area I ended up yarding thru on.
A view of the "60's Girl"
Looking down the 5.10d pitch up high on Childhood's End.
Turkey Rocks were nice too.
I found the rock a bit grainy on the Big Rock formation but I'd go back for sure.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Feb 11, 2010 - 09:55pm PT
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Nah, these guys got it all wrong.
It's all choss. . .stay home, the trips not worth it. . .
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Petch
Gym climber
knapsack crack
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Feb 11, 2010 - 10:33pm PT
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the platte is the only thing rad in "colo-not-so-rad-o"!
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Andy D
Trad climber
Colorado
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Feb 11, 2010 - 10:38pm PT
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At least its not in Cali-phony-a
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Feb 11, 2010 - 10:50pm PT
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Yeah- good thing it's not in Cali or it would never be bothered with. The choss lovers in the Rockies seem to like it but those who climb on real rock know better.
Andy D- too bad you have not been around to see what real quality stone is all about. Keep on chossing off.
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Jingy
Social climber
Nowhere
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Feb 16, 2010 - 10:51am PT
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Never been there, but I can appreciate the place with these pics...
good stuff
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Feb 16, 2010 - 04:44pm PT
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Bump for a magical area of the American west, and for more pictures.
11-mile is heaven for beginners.
Lost in Space was one of my favs in the S Platte.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 16, 2010 - 05:39pm PT
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OK...I'll bite.
Early ascent of Seamis (11b/c) back 1979.
FA of Psycho Babble 12b 1981
Pete Steres On Childhood End
FA of Doctor Dream 12c 1982 Rampart Range
5.10 crack...11 Mile Canyon
A very early ascent of Childhood End
FA of the Arms Race 5.12a/b 11 Mile Canyon
Dale Goddard on some crack
Richard Aschert drilling a new 12b we did on Tick Dome
Bouldering at Ute Pass
Mueller State Park
Mueller State Park
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Feb 16, 2010 - 08:05pm PT
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I wasn't aware of the closures in the Splatte! It's been years since I climbed there. I have really great memories of Topographical Oceans on Dome Rock. Climbed it in 1984 with Gary Molzan and Anne Carrier. Thought that the final crux was one of the most foot-painful pitches ever. About 60 feet of very tiny crystals, thin edges, and a few smears. It was originally called 5.11a, but it was then downgraded to 10b (?) I seem to recall. Anybody done it recently?
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Feb 17, 2010 - 07:30pm PT
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Classic Dihedral is another fine route. We were bombarded by some a**hole throwing bags of garbage from the top, and nearly wiped Gary off the rock.
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Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
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Feb 17, 2010 - 11:32pm PT
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Hiking into what we called Secret Valley last fall.....Deep in the South Platte
We wonder if these formations have been climbed as we hiked past
Our destination, 3.5 hours in.......we called it Secret
Crack
Yea the South Platte. We saw not a single other climber that long day...
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Feb 18, 2010 - 07:15am PT
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hey there say, all... man oh man... i love hearing about the south platte... never seen pictures... thanks so very much!...
also:
great pics, decko, (just saw yours last, rest have not all downloaded for me yet)...
saw levy's though...
wonderful share, here!...
also, thanks for the share, crimper, of the trip... :)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2010 - 07:22am PT
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Hey Bob D., if you use your feet where you have your hands Psycho Babble goes from 12b to 10c/d.
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k trout
Social climber
Golden, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2010 - 09:51am PT
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I thought I knew the South Platte until Mike Carr showed me this.
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा
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Feb 18, 2010 - 10:40am PT
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dummy domes, kitty litter rock & long approaches, nope there's nothing down there.
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Impaler
Trad climber
Munich
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Feb 18, 2010 - 10:51am PT
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Are June and July good for climbing at south platte or is it too hot?
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा
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Feb 18, 2010 - 11:37am PT
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Impaler, you can climb in either a t-shirt or a fleece during the summer, sometimes both in the same day.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 18, 2010 - 11:45am PT
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Tim..there is a new guide coming out by Fixed Pin...don't know when it will be in the stores. Huge project with so many different areas.
Donni...being a Gunks climber I never really learned how to use my feet.
Thanks for the advice. :)
You in Colorado?
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा
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Feb 18, 2010 - 11:55am PT
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What happened to the "Brown Book of Bullshit" at the Bucksnort?
Last time I was down there it was gone.
Did someone at Fixed Pin snatch it up for the new guidebook?
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ct
climber
CO
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Feb 18, 2010 - 12:13pm PT
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The Splatte is awesome. I think that Thunder Ridge has the most unique granite in the state. Awesome pink and brown stone with chickenheads, flakes, cracks, and seams.
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WallMan
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 18, 2010 - 02:33pm PT
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Decko - Secret Crack - can you say where it is and how hard?
Ken - what is the name of that route? Where is it?
We don't need to keep secrets, do we?
Impaler - most of us avoid the South Platte in the summer. Typically too hot. Lumpy, Vedauwoo, alpine routes in Rocky Mountain National Park, Independence Pass - better summer destinations.
Wally
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xkyczar
Trad climber
denver
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Feb 18, 2010 - 08:35pm PT
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Decko and Ken's pics are of the same crack.
Apparently it is pretty popular.
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Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
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Feb 19, 2010 - 12:10am PT
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The Mega Classic Ramblin Rose.....
Helens Dome/Acid Rock...
Yea there isn't much to climb here.........
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Feb 19, 2010 - 02:58am PT
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Thank heavens the Governor of Colorado didn't let the Army Corps of Engineers build that dam they wanted to erect back in the 80's. a lot of routes would have been unerwater.
Bruce
ps - welcome to Ken Trout. The consummate South Platte climber.
pps - Straw Turkey is the best route at Turkey Rocks, even better than Whimsical Dreams.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 19, 2010 - 09:19am PT
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Bruce...I don't think so.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Feb 19, 2010 - 09:36am PT
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Here's one from the wayback machine that I don't think I've posted before.
Summit of Cynical Pinnacle in 1971. Yep, that's a goldline.
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा
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Feb 19, 2010 - 09:51am PT
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Nice shot Larry, you can see the Bishop in the background, home of a couple of the finer cracks in the splatte.
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Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
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Feb 19, 2010 - 09:56am PT
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Yea Ken and I were on the same trip into Secret Crack for the first set of photo's, it has a name but I don't recall.
Mike, Ken, and Mikes brother Tom went in a week or two later and took the second picture.
I believe Crusher climbed the line but didn't finish it up high.......
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 27, 2010 - 05:50pm PT
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Big Rock...1984
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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Feb 28, 2010 - 02:14pm PT
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I'm with the Cali freaks. The platte is great in an otherwise useless state. I climbed Sheeps dare at Sheep nose it was nice. My late freind Chalie Dorfield and I summited a Dome via the Moon or something, The climbing is stellar... {for Colorado} it's definately not nearllly as good as cali and the weather sucks. Break down your camp each night or you might not have a warm place to sleep, as the theivery in Colorado is legendary. Just sayin' from an impartial hillbilly.
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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Feb 28, 2010 - 03:10pm PT
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Gonzo,
I started climbing back in the '80s in the splatte. Since then I've climbed all over the West (as far west as Australia) and Turkey, Sheeps nose, Pikes Peak and Cynical are still among my all-time favorite crags.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 28, 2010 - 03:32pm PT
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My god Chris that was years ago. Hope you and Laura are good? Would love to see you two again. I really had a lot of fun climbing with you.
Oh..the bouldering is sh#t too. LOL
Sky..mostly hillbillies doing the stealing.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Feb 28, 2010 - 04:02pm PT
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Hey Chiloe, are you renaming and moving around your Photobucket files, too? Your link is broken.
Fixed it!
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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Feb 28, 2010 - 04:36pm PT
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Bob,
That was indeed a long time ago. I'm starting to think we may be getting old. Laura and I are doing great. For now we have washed up on the shores of S.F. Bay, due to economic necessity but long term we'll probably wind up back in Colo. Hopefully we'll get together again.
Chris
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 28, 2010 - 06:35pm PT
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Chris...glad to hear you and Laura are well. Our oldest lives in the Mission District and plays music around town...he just played Noise Pop. You should check out his band...Tiny Television.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Feb 28, 2010 - 10:22pm PT
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The Platte is a bit spread out and the approachs tend to be long and quite steep!
I started climbing in the South Platte in the early 70's and never tired of it.
We were the Evergreen gang and had quick access to the Foxton/Pine area. We sure picked some Plums down there!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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I don't recall who took this picture ... it shows Tom Gries belaying a much younger Chiloe,
who is headed up the Bishop Offwidth armed with tube chocks (1975).
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cowpoke
climber
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Great thread.
The pics of Cynical Pinnacle remind me of one of the days I spent there, likely a couple decades after Chiloe's summit shot was taken. With a couple years of climbing experience, I'd convince myself (and partner) that I was ready for Wunsch's Dihedral. Huffing and puffing up the easier pitches before the crux, we sat for perhaps an hour in that little belay alcove debating who should lead that oh-so-intimidating crux pitch.
Walking back down the steep approach, a fellow who had witnessed our shameful retreat says to me, "You didn't belong up there." It stung, but he was right...which was precisely why it was so darn fun trying.
I don't have any pictures from that day, but here are a couple lousy shots from a much easier (i.e., in my league) climb -- Gobbler's Grunt at Turkey -- a few days before we tried Wunsch's.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Walking back down the steep approach, a fellow who had witnessed our shameful retreat says to me, "You didn't belong up there."
Ouch! I'm glad there were few witnesses to most of my shameful retreats.
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cowpoke
climber
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Sadly we can't climb on Cynical Pinnacle until August now due to raptor closures.
That was true in the early 90's too (somebody here will know when it started), but never seemed to be an inconvenience; the wait just added to the aura and so many other splatte routes to get scared on in the meantime.
Speaking of, here is my not so subtle effort at getting more pics out of Ken Trout. I know I'm not the only one who spent many a shaky moment marveling at your FA skills on those domes. Thanks so much.
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Forest
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Man, this looks so much like Cochise. I'm drooling (having just moved from Tucson to Denver last fall.)
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gonzo chemist
climber
a crucible
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2010 - 07:31pm PT
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Gobbler's Grunt! that route's a hoot! That was one of my first routes at Turkey as well.
Later in the day my partner led Great White Crime. I got worked just top-roping the damn thing. I couldn't believe it.
Vanishing Point has been high on my list of things to climb at Turkey Rocks for a while now...
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Aurora Colorado
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bump
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Break down your camp each night or you might not have a warm place to sleep, as the theivery in Colorado is legendary.
Bwahahaha . . . Yeah right, nobody will steal your sh#t in Cali.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Oh yeah, really nice photos everyone!
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 17, 2016 - 06:21pm PT
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 17, 2016 - 06:24pm PT
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Oct 17, 2016 - 08:05pm PT
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 30, 2018 - 12:22pm PT
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Bumpin this cuz I stumbled on to it and got immediately homesick.
The Splatte is a place where you can find rock that has seen more nature than humanity, that's nice.
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domngo
climber
Canada
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Aug 30, 2018 - 12:56pm PT
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South Platte at the end of oct/November is pretty frigid, yea? Are folks still climbing there at that time?
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 30, 2018 - 01:03pm PT
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Totally depends on the weather, you can have blue sky warm days, days after a freak storm. You'll be jamming up some splitter and you get to the part that stays shady all the time, crack turns to ice runnel and you wish you had a few screws and your pick. Had to back off a few like that.
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domngo
climber
Canada
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Aug 30, 2018 - 01:20pm PT
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Thanks. Wondering If I should include it into this falls desert ramblings as a side adventure...been on the list too long!
Love the classic shots from the wonder years from Bob D'A upthread
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nafod
Boulder climber
State college
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Aug 30, 2018 - 01:57pm PT
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Something in Eleven Mile Canyon, taken about 20 years ago on a week-long visit to the Rockies. Slabbish easy route, but beautiful setting and fun day.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Aug 30, 2018 - 06:58pm PT
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South Platte! That place was my backyard for a few years back in the early 1990s. Loved Turkey Rocks! Free soloed a bunch of slabs to 5.8 in the Platte, can't remember where.
The last time I was there, we climbed in shorts and T-shirts in glorious weather, and woke up in my truck the next morning to 6 inches of snow.
Bucksnort Saloon anyone?????
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Aug 30, 2018 - 09:33pm PT
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Wow! How many different areas are there in the area? Like how many different crags or outcroppings? 100 routes? 10? more? Looks delicious. Ranging from 5.8? to 5.??
Arne
edit-just looked it up on Mtn Project which credits around 2000! routes in the area. I had no idea, thought there was just a few climbs along the river.
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Don Paul
Social climber
Washington DC
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Aug 31, 2018 - 06:03am PT
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Thx Zoid for that correction.
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Zoid
Trad climber
West Creek, CO
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Aug 31, 2018 - 07:21am PT
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^^^^^^^^
Picture above is not Turkey Perch. It is the back (north) side of Turkey Tail.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Just a Bump for one of my favorite areas.
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okay, whatever
climber
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A great area, that I remember from the early-mid 1970's. I went to CC in Colorado Springs 1972-1976, and Earl Wiggins and John Sherwood and Steve Hong and Ed Webster and Bryan Becker were all there, and Jim Dunn and Stewart Green and Kurt Rasmussen and others, occasionally. Muff Cheyney's shop was the Colorado Springs equivalent of Steve Komito's in Estes Park, in those days. Duncan Ferguson was the main boot/shoe repair worker at Komito's in Estes... along with Doug Snively... and Michael Covington ran the Fantasy Ridge climbing school out of that location, as well.Though I also remember 1970, when Komito's shop was on north Broadway, in Boulder. Anyway, the Turkey Rock complex had some great climbing... some of it fun and reasonable, and some of it pretty hard!
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Sonic
Trad climber
Golden, Co
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Love the Splatte!
Been working in a new 7 pitch line on Big Rock Candy MTN that meets into the top of Rotten Teeth (for now). It's coming in about 12-
One pitch left to put in and she'll be ready to go!
We found evidence of previous people up to p2.5. I believe Lee Marsh had put it up as an aid climb. Lots and lots of dirt in the crack and friable rock (clean now)!
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Hey Sonic,
I was your Secret Santa last year.
Did you get your gift?
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 29, 2018 - 06:43pm PT
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