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Our Life-long Tick List

Buff Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,145

Center route on the cyn pin.

George Bell · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 5,050

I'd suggest the MP classics list for my favorite areas:

East Face (Standard) 5.4 CO : Boulder : Flatirons
Upper Exum Ridge 5.5 WY : Grand Teton National Park : Grand Teton
Direct Route 5.6 R CO : Boulder : Flatirons
Southeast Buttress 5.6 CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows
High Exposure 5.6 NY : The Gunks : The Trapps
Snake Dike 5.7 R CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley
The Bastille Crack 5.7 CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP
Rewritten 5.7 CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP
Double Cross 5.7+ CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Hidden Valley Campground
Dark Shadows 5.8 NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon
Crimson Chrysalis 5.8+ NV : Red Rock : Juniper Canyon
Epinephrine 5.9 NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon
The Yellow Spur 5.9 CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP
The Nose 5.9 C2 CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley
Casual Route 5.10a CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock
Supercrack of the Desert 5.10 UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek
Stolen Chimney 5.10 UT : Moab Area : Fisher Towers
Incredible Hand Crack 5.10c UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek
Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome 5.12a/b CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley

I've done all of them except for High Exposure ... gotta get back to the Gunks!

Paul Davidson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 607

NE Arete route on Zoroaster - GCNP - or if really feeling it do the Screaming Sky Crack route for one of the most awesome settings for a hand crack. If want a pitch of real adventure, the SFace.
While the NE Arete has been done in 24 hours car to car, it's more like a 3-4 day adventure. Day in, day to climb, day out. Add another day for possible time. e.g. hike down to phantom the evening before then have a full day to get to the base camp.

If you only have a day to climb in Grand Canyon, then do Pegasus on Mt. Hayden.
Do Pegaus anyway, the 2nd pitch is very memorable and the summit is awesome.

If coconino sandstone (not IC sandstone) is unfamiliar, start in Sedona with some classics there. Mace, Dr. Rubos, Mars Attack. Finish on Earth Angel for the full day adventure. or Into the Wild if you want the upper grade challenge.

Coatamundi Whiteout or Candyland at Granite Mountain. While there do the Hot Line on the Nose. However you get there, do the Reunion finger crack. Climb one of the climbs over on the Face. Almost anything at Granite Mountain is classic.

Hit Cochise Stronghold. Climb on the west side for fun one pitch sport stuff (Sweet Rock, etc..) Do one or two of the Sheepshead routes for fun day of multi-pitch. Then over to the East side for more adventure stuff.
The Wasteland for a great day of multi pitch trad on aligator skin. Route finding can be tricky. And know the way off, not all that tricky but can turn a moderate day into an epic. Seemed pretty obvious to me once we were on it but apparently more than a few have had issues.

Most of the above recomendations from others all sound good to me.

Add in some southern San Juan peaks ?
Italian limestone, Cirque of Towers, etc... so much rock, so little time.

Pete Cutler · · Des Moines, IA · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 5

Assembly line at devils tower should make the list

Ross Moslander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 0

I didn't expect to get a list going half this size--thanks a ton to everyone who has chimed in. We'll give it a couple more days to see if anyone else has an opinion and then my wife and I will start to go through the list and decide on our final. I'll be sure to post it because I'm sure all of you are dying to know. Ha. Thanks again.

brent b · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 470

Man, this is a "list of a lifetime" people. Yes the yellow spur should be on there, but also think bigger!

How about climbs like the Lotus Flower Tower or the Beckey-Chouinard in the Bugaboos? Or the Rébuffat-Baquet in Chamonix? Bouldering in Fontainebleau, limestone sport in Wyoming and Thailand or how about something like the Torment-Forbidden Traverse in the Cascades? Dream big, leave Colorado!

Ben Mackall · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 1,823

^ +1,000,000

Buff Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,145

Fine, climb center route before you leave CO

Alex Joseph · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 15

Potential Canadian content...

Mt Sir Donald, NW Ridge, 5.4, Roger's Pass BC
Mt Edith Cavell, East Ridge, 5.3, Jasper National Park AB
Brewer's Buttress (+Ultra Brewers), 5.6, Castle Mtn, Banff National Park AB
Mt Assiniboine, North Ridge, 5.5, Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park BC
The Joy, Mt Indefatigable, 5.5, Kananaskis Country AB
Mt Gimli, South Ridge, 5.10a, Valhalla Provincial Park BC
Diedre/Squamish Buttress or Rock On to top of Chief or Grand Wall, Squamish BC
Pigeon Spire (+Becky Chouinard/Bugaboo/Snowpatch), 5.4, Bugaboos Provincial Park BC

and for kicks if you find yourself in the midwest/great lakes Discovery, 5.7 5p in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park ON (great views of Lake Superior and Isle Royale)

Norm Larson · · Wilson, Wy. · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 60

If you don't do the Beckey/Chouinard on the South Howzer your life as a climber will not be complete. It's that good. I've also done Lotus Flower Tower and while good and very beautiful the climbing on the B/C is way better. Spend some time in Tuolumne also to see how good granite can get.

Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804

Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger
Northeast Ridge on Bugaboo Spire
Moby Grape on Cannon Mountain

Hans Bauck · · Squamish, BC · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 2,099

This seems to have become a "good climbs" list instead of a "all climbers must do" list. Lots of stuff I haven't climbed, so I won't comment on any of that, but as for what I have climbed, here is my $0.02

Gunks Jesse wrote:High Exposure in the Gunks.
Not sure about this. An easy and nice climb in an area with many easy and nice climbs. Having said that, a trip to the Gunks is a must do, with many great climbs at a wide variety of grades.

HighAbove wrote:Any route on the South Face of Prusik Peak in WA.


Beautiful area, and a great climb, but not really a must do IMO. The north ridge of Stuart in the same area is a much better climb, and more worthy of must do status.

Chris C wrote:Outer Space in Leavenworth. 5.9 6 pitches. Great multi-pitch trad.
This is a great climb if for no reason than to experience the long final pitch on those weird knobs.

Abram Herman wrote:Epinephrine in Red Rocks, for sure.
+1

HighAbove wrote:Slesse!
I would agree, though more for the overall experience than for the quality of the climbing.

Ryan Watts wrote:Jedi Mind Tricks - Buttermilks (V4) Ironman Traverse - Buttermilks (V4)

For sure! I'd add Seven Spanish Angels (V6) and Suspended in Silence (V5) to the list. A Bishop bouldering trip is a must do.

Alex Joseph wrote:Mt Sir Donald, NW Ridge, 5.4
Yes!

Alex Joseph wrote:Grand Wall, Squamish
Definitely! There are many other uber-clssics in Squamish as well. Too many to mention. A trip to Squamish is a must do.

Alex Joseph wrote:Brewer's Buttress (+Ultra Brewers)
Alex Joseph wrote:Mt Assiniboine, North Ridge
A caveat. I would say that it is a must do to do some big climbs in the Canadian Rockies, those not necessarily these ones. The east ridge or the Greenwood-Jones on Mt Temple are two other recommendations. There are many more.

Alex Joseph wrote:Mt Gimli, South Ridge
+1

Dylan Cousins wrote:Sunshine Crack (Bugaboos), Becky-Chouinard
These are two of the best climbs I have ever done. A trip to the Bugaboos is a must do. First on my list from my experience. If these are too hard then do the north ridge of Bugaboo and the Snowpatch route. In fact, you should do those anyway.

I haven't been to Yosemite valley to climb, but I'm sure that should be on anyone's list. The Regular route on the NW face of Half Dome is very high on my need to tick list.

I would also add some sort of hardman offwidth thrutchfest. Pipeline (Squamish) comes to mind.
EricF · · San Francisco · Joined May 2012 · Points: 120

Soler, Seneca Rocks, WVA 5.7
Four Sheets to the Wind, New River Gorge, WVA 5.9+
Rye Crisp, City of Rocks Idaho 5.8

All great climbs, but long, long lists of other classics at these areas, all of these climbs are worth the trip on their own in my opinion.

Moderate Alpine

Petzoldt Ridge, Grand Teton, WY 5.7
The Snaz, Death Canyon, GTNP, 5.9
The CMC Route, Mt. Moran GTNP, 5.5
Skillet Couloir, Mt. Moran GTNP, Steep Snow
Durrance RIdge, Symmetry Spire, GTNP, 5.6, LINK UP with Ice Point and Storm Point for an even better day
Cassaval Ridge, Mt. Shasta CA, Moderate Snow 4th

Martin Harris · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2016 · Points: 200

I realize u said 5.10 but if u can muster a few feet of low end 5.11 I think fine jade is of the best easeier desert towns u could possible climb. That or perhaps jah man. They both offer fantastic position steep climbing and for the most part great protection on the harder climbing.

Christian Storms · · Tsumagoi, Gunma · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 2,870

I would consider expanding the list outside of the US. I was recently in Brazil and did some amazing climbing. Rio if you can believe it has great high exposure climbing. And then 2 to 3 hours outside the city and you are talking peaks of granite beyond Squamish.

Aaron Mojica · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 55

Ellingwood Arête on Crestone Needle in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo's. Really fun climb to a 14er summit

doligo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 269
Ross Moslander wrote: Neither of us will probably ever lead 5.12 trad or see the summit of Denali, but anything within the 5.10 and lower range is perfect.
Why not? West Butt is a walkup and there is always the Annunaki for a 5.12 trad (if you can call it that)...
Ryan Watts · · Bishop, CA · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 25
Zappatista wrote:It's funny to me that Red Rocks' ultra classics to most are Epi, Frogland and Birdland. There are so many other classics out here that are at least as good, if not better. I'd put trips to RRG, NRG, the Glass, the Bald, and Linville on your list as well. Specific routes are hard to say as there are so many damn good routes to do. Just get truckin' and go crazy. I can't think of half a dozen bad routes between all of those spots I listed.
That is true about all "ultra classics" at every climbing area ever.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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