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Independence Pass

Submitted By: Chris Beh on Dec 15, 2001
Administrators: Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac
Latitude: 39.1923  Longitude: -106.8245 
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Jensy McNamara following the classic 2nd pitch of ...


Description 

Unless you're a movie star, ski bum or coke addict, the best thing going in the Aspen area is definitely Independence Pass. An often overlooked, but ultra-worthy, granite area, East of town off the super-steep CO Highway 82. The area includes crags between Aspen & Twin Lakes.

The Pass is also historic, offering some of Colorado's earlier forays onto steep (5.7) rock, a handful of Henry Barber and Lynn Hill testpieces, from the Golden Era of free climbing, and some of Colorado's first rappel-bolted sport routes.

While route activity has dwindled as of late, the Pass continues to thrive as an adventure bouldering area, with plenty of potential for those willing to do a bit of exploring. The highway conveniently bisects most of the granite in the canyon, so most crags are never more than 1-20 minutes from the road.

The Grotto Wall with its landmark route Cryogenics Corner is a great place to get acquainted with Pass rock, a sometimes confounding mixture of compact granite and metamorphized gneiss. Because it's so featured, rock at the Pass lends itself to some very overhanging climbing not typically associated with granite, especially on the left side of the Grotto Wall and at Wild Rock.

Though the Pass is considered a summer area because of its elevation (9,000-11,000 feet), the walls mostly face south and can become blisteringly hot under the high-altitude sun. With some planning, you can stay in the shade all day; or if you're lucky, some clouds will roll in and cool things off.

The road is generally closed a few miles above Aspen from late October through mid-May due to heavy snows. If you think the rock might be dry, you can park down low at the gate and bike up the road, making for a true multi-sport experience.

The beauty of the Pass lies in its variety. I would say there is a nearly perfect 50/50 split between trad and sport climbing, and many of the "sport" climbs require that you place gear anyway. To boot, there is some great bouldering up here. John Sherman's "The Ineditable" being perhaps the most famous (and best) problem on the Pass.

While the Grotto Wall offers the highest concentration of routes, most of the crags are more modest in size, typically offering between 5-10 routes each. Thusly, you can visit two or three crags in one day and get tons of climbing in.

Addendum: Aspenclimbingguides.com may provide additional local info.


Getting There 

The crags at Independence Pass are arrayed along Colorado 82 west of Aspen en route to the Pass itself at 12,000 feet. The lowest area is the Difficult Cliff while the highest area is Instant Karma Cliff, located near the summit of the divide.

The vast majority of the crags are on the left (South) side of the road as you drive up the pass, while Lincoln Creek, a valley branching off to the Southeast from the main highway, offers good climbing as well.

Another worthy tick is Monitor Rock on the East (Twin Lakes) side of the pass.


Guidebook 

Independence Pass Rock Climbing II by Tom Perkins, 2006 provides good descriptions. $32.99.


Climbing Stores 

The Trailhead, 707 Hwy 24 N, Buena Vista, 719.395.8001. www.thetrailheadco.com.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Independence Pass:
Jaws   V3     Boulder   Jaws Boulder
The Nose   5.6     Trad, 5 pitches, 700 feet, Grade II   Monitor Rock : Butt Wall
Trooper Traverse   5.8 PG13     Trad, 4 pitches, 400 feet   Monitor Rock : Trailhead Wall
Twin Cracks   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 200 feet   Grotto Wall
Fox Trot   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Olympic Wall
Zanzibar Dihedral   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 125 feet   Weller Slab
Cardo's Corner   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 110 feet   Lincoln Creek : Lincoln Creek Cliff
Grave Line   5.9+     Sport, 1 pitch   Monitor Rock : Boulder Wall
Squid Kid   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch   Monitor Rock : Trailhead Wall
50 Yard Dash   5.10a     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Olympic Wall
Peruvian Flake   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Lincoln Creek : Lincoln Creek Cliff
Cryogenics   5.10a     Trad, 2 pitches   Grotto Wall
I'll be Black   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Lincoln Creek : Sunset Cliff
Twin Flakes   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Monitor Rock : Iron Side Wall
Master Blaster   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Monitor Rock : East Face aka Clairabell Mi...
Baba Fats   5.11a     Sport, 1 pitch   Greg's Cliff
Standing Eight Count   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 75 feet   Olympic Wall
One Strike You're Out   5.12a     Sport   Olympic Wall
Dean's Day Off   5.12a PG13     Trad, 1 pitch, 115 feet   Lincoln Creek : Lincoln Creek Cliff
The Avenger   5.13a PG13     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Lincoln Creek : Sunset Cliff
Browse More Classics in Independence Pass

Featured Route For Independence Pass
Follow the cracks.

Twin Cracks 5.8  CO : Independence Pass : Grotto Wall
Crux is at the top of the two parallel cracks under a roof to traverse right (crux), then pull onto a face onto a ledge to bolted anchor P1, Belay. Then up to the top of the Lower Grotto Wall belay P2....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Photos of Independence Pass Slideshow Add Photo
Independence Pass.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Independence Pass.
Photo by Blitzo.


Autumn color near Aspen.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Autumn color near Aspen.
Photo by Blitzo.


Aspens near Aspen.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Aspens near Aspen.
Photo by Blitzo.


Independence Pass.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Independence Pass.
Photo by Blitzo.


Independence Pass.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Independence Pass.
Photo by Blitzo.


Steve on Thindependence, @ the cliff of the same name.

Steve on Thindependence, @ the cliff of the same n...

Instant Karma, June 2007.

Instant Karma, June 2007.

Steve Mestdagh on Cryogenics, Independence Pass, photo: Bob Horan.

Steve Mestdagh on Cryogenics, Independence Pass, p...


Comments on Independence Pass Add Comment
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By Joshua Lewis
Mar 19, 2002

Monitor Rock is well worth a visit. The south side has Flatiron-esque trad routes (5.easy, 500') that are ideal for moonlight ascents and the West face has a slew of single pitch sport on great rock--very similar to Boulder Canyon routes. Fantastic scenery and proximal hot springs make for a killer weekend.

By Frances Fierst
Administrator
From: Denver, CO
Jul 18, 2003

I just climbed here for the first time yesterday. What a beautiful place. Great rock, short approaches, and a great variety of climbing. The high alpine feel of the area rivals Lumpy Ridge. This is a great destination to beat the heat and crowds of the Front Range. There is also a lot of new route potential for anyone who will take the time and effort to clean and bolt new lines.

The new guide by Tom Perkins, Independence Pass Rock Climbing is a great resource. The book is laid out well, and it has nice photos and topos. There is also a great website www.aspenclimbingguides.com to supplement the book.

By Adam Holmes
Apr 21, 2004

Anyone have a good idea when the road for Independence Pass will open this year? I was planning on hooking up with some friends there in early May.

By DavidH
From: Parker, Colorado
Jun 2, 2006

IP pass is open for the season. I love this area, hardly ever crowded and has great sport climbing in the moderate range.

By C Miller
Administrator
Jun 2, 2006

A great website related to Independence Pass can be found at http://www.aspenclimbingguides.com/.