Mountain Project: Climbing Colorado Springs

While there are a few scary aid lines up the East Face, most of the route development has been on the West and North Faces. The North Face has some difficult free lines including Anaconda (5.11), a Kor aid line freed, I believe, by Wiggins and Dunn. The West Face is divided by the obvious Tourist Gully (5.0). To the North of the Tourist Gully are many hard, vertical, and scary routes from one to five pitches, many put up by Webster, Coyne, Dunn, Wiggins, D'Antonio and others in the '70s and '80s (no offense intended to other first ascenders active during this time period). South of the Tourist Gully is a less-than vertical slab called the Finger Face for the namesake finger-shaped flake. Many classic soft sandstone moderates, generally well protected, are found in this area, including Finger Ramp (5.7), Lower and Upper Finger Traverse (5.8), and Son of Tidrick's (5.9). Protection on these climbs is generally composed of old, but solid drilled angles. Pull down, not out!

Getting There

This is the largest formation in the Garden, it is easily visible on the right as you drive in from the East.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for North Gateway Rock:

Cowboy Boot Crack 5.6 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet West Face

Lower Finger Traverse 5.7 Sport, 1 pitch Southwest Face / Finger Fac...

Finger Ramp 5.7 Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet Southwest Face / Finger Fac...

Snuggles to Fall Crack 5.8+ Trad, 1 pitch, 130 feet East Face

Trigger Finger 5.9 Sport, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet West Face

Borgoff's Blunder 5.10a Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet West Face

Rainbow Bridge 5.10+ Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet West Face

Lower Finger Direct 5.10+ X TR, 1 pitch, 70 feet Southwest Face / Finger Fac...

Pete & Bob's 5.11- Trad, 4 pitches West Face

Men at Work 5.11 Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 105 feet West Face

Anaconda 5.11c Trad, Sport, 2 pitches North Face / North End

Grapefruit Dance 5.12b Sport, 1 pitch West Face

Triple Exposure 5.12c/d C1 Trad, Sport, Aid, 4 pitches, Grade II North Face / North End

Comments on North Gateway Rock

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By Shane Zentner
From: Colorado
Apr 18, 2002

I climbed a nice 5.8 crack several years ago on the east face of North Gateway Rock. This crack is located just right of the metal sign that is bolted on the rock. The anchor consists of two old bolts and rotten webbing. The crux of the route consisted of answering the infamous question, "how did you get the rope get up there?". Yes, you will be video taped by tourists while climbing here.

By Jon Cannon
Dec 2, 2003

Does anyone know the name of the route which goes up from the chains at the top of Finger Ramp to the chains at the top of Son of Tedrick's? It follows the same line as Finger Ramp past three bolts and then traverses about fifteen feet to the Tedrick's anchor.

By Matt Juth
From: Evergreen
Jun 23, 2004

Hey Springs climbers.

I heard rumors that Pete and Bob's fell apart? Has anyone climbed it recently? I just don't see what part would have collapsed, and I haven't done that route in five years.

By Matt DeCoste
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Apr 23, 2007

Yesterday me and two buddies went to the top of Tourist Gully on North Gateway and kept heading north on top and popped out on top of North Gateway for a few pics and the view. Then we kept moving north in the little channel on top of North Gateway and it drops down into a hidden valley area that sort of overlooks the main parking lot. I have done this once before but can't seem to remember the name or the grade of the 1 pitch rappel-in/climb out route to access it.

I seem to remember someone calling it the "hidden valley" or "hidden garden" or something like that. Anyone dropped in there or know what I am talking about? I would put the climb out route at probably 5.8+. The fire department does this route and then rappel off the east side of North Gateway when they practice for rescue.

By Stich
From: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jun 13, 2008

We were told not to climb on the East side of N. Gateway rock yesterday, due to falcon closures. However, I can't find any closures posted on the GOG website nor were there any posted on the wooden fence or elsewhere. Anyone know the scoop?

By Stewart M. Green
Jun 17, 2008

The East Face of North Gateway is closed to climbers every year from around Feb 1 until early August, depending on when the birds fledge. It's not posted out there, but since the closure has been in effect for 20+ years it is incumbent on climbers to know about closures by stopping in at the visitor center and asking. The falcons always nest in a big pothole above the traverse ledge and below the Kissing Camels arch.

By Patrick Manitou
From: Manitou Springs, Co
Dec 22, 2008

Anybody know the route that starts about twenty feet to the left of Amazing Grace? It starts in a cave-thing and then traverses left for quite a while. It's got old-ish looking drilled pins, and is well-protected except the first pin is a good twenty feet off the deck. I've got four different guides and it's not in any of them. Seems pretty cool, and I'd never noticed it before, so maybe it's new?

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North Gateway Rock

Description

Getting There

The Classics