Palisade Head is the most serious and richest crag in Minnesota. With very few climbs easier than 5.8 and the bulk of climbs harder than 5.10, this is the place in Minnesota to hone your hardman skills. Between several off-width, hand and heinous finger cracks, crystal faces, or stunning arête's, there should be enough variety here to please almost anyone!
The Southern Ramparts are generally closed early in the season for Falcon nesting. Keep an eye out for posted closure signs and respect closures to avoid conflict with the Park.
Climbs in the Amphitheatre tend to be the most popular and crowded and are also most easily visited by tourists. Plenty of crack systems to be found along the entire top of the Head to build anchors. If you are not feeling confident, a pair of ascenders is a good idea.
Getting There
About 2 Miles before the turn in for Tettegouche State Park
8/9/07: I'm surprised this route was not in already. It has been about 5 years since I climbed it so I will try to edit this post if someone reminds me of details. It was fantastic. I have a good memory of crimping hard high above the lake on a sunny day. Long and strenuous. Slightly more than vertical makes for good exposure. I only top-roped it but the bolts were in good condition at the time. 5.10d in the Mike Farris guidebook, and that sounds about right. 10/15/07: Thanks for comments...[more]Browse More Classics in MN
Can anyone give me a mosquito report from up there? We want to climb up there 4th of July weekend, but were at Banning State Park last weekend to check out the new potential climbs and hike and got destroyed by mosquitoes! If we stopped 1 second from hiking, they would be swarming and biting us regardless of mosquito spray!
I grew up in Duluth and returned many times to climb at "The Head"....but never with locals.
Looks like from some of the attached photos, you guys are finally allowing people to use chalk. Is this true? I could tell you so many funny stories how aghast some people would treat me and finally ask, after seeing my chaulk bag, "you don't intend to use that here, do you?" ...I admit, I always respected your ethics and I didn't use it there.
Anybody placing any bolts out there? Or is this just too far away from the trad arena? I have never been into top roping, but every trip out there, people would look at me very strangely if I was actually leading something. Never once, did I see any other climbers out there leading anything, always these amazingly elaborate top rope set ups with like 20 carabiners and miles of slings the gumbies were tripping over. I finally figured out why, once I was out in front....the routes were so often difficult or cumbersome to protect and bolts were as scarce as in the Gogarth (Wales). It actually felt a lot like the Gogarth...but anyway, how is it? Does vigilante law still prevail and are drillers still hung up upside down with weights and dragged from an Iron Ore Boat out to the Duluth Harbor? Don't get me wrong....I love the Gogarth, but it's alot easier to protect than Palisade Head, both on the route and topping out.
I often hoped I would run into Pagel somewhere and I'd be able to ask him and ride him a little, but I never did. Gee, he didn't even come from Duluth or Northern Minnesota, but he sure ran the herd hard in Minnesota!!
By JJ Schlick Administrator From: Flagstaff, AZ Aug 31, 2006
James,
Chalk... well... yes... the chalk ethic on the north shore was more or less a by product of cultish frenzy and seperatist delusions. There are, of course, no legal ramifications for dipping into the white gold now and then on the north shore, nor any environmental data which would support that chalk is in any way a threat to that ecosystem. Unless you count the sensitive egos of the locals. I went to school at UMD for a year and a half in the middle 90s. Thumbing through Pagels guide book and scoping routes I came under the impression that I would surely find some hardy souls to partner up with and get some business done. You can imagine my dismay after finding out that 99% of the climbing community would or could not lead much of anything. Since I wanted to lead this obviously lead to dilema. To chalk, or not to chalk. After much internal debate I finally came to a workable and exceptable solution. I would use chalk only if leading. There it was, simple and concise. I would like to say this was the end of my ethical struggle, but alas my solution only lasted at most a week. After listening to the arguments of those who oppose the use of chalk I quite simply found them to be baseless and trite. That is my opinion- I also have an asshole. The important thing to remember here is this; If a local ethic serves a purpose, or a greater good then it is up to time and the climbing community as a whole wether or not that ethic is to endure. I do not respect the chalk ethic on the north shore. That is my choice. What happens down the line is up to the individuals in the community. All I know is, if I am sticking my neck out on the line to do new routes there on gear (most of which are difficult), then I am going to carry the added tool of chalk in a bag. To me, it is silly not to, especially at the Head and Shovel. These crags are continuously blasted by storms, and the utter neglect of many of the more difficult routes would lead one to suspect that they would never get greased up. I have been threatened and slandered over this issue, but at the end of the day, I am more concerned about the quality of the routes climbed than I am about wether or not I used chalk. Lets just say it doesn't keep me up at night.
There is a growing number of modern testpieces to be found at the Head which will test both your fitness and nerves. We will try to post more of these as time goes on. Bolts are found on some of the free routes here and there, though not many. The Head just doesn't lend itself to great face climbing. The best lines always follow a natural weakness. Echoes and the Echoes Extentsion are notable exceptions.
Routes to do-
Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight 11b pg James ? Road to Emerald City (top pitch) 12a/b pg Dave Groth Sol de Gloria 12b pg Groth first lead Aching Alms 12b g Seth Dyer Sinners Last Gift 12c r JJ Schlick Lord of the Flies 12b/c g Groth Palisaid 13a pg13 Groth Superior Arete 12c tr Groth Birds of a Feather 12a pg JJ Schlick And, of course, Mr. Lean 11d pg Posieden adventure 11d pg
Hey Guys, I learned to climb in MN in 1975. We didn't use chalk then. We didn't use friends, or brass nuts then either. In the early 80s I spent a great day top-roping with Dave Pagel at the Head. He is a great guy and a lot of fun to hang with. In deference to him I did not use my chalk and was a able to ascend many of the harder routes of the time. Had we been leading you would still be able to see the cloud. It is now 2006 and the thought of not using chalk seems absurd to me. I don't plan on leaving my cams behind. Climbing is a personal thing, climb it with or without, have fun, live and let live. Thanks for any new routes too.
I've looked around online and have the WI/MN guidebook for Palisade and can't seem to find the info i'm looking for. Does anyone know of any routes that would be good practice for multi-pitch clean aid? Mainly looking for C2- or less and was wondering if there was anything up there that could be done multipitch at that grade? Thanks for any help
Multi pitch lines are basically non existent in MN with a handful of exceptions at Palisade, Shovel, and a contrived link up at Taylors. None of these exceptions are that long. With that being said, I might recommend Laceration Jam to Christmas Tree Crack as a good option for a clean aid lead. That would definitely be a "C1" line.
From the mid 80's to the 90's my friends and I climbed here A LOT.
Scott Brockmeier and myself cleaned and did the FA of many routes. We have never received credit for these. Not that it's somebody's fault but Dave Pagel was aware of this. Seems he gave Chris Holbeck as reference and some how got the credit. Chris is an old friend of mine and can confirm the only FA he did was Double Breasted Anchor.
Here's a list and credit -Swizzlestick Legs 5.11c Peter L Scott and Scott Brockmeier -A Feathery Tong 5.10d Scott Brockmeier and Peter L Scott -Fools Progress 5.11 Scott Brockmeier and Peter L Scott -False Prophet 5.11 Peter L Scott and Scott Brockmeier (Falcon guide route 46 unnamed) -Urge to Mate 5.10c Peter L Scott and Chris Holbeck -Double Breasted Anchor 5.8 Chris Holbeck and Peter L Scott -Metamorphosis 5.10b Scott Brockmeier and Peter L Scott -Hiawatha does Gitchagumee(sp) TR 5.9 Suzanne Johnson and Peter L Scott (This route lies on the face around the arete to the right of No Sugar, No Baby) -Echoes 5.11b Scott Brockmeier and Peter L Scott
Echoes Ext. was originally bolted by Tom Ramier and called Happy Happy Joy Joy. He never completed the project
False Prophet was bolted. The bolts were pulled by the North Shore Climber Nazis. Yes, I have some animosity towards these folks.
Most of the routes Scott and I put up were mixed gear routes. We were labeled "sport" climbers by the north shore climbers. I think our climbing resumes defies that. Scott and I climbed over a hundred routes at Devils Tower. We also climbed El Cap together 3 times. Including Nose in a Day. Scott climbed El Cap several times more. We climbed in countless trad areas around the country. We also clipped our fair share of bolts. All we wanted to do was climb, bouldering, sport, trad, and alpine. It was all good.
As for chalk. Local ethics are created by locals. I have climbed at Palisades Head over 500 days. Cleaned and bolted as needed. Was involved in several FA (If you've ever cleaned a new route at P H you know just how much work that is). I've climbed there every month of the year. Including aid climbing in January when it was 10 below zero. I have no idea how much trash I hauled up that cliff. Trundled numerous loose blocks from established route. Repouned fixed pins. If this doesn't make me a local I don't know what would.
I always used chalk (judiciously). So as a local I say feel free to use chalk. That's my local ethic.
If I ever climb at P H again and somebody on their 4th top roping trip to the head scolds me for using chalk, I'm going to be tempted to throw them over the edge.
O.K. I got that off my chest!
By Sam Daley From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Sep 21, 2011
Awesome Scott, thanks for all the hard work! It inspires me to hear about other climbers putting in that extra effort to enjoy something they love. Not to mention it is a refreshing counter point to the lazy attitude generated by gym culture.
Not mentioned in previous comments is the abundance of poor rock at Palisade Head. I certainly respect those who lead here but for me it was always just a toprope playground to hone skills for leading on better rock elsewhere. After climbing over 60 routes here I have personally thrown down thousands of pounds of rock, usually on the rappel down but sometimes on the climb itself. Not a good area to push your limits on lead unless you are very experienced, although some of the routes are much cleaner than others. When toproping here or at Shovel Point consider using a static rope with a slingshot belay. The rope goes from the belayer (on top) through a solid anchor above and back down to the climber(belayer tied in to anchor separately). Although using a static rope is commonly considered a no-no because of the greater danger of shock-loading the anchor, in actuality if the belayer doesn't allow a huge loop to develop the catch will not be that hard. The belayer gets pulled into the anchor, dissipating the forces. I always felt much safer with a static rope on sharp or loose rock while toproping. They are so much more cut and chop resistant.
I understand the no-chalk policy. However, is it acceptable to use chalkless chalk or organic chalk? I'm about to climb up at Tettegouche for the first time, and I just want to make sure that I don't upset anybody, hurt the rock, or upset the peregrines and others in the local habitat (and I don't really want to start/continue the chalk vs no chalk debate, I'm just asking a practical question).
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Question: are there chain anchors here, or do you have to build anchors for all the routes? I am not completely sure what MountainProject's definition of a Toprope route is.
Jessica, there are no permanent anchors for top roping any Palisade Head routes, you have to build your own. Bring a standard rack and some very long chord/runners. Sometimes you use cracks, other times trees, sometimes both. It's also a good idea to have a piece of carpet to put between your anchor and the edge of the cliff, it is very sharp in some places.
Shovel Point does have some permanent anchors, but only above a couple routes. Again, you'll need some very long runners.
Thank you Dave. So it sounds like there are pretty limited options here and elsewhere around Duluth without a trad rack, is that right? We'll be visiting town for my cousin's wedding in August and looking to do a little sport climbing. Maybe I need to check in the Forums for more info.
Jessica,you can also try Sandstone . Roughly 1 hour drive south of Duluth along I-35 (so same distance as Palisade). The area has quite a few bolted routes equipped with anchors and the access to the top is easy (trail).
Banning is super bad for mosquitoes. But it's somewhat of an anomaly because of the pond, which breeds all sorts of insects and it is near the cliffs.
Palisade is not nearly as bad, but the black flies will chew your ankles. Bring bug spray. Mosquitoes come out mostly in the evening. And then it gets nasty as well.
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