Tips for family top roping in Wichita Mountains?

Hi there,

We've been taking the family to the gym for a while and have finally bought the gear and gotten some basic knowledge of building top rope anchors so we can do some outdoor climbing together. We have hiked around the Wichita Mountains before but never climbed there.

This site is helpful but a lot of it is geared toward sport and trad climbers, even for those routes that are listed as TR climbs. We're looking for suggestions for good locations to do some top rope climbs. We need areas with short approaches for little legs; a decent number of easy routes; walk-up or safe scramble *without* trad protection to set up a top rope anchor; and bolts or other features to set up a top rope anchor with slings etc. but no trad gear.

We would welcome any suggestions and other advice for noobs heading to this area. Thanks!

Thank you! I have the equipment for that and trust my ability to use it a lot more than if I went out and got a bunch of trad gear I don't currently have any idea what to do with.

Is anyone familiar enough with the Meat Slab area to suggest what equipment would be needed for setting up top rope there?

To be honest, the Wichitas is not really a good place to start out, since there are almost no bolts there and even the short approaches like upper Mt. Scott can be kind of sketchy for children (not sure how old yours are). To climb at the Wichitas, you really kind of need to know how to use trad gear or at least be experienced with using boulders as natural pro and setting equalized anchors, etc.

Have you ever been to Mineral Wells? It has a very short, easy approach, and there are many bolts for setting top rope anchors that are easily accessible. The bolts are kind of far away from the cliff edge, so you'll still need long webbing and the knowledge of how to set a redundant, equalized anchor.. but it'll be a lot easier to start out there! The Wichitas is admittedly better scenery, though. :)

Mineral Wells sounds pretty rad, unfortunately for this trip on Saturday we're coming from 4 hours north of the WIchitas for a one-day trip, so going 2 hours further south would make it impossible.

Based on a few tips I think we're going to try upper & lower mount scott, and zoo wall and meat slab in the narrows. I've got slings and webbing and some basic understanding about using bolts for anchors and slinging natural protection. I hiked up to the top of zoo wall before I knew anything about climbing so I'm hoping to make it up and hook up to some bolts up there.

Also based on helpful feedback here and elsewhere, we're going to go down there with a willingness to give up on climbing for this round and simply enjoy the wildlife and scenery like we have in the past. If we manage to find just a few places where it's well within our competence to set up an anchor and climb, that will be a bonus :)

We're in a "rush" to try it out this week because my wife isn't going to be able to make it up with us before the fall and is hoping to try some climbing, but after this week I plan on coming back with another climbing partner and without the kids. Then we can do more hiking and scouting things out, and will hopefully be able to hook up with someone to help us learn to safely place pro so we can bring others for a good time.

-Jared

Jared, Have a great time. I love the refuge... has been our favorite place to take our kids and now our grandkids.
Be creative.
Charons Gardens is loaded with shorter climbs.
I don't know how old your kids are or at what level they climb but simply seek adventure with gear in your pack and you will surely find it!
Cheers,
r

The only route on Upper or Lower Mount Scott with a bolted anchor is High Anxiety. You could probably sling a boulder to TR something else, but it won't be ideal.

I also think Zoo Wall is a bad idea because it's such a crowded and prominent wall. In my opinion, it's bad form to roll in and set up a TR family circus on the most popular wall in Oklahoma.

I suggest Meat Wall, as someone else said, or Tiny Bubbles. Both of these would be more appropriate choices.

mountainproject.com/v/tiny-…

Ah yeah, my mistake for assuming everyone who goes to the Wichitas comes from the same area as I do.. ha. Mineral Wells is not cool enough to drive several hours, but there's a place called Robber's Cave in Oklahoma that is similar to Mineral Wells. It also has a short, easy approach and easy to find cliffs and climbs. It doesn't have bolts at the top, but it does have lots of trees to anchor from. They are far away from the cliff as well, so you'll need lots of long webbing.

As far as this weekend, yeah I think upper and lower Scott would be your best bet. Meat slab and tiny bubbles will probably be hard to find and set top ropes, IMO. Finding the bolts for High Anxiety would be a good place to start. Good luck!

I see the point on zoo wall, I can always check that out on the subsequent no-kids trip. Family Circus is an accurate way to describe our party :) We will definitely check out meat wall and scott. I don't know if we'll make our way all the way to charon's garden to try tiny bubbles but it does look nice.

I really appreciate all the info from everyone, I know we're going to have a blast and be safe tomorrow.

-Jared

Go work the Meat Slab.

Easy fun approach, a river to distract the kids, and easy climb to set the top rope. I've not set up the TR there, we most times I just free soloed the lines. It shouldn't be too complex as that is the place is straight up your ally.

Upper Mount Scott would be a 2nd choice. The TR setups will be a little more complicated, as the top of the cliff can be maze like.

Tiny Bubbles isn't worth the walk unless you've got a pack of boy scouts that you want to wear out. Routes there are one move, and then easy 5.3 slab to the top.

On upper mount Scott. It is possible to set up Yee Haw 5.7 using the trees as an anchor. Simply Red a good 5.8 also has a bolted anchor, (expect to spend 10-20 minutes looking for it ;) It also can serve as an anchor for Kingfisher Caravan another good 5.8. Enjoy.

I say "family circus" because I'm one of six kids. I know the routine!

Just wanted to thank everybody for the input, we had an awesome time. Unfortunately The Narrows was closed for burning. We spent some time honing our anchor building and abseiling on an unnamed 10 foot ledge, let the kids do some 5-foot-high abseiling which was the highlight of the day for them. Checked out lower mount scott but the approach made me too nervous to take the smaller kids down, at least while there was so much wet rock and mud on the switchbacks. But on upper mount scott we managed a bomber TR anchor for Atomic Knee Drop (5.6) by slinging two boulders with two 30' strands of tubular webbing and clipping in two shoulder length slings. The guidebook map and pictures definitely helped finding my way around upper mt scott, and some helpful climbers in the area helped more. My wife and I enjoyed climbing and abseiling on that while the kids wound up more interested in scrambling around the boulders at the bottom. Then everybody needed a potty break so we went back to town and hit olive garden. Towing around the whole family slowed things down but it was more than enough adventure for everyone!

I'm looking forward to coming back with some grown-ups on the next free saturday, revisiting lower mt. scott and checking out zoo wall. Using slings and webbing definitely limits things but there are still enough options to have a blast :)

Next time... go to Meers... get a burger. You'll thank me. They have awesome ice cream and cobbler too. Nothing there but the burger place, so you know it has to be good or they wouldn't be open.