Serpent Point and the adjacent walls within one-half mile are closed to public use from March 15 through July 15. This includes the landscape portions above the walls extending 50 feet from the rim edge. This pertains to the following areas:
North Rim areas - The Alpine Aretes, Porcelain Arete, and Painted Wall. These climbing routes are closed: Alpine Route, Porcelain Arete, On the Border, Broken Porcelain, Northern Arete, Beyer Route, The Dragon, The Serpent, Forrest-Walker, Stratosfear, Journey Through Mirkwood, and Southern Arete.
South Rim areas - Dragon Point and Dragon Point Buttress. These climbing routes are closed: Pilgrimage, Crumb Blunder, Magic Dragon, Black Adder, Black Snake, Black Heathen, Black Dragon Rider, and Silent Rage.
This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
[This side of the impressive Black Canyon of the Gunnison is known for its foreboding, long routes with chillier temperatures. Since the canyon is quite steep and quite narrow, these routes have a much darker ambience than some of the neighboring walls across the water. In fact, these factors may have slowed the exploration of these walls during the early years of climbing here. The one advantage to climbing on this side is that access is somewhat easier.
All routes here should be considered adventure climbing with challenging rock, rock quality, route finding, runouts, etc.. Assistance, in the event of the unexpected, is difficult to non-existent. Be prepared.
As with most climbing in the area, poison ivy and ticks are hazards during the non-climbing times of your visits here. Some folks have been even known to wear disposable Tivek suits to avoid these diminuitive demons.
Eds. If anyone wishes to submit a description here, we can add it here, change the name of the submitter]
Getting There
Coming soon...
The Black Canyon of Gunninson is located approximately 250 miles SW of Denver.
South Rim: 15 miles east of Montrose, via U.S. Hwy 50 and CO Hwy 347
[From Steve Levin: For routes on the main SCVW a viable access is via the "Astro Slog" raps (see the topo under the Astro Dog route description). The start is upriver a few feet from the overlook, at a boulder. Two ropes are required. This has cleaned up a bit, the anchors are good, and most are easy to locate. Try to trend more climbers-right at the bottom, lest you stray into the super-munge to the left. Plan on 2-3 hours. A second option is to descend the Cruise Gully and cross the river via the tyrolean located below NCVW, then have someone meet you on the South Rim with a car. This strategy works best if you arrange for attractive members of the opposite sex to pick you up, and if they have a picnic lunch and a nice, chilled white wine. Other options exist.]
[From Charles Vernon: The latter part of this descent, from the saddle behind the pinnacle, is obvious and looks reasonable (except perhaps for the 5.7 slabs above the river) from the North Rim. However, I'm inclined to assume that the upper gully does not exist as described (I've seen it from the South side, and been down the gully just west to the Alimony Wall, but it is hard to tell how far the first gully goes before cliffing out), since I've never heard of it anywhere else and it sounds too good to be true! Oddly, the only other method for reaching SCVW mentioned in Rock Climbing Colorado is via the Chillumstone Gully, which would require river crossings. In the new guidebook, neither of these methods are mentioned, while three others are described(rappelling, tyrolean, and SOFB raps).] [Eds. If anyone wishes to submit a description here, we can add it here, change the name of the submitter]
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for South Rim Routes:
Flakes, The 5.10+ X Trad, 14 pitches, 2000 feet, Grade V
Flawless cracks, immaculate movement, spacious belays. Complex route finding, substantial runouts, crumbly rock.The Flakes is THE 5.10 test piece in the Black Canyon.Having climbed the Scenic Cruise, Cruise, and Astro Dog my partner and my 12 a.m. opinion was that The Flakes is finally what we expected grade V to be. Strenous, sometimes dangerous climbing from sun up to after sunset. Below are a few details.Strategy: See topo for most of the information. Aviod topo for a better adventure.Rappel ...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
[Eds. this comment has been edited at the request of the commenter] For routes on the main SCVW a viable access is via the "Astro Slog" raps (see the topo under the Astro Dog route description). The start is upriver a few feet from the overlook, at a boulder. Two ropes are required. This has cleaned up a bit, the anchors are good, and most are easy to locate. Try to trend more climbers-right at the bottom, lest you stray into the super-munge to the left. Plan on 2-3 hours. A second option is to descend the Cruise Gully and cross the river via the tyrolean located below NCVW, then have someone meet you on the South Rim with a car. This strategy works best if you arrange for attractive members of the opposite sex to pick you up, and if they have a picnic lunch and a nice, chilled white wine. Other options exist.
This is a quote from Rock Climbing Colorado, on how to approach the SCV Wall: "...drop down the first gully past the Painted Wall Overlook. About 200' of 3rd class rock are near the gully's bottom. Below this rock work up and right to a saddle behind a large pinnacle. Drop down a gully from the saddle to the river and the wall base."
The latter part of this descent, from the saddle behind the pinnacle, is obvious and looks reasonable (except perhaps for the 5.7 slabs above the river) from the North Rim. However, I'm inclined to assume that the upper gully does not exist as described (I've seen it from the South side, and been down the gully just west to the Alimony Wall, but it is hard to tell how far the first gully goes before cliffing out), since I've never heard of it anywhere else and it sounds too good to be true! Oddly, the only other method for reaching SCVW mentioned in Rock Climbing Colorado is via the Chillumstone Gully, which would require river crossings. In the new guidebook, neither of these methods are mentioned, while three others are described(rappelling, tyrolean, and SOFB raps).
Nice that published guides have not eliminated adventure in the Black.
It would probably be wise to take anything ever written about the Black- whether in a guidebook, magazine article, or on this website- with a big grain of salt.
This applies in particular to anything I have written.
I agree...I was actually kind of sad when the guidebook came out (although I coulnd't help myself and went ahead and memorized the whole thing anyway), even though I first climbed in the canyon little more than a year ago. But when I finally do get around to climbing SCV Wall, the approach is part of the adventure I'm looking foward to (might have to check out this mysterious gully...)!
I have been down the SOFB raps many times without incident to climb routes as far south as Astro Dog. I used this descent when I climbed Astro dog in a day and later Falcon wall in a day; they are fairly easy four or five raps. The first rap was removed by someone, but the rest are there and have been updated since they were established in the early '90s. To find them, you walk out the trail to Painted Wall overlook and trend right and down some ramps and a gully till you see the large summit of a fin-like spire that separates the SOFB from the main canyon to the North.
As of 11 Jul 2009, the mentioned fixed rap line for the 150' Chillumstone rappel put there by NPS is no longer there, removed by a climbing ranger, according to the ranger we spoke to at the Visitor's Center. The rap sling and rings are still there for use. We just used own 70 m rope.
FWIW, the fixed rope will only get you halfway down the Chillumstone rap (it got chopped by a rock), but a single 70m rope is perfect. I talked to the ranger after our climb and he questioned us about the fixed line and wondered what we thought of a NPS fixed static line on that rap. My partner and I both said it would be a bad idea and he mentioned that Brent from the N. Rim also suggested against it. So, plan on using your own rope on the descent.
Does anyone have any beta on Black Hole? Good rock, worth doing? Wondering what big gear to bring(is extra wide gear needed for belays, etc.). Also wanted to know if the first pitch is always wet?
RE The Black Hole Dont remember any specific wide belay sizes apart from the first belay. Theres an ancient fixed hex, which we backed up with the smallest Bigbro. After that I think we had a doubles from Camalot #5 down for the rest of the OW. The crux roof is #3 and #4 Camalot size I think. After that, it's back to standard rack. The first pitch was wet in may, but maybe would be dry late summer or fall. I would totally recommend this route - its a pretty monumental feature. The OW stuff at the beginning is a bit scaly, but in places and after that the rock is bomber. Ask Pennings or Wharton for an unbiased quality rating.
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