A bighorn sheep skull with the south and west faces of Notchtop Spire in the background.

All Locations > Colorado > Alpine Rock > RMNP - Rock > Notchtop

A bighorn sheep skull with the south and west faces of Notchtop Spire in the background.

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East Face of Notchtop, September 10, 2021.

The approach to Notchtop.

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Kurt Johnson

Oct 29, 2006

“A bighorn sheep skull with the south and west faces of Notchtop Spire in the background. ”

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A bighorn sheep skull with the south and west faces of Notchtop Spire in the background.

The approach to Notchtop.

Red line = approx. location of trail in. Blue line = beginning of ramp and climb from gully. Green = rappel route.

The lowest two rap anchors have been upgraded to stainless, modern bolts. In-line configuration pulls very easily, and the rope-grabbing v-notch is now off to the side.

First light on Notchtop.

Rap Route from Notchtop, from the West

A route overlay of Instant Clarification. This also clearly shows rap route. (Photo taken from upper tarn.)

The Direct South Ridge of Notchtop follows the left skyline to the summit.

Two Rivers Lake and Notchtop at sunrise.

Rap 3 of 4 down Instant Clarification's anchors.

On the Notch.

Descent from the left hand spire on Notchtop, both the 4th class downclimb (green) and rappel.

Scrambling around on the summit after doing the Spiral Route. Descent is to my right. Wicked cool summit!!!<br>
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Photo by Simon Thompson.

Paul approaching NotchTop mountain, September 22.

A pair of climbers at the top of Instant Clarification (rappel route).

Diana Laughlin heads up toward Notchtop Spire on her way to ski Ptarmigan Glacier.

The lowest two rap anchors have been upgraded to stainless, modern bolts. In-line configuration pulls very easily.

Notchtop Spire from the south.

Notchtop.

Second bolted rap station, ca 170 feet down from the first bolted rap station. Don't rap all the way to the large grassy ledge system at approx. 190 feet, where it looks like it would be a good place for a rap station (like we did). To the climber's left, there is a somewhat distinctive (?) pattern of rock - a triangular incut formation, as well as some dark horizontal gouges. FWIW, if this might be of any help for finding these anchors.

First bolted rap station, ca 120 feet down from the slung block on the summit. As other MP'ers have stated, go past the 3 pitons and rock strewn ledge to this anchor.

Snow conditions on Notchtop, June 6, 2015. Note cornice at top. Taken from north shoulder of Flattop Mtn.

The South face of Notchtop in very distorted conditions on 3-25-12.

Notchtop from Flat Top trail.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.

There's a three-piton rappel anchor right where the yellow arrow points in this photo -- this felt like a safer alternative than scrambling down to the rap anchors at the top of Instant Clarification. It's probably a 40-foot rap down to the Instant Clarification anchors from here.

Roland starting up the "original finish" after traversing directly right from the belay notch at the top of P2.

Rap 4 of 4 down Instant Clarification's anchors. The anchors are camoflauged, so you may have to search for them a bit.

Rap 3 of 4 down Instant Clarification's anchors.

Rap 2 of 4 down Instant Clarification's anchors.

Rap 1 of 4 down Instant Clarification's anchors. There is a higher rap from near the top of Notch Spire that you can use instead, but this is the one to use if you come in from the true summit.

The ramp leading down from the notch between Notch Spire and the summit to intersect the rappel route.

East Face of Notchtop, September 10, 2021.

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