Mountain Project: Climbing Eldorado Canyon SP

This popular rock can be divided in character into its south and southwest face. The SW face has some of the most frequently climbed routes in Eldorado Canyon and is probably the best area in Eldorado Canyon for those seeking lower end difficulty climbing. The rock is stellar for the first two pitches of climbs on this face. Above this the rock has seen less traffic and still has loose rock for the unsuspecting climber. On its S face, you will find fewer companions since its vertical face and spartan protection options will deter all but the most ardent suitors.

Once, the summit provided an anchor point for the cable upon which crossed Ivy Baldwin on many death-defying crossings of the canyon. The cable was taken down in 1974. Today, the cable remains testament to a disappearing breed of adventurer.

These are some of the earliest stomping grounds for Colorado legends like Layton Kor, Dick Bird, Dallas Jackson, Cleve McCarty, Larry Dalke, Pat Ament, Jeff Lowe, Jim Erickson, Steve Wunsch, Kevin Donald, Charlie Fowler, Duncan Ferguson, Kyle Copeland, Dan Hare, Mike Brooks, Richard Rossiter, and others.

Ultra-classics include: Calypso, 5.6; Wind Ridge, 5.6; the slippery Tagger, 5.10c; Metamorphosis, 5.9+ s; King's X, 5.11a s; and Rainbow Wall, 5.13a.

The low part of this wall does include some moderately popular bouldering and traversing.

Note, if anyone has particularly good base digital photos for rendering a topo for this page, please let me know

construction zone

Getting There

Once you enter Eldorado Canyon State Park, you will hopefully find parking within 200 yards in one of two areas. Park. Walk uphill to the obvious bridge across South Boulder Creek. Cross the bridge. Look up & right. Follow the trail to the SW face or veer right to the S face.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Wind Tower:

Tigger 5.5 Trad, 3 pitches Wind Tower - SW Face

Breezy 5.5 Trad, 2 pitches Wind Tower - SW Face

Calypso 5.6 Trad, 3 pitches Wind Tower - SW Face

West Overhang 5.7 Trad Wind Tower - SW Face

Wind Ridge 5.8 Trad, 4 pitches Wind Tower - SW Face

Reggae 5.8 Trad Wind Tower - SW Face

Tigger Plus 5.8 Trad, 1 pitch Wind Tower - SW Face

Calypso Direct 5.8 Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet Wind Tower - SW Face

Futile Laments 5.9 R Trad, 1 pitch, 170 feet Wind Tower - S Face

Across The River From Butt Hair 5.9 R Trad Wind Tower - SW Face

Rastaman Roof 5.9+ Trad Wind Tower - SW Face

I Did It My Way 5.10a R Trad, TR, 1 pitch Wind Tower - SW Face

The Metamorphosis 5.10a Trad, 1 pitch Wind Tower - S Face

Disguise 5.10b Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet Wind Tower - S Face

Tagger 5.10b/c Trad, 2 pitches Wind Tower - SW Face

King's X 5.10d Trad, 2 pitches Wind Tower - S Face

Scotch and Soda 5.11b R Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet Wind Tower - S Face

The Lion 5.12b X Trad, 1 pitch Wind Tower - S Face

Rainbow Wall 5.13a Trad, Sport Wind Tower - S Face

Featured Route For The Wind Tower

About 2/3 up the pitch on October 16, 2002.

Reggae 5.8 CO : Eldorado Canyon SP : ... : Wind Tower - SW Face

Commonly rated at 5.8, but the crux is short, and it is not really any harder than Bastille Crack. Start from the belay above the first pitch of Calypso. Step right a few feet, then head up the obvious dihedral. Finish over a tricky rock into a ledge with a large rock resting over it. You can continue to the summit or traverse the strata to the left to the walkoff of Wind Ridge. The easiest exit is to downclimb the ledge to the right, to two bol...[more] Browse More Classics in CO

Comments on The Wind Tower

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By Kevin Craig
Apr 3, 2007

Thanks to some help from Ron Olsen and approval of the FHRC, there is a new rappel anchor for descending from the big ledge half way up the SW Face of the Wind Tower. The anchor is 2 x 12mm SS Fixe' Triplex bolts securing a tan-colored powder-coated Fixe' "Traditional Anchor" i.e. chain + welded SS rap ring.

The anchor is located approx. 10 feet above and to climber's right of the "traditional" rap tree (now cleaned of slings). It can be reached from the small sub-ledge just below the big ledge. It is located in nearly a direct line below the 2-bolt anchor at the top of p2 of The Bomb, West Overhang, Boulder Direct and Reggae. With a 60m rope, you should be able to stay on rappel and (just barely) clip the new anchor when rapping from the p2 bolts. The location is indicated in the area photo above. One 60m rope will get you from the new rap anchor to anywhere on the starting ledge.

Note that if you plan to do one of the pitches above the big ledge, it's best to bypass the new rap bolts and set a gear anchor directly below your chosen route.

By Bob Brockwehl
From: Golden, CO
Jul 26, 2009

The new bolt anchor described by Kevin Craig is not fully redundant and needs to be replaced or possibly improved with another chain attached to the upper bolt with a screw link. The rope could then be run through the lowest chain link and the existing ring. (There may be other options.)

By Greg Hand
From: Golden, CO
Jul 26, 2009

There is nothing wrong with the Fixe anchor system that was installed.
You can see the specs at http://www.fixeusa.com/traditional_anchors.htm .
The single ring that bothers most people is rated at 50kn=12,500lbs.

By Ron Olsen
Administrator
From: Boulder, CO
Jul 26, 2009

Agree with Greg; the stainless-steel ring in the Fixe Trad anchor is plenty strong, and it isn't even the weakest link in the rappel chain. Other non-redundant components: your belay/rappel carabiner (25kN), your harness (16kN) and your rappel device. I talked with a Fixe USA rep and he said they have never heard of one of these rings failing. They wouldn't be selling this anchor if it wasn't absolutely bombproof.

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The Wind Tower

Description

Getting There

The Classics