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Elevation: 6,388 ft
GPS: 32.3717, -106.587
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By: Aaron Hobson on May 8, 2006
Admins: Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown
Warning Access Issue: Power drilling is prohibited in the Organ Mountains Wilderness. DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

The Citadel is one of the Organ's better known climbing spots. It is home to several well established routes in a wonderful secluded setting. Dennis Jackson's guide only highlights the best climbs on this formation. There is still lots of room for exploration.

Coming from the bottom of the Rabbit Ears Canyon, the bottom part of the formation starts as a nearly vertical north-facing wall. The routes on this wall are all clustered near its right end. Murray's Crack is the right one of the two obvious off-widths. Finger Zinger is on a slab to the right of it and starts near a tree growing close to the wall. Arch Rival begins in the well defined arch to the right of that. The Nose is on the nose, as it should be. The West Ridge starts past the end of that face on the west-facing wall and switches back and forth between the north and west faces as it winds its way up.

If you go to the left of this cluster or routes, the wall becomes quite forbidding until it is interrupted by a large gully coming in at an angle from the right. The next section of the north-facing wall is set well back. This wall is shorter and routes start immediately at its east end with Glad We Came on the northeast arete. Next, in a corner, is Wish You Were Here, and then Styx n Stones.

Around the corner past Glad We Came is Clem's Folly. Here the rock faces more east than north.

When the sun is high in the sky, it may tent to shine directly down the face for some of these routes, but there will usually be shady and sunny faces to be found here.

Getting There Suggest change

From the Topp Hut continue along the 4x4 road until it forks. Take the left fork which ends abruptly at an old mine. The trail into Rabbit Ears Canyon starts behind the tailings from this mine and is easy to find and follow up to the base of Rabbit Ear Canyon. At the base of Rabbit Ear Canyon, the Lambda Wall is set back to your left and Rabbit Ears Slabs are on the right. The Citadel is the steeper formation ahead on the right. Follow up the canyon over some more difficult terrain.

To reach any of the routes from Murray's Crack to West Ridge go past the side canyon separating Rabbit Ears Slabs and the Citadel, then up the boulders on the right side of the canyon. Continue up the boulder field to the nose of the Citadel, then go past it along the base of the wall.

For the routes from Clem's Folly to Styx n Stones, stay in the bottom of the canyon and continue around Citadel. Eventually you will scramble up onto an edge if a large boulder field on your left. Start looking for cairn-marked trail taking off to the right just as the canyon turns southward.

Failing all of this, bushwhacking is always an option. Simply located your climb on the wall and make your way to it by whatever means.

19 Total Climbs

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Location: The Citadel Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at The Citadel

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 24
West Ridge
Trad 6 pitches
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 17
Clem's Folly
Trad 4 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 16
Murray's Crack
Trad
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
 11
Wish You Were Here
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 13
Glad We Came
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 23
The Nose
Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 8
Arch Rival
Trad 2 pitches
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b PG13
 16
Finger Zinger
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
West Ridge
 24
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 6 pitches
Clem's Folly
 17
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 4 pitches
Murray's Crack
 16
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
Wish You Were Here
 11
5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c Trad
Glad We Came
 13
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
The Nose
 23
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad
Arch Rival
 8
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches
Finger Zinger
 16
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b PG13 Sport
More Classic Climbs in The Citadel »

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