Climbing Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore area - need info and partners

Hi everyone. I'm Barb (wife of Dallas R). I am the lead climber in the family. I'm good leading 5.6/5.7. I've just started trad climbing but don't want to climb anything harder than a 5.5 just yet. Today we climbed Hitching Post rated 5.5 at Custer State Park, Needles Hwy, and all was good. Then we went to the trad Conn route on Aquarium rock 5.3. No way that was a 5.3! Hitching post was much easier at 5.5. Can anyone recommend one pitch trad routes 5.5 or easier??? Also, I would love to climb some 5.8 routes if I can get a partner who will lead. So if you are looking to climb some 5.8 or 5.9 and will lead, contact us. We can belay your lead climbs and will do so for harder routes too, as long as you help us out and lead some 5.8/5.9. We work at Mt Rushmore Fri, Sat, Sun so Mon thru Thurs we are available for climbing. Thanks.

Hey I have been hijacked, just kidding, 31 years married what's hers is hers what's ours his hers and what's mine is hers. But kidding aside we would love to climb with someone who is a little more experienced than we are.

We are a little behind the power curve branching out into mult-pitch trad.

The grade will feel different if it's a different type of climbing 5.3-5.5 friction can feel as hard as 5.6-5.7 face climbing if you aren't used to it. If you want a very solid moderate climb, I'd recommend Sharks Breath located on the Sharks Fin in the South Seas area. It's bolted, so it will help you get accustomed to the grade without sweating the pieces popping. That 5.7 is more face/crystal climbing. Then there is a wicked 5.8 a couple of formations back called Damn the Torpedo's. You'll swear it's 5.9+ because it's more friction. The Needles are infamous for being a bit sandbagged as well. I've been on some X rated routes there that will terrify you! :)

The Hitching Post, as far as I know, is 5.0, and Aquarium really is 5.3, so it would seem harder than Hitching Post.

Needles Eye: Moraine spire has a 5.4 route on the East Face.

Outlets: Old People's Dome (from the West) 5.2. The Inner Outlet has a Conn Route at 5.4, up the second big chimney on the SE face.

Switchbacks: Moby Dick has four routes from 5.1 to 5.5. The Cold Spot has a 5.5 Conn route on the East side.

Tenpins: Podunk pinnacle has a 5.5 Mark Powell route on the West side.

Cathedral Spires: The Conn route on Spire 2 is 5.3. The Conn Route on Spire 1 is one of the Needles classics at 5.5. Thunder Rock has a 5.5 starting on the NE corner. Spire 4 (highest point in the Cathedrals) from the 3-4 saddle is 5.4. The West Gruesome has a 5.3 Conn route starting in the chimney between the West Gruesome and the South Tower of Spire 4.

Picket Fence: The Conn route on the Sickle is 5.3 (sixty year-old bolts if they haven't been replaced) and the Conn route on the Tricky Picket is 5.5.

Dallas/Barb:

How long will you be there? I'll be there with a group of friends in the middle of September. You'd be welcome to climb with us.

Ryan

inner course
hrum hroom
riddle (mixed)
trail of teeth (then top rope the guardian face)

these are all easy routes in the sylvan lake area worth checking out.

Ryan Sommers wrote:Dallas/Barb: How long will you be there? I'll be there with a group of friends in the middle of September. You'd be welcome to climb with us. Ryan

Thanks Ryan, we will be here until September 27th. Let us know when you are arriving in the area.

WyomingSummits wrote:The grade will feel different … The Needles are infamous for being a bit sandbagged as well…

We have gained a lot of respect for the Conn’s. Some routes seem easier than the stated grade, and as you pointed out some will terrify you.

WyomingSummits wrote:if it's a different type of climbing 5.3-5.5 friction can feel as hard as 5.6-5.7 face climbing if you aren't used to it.

We thought we had friction climbing pretty well down climbing in Moab area. This is still different, sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn’t. Still learning. But we are really liking pinching the quartz nodules, won’t replace a good jug, but works well for balancing and will often help stick a foot when you would swear it wouldn’t hold.

WyomingSummits wrote:… Sharks Breath located on the Sharks Fin in the South Seas area….Then there is a wicked 5.8 a couple of formations back called Damn the Torpedo's. :)

We were close to Sharks Fin, climbed Second Hand Rose and loved it.

rgold wrote:The Hitching Post, as far as I know, is 5.0, and Aquarium really is 5.3, so it would seem harder than Hitching Post. .

We have done hitching post twice. Last year only Barbara sat on top, afraid there wasn’t enough room for both of us, this year we both sat up there and watched the buses come through the tunnel.

We have made two runs at the Conn route on Aquarium rock. First time got dreadfully off route, the second time got the heeby jeebies trying to do the traverse at the start of the second pitch, just not trusting our trad placements enough. I am not sure how we are going to get over that. It’s been a bit of a crux for our movement into the trad world.

I have added the rest of your suggestions to my tick list. Thanks for the advice.

Wilson On The Drums wrote:inner course hrum hroom riddle (mixed) trail of teeth (then top rope the guardian face) these are all easy routes in the sylvan lake area worth checking out.

Thanks for the suggestions. We are still trying to find our way around Middle Earth. I did finally positively id Rhinoceros Rock. A really good place to practice trad placement to anchors on easy climbing.