The Shaft  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  2,038. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Richard M. Wright on Sep 25, 2001 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 66° | 34° 57° | 30° 52° | 30° 59° | 32° 68° | 36°

Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> FYI: Parts of Devil's Head climbing area are closed March 1- July 31 every year for Peregrine falcon protection. The official closure order and associated map can be found here: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5280647.pdf. For questions or more information, please contact the South Platte Ranger District office at 303.275.5610. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

The SHAFT is one of the newer areas at Devil's Head. All of its routes were installed after "The Devil Made Me Do It" guide was published. The Shaft is characterized by its remarkable position between two East-West running fins that form a corridor so narrow at its top that it as been stemmed!! The base is wider at 15 to 25 ft. The Shaft gets about 32 seconds of sunlight on a good day, so this is certainly a summer crag; on a hot day it can be the coolest climbing to be had anywhere in the front range. The rock in the Shaft is slightly different from the rest of Devil's Head in that it lacks the patina typical of The Headstone or The Red Wall. It is highly featured with bomb proof edges and incut flakes. Routes are all very short by Devil's Head standards, topping out between 40 and 50ft. Everything at The Shaft is bolted. All of the FAs were by the Head Crew with most routes attributed to Tom Hanson and Tod Anderson. Rich Magill, and Pat Burwick added a bunch as well.

Getting There 

From the Zinn Overlook, take a faint trail to the right, through the woods for 100ft or so, heading for The Starcastle. Then head directly up hill by a very indistinct trail. You want to hit the main yellow wall above on the right side to avoid the large blocks in the talus field. Negotiate the base of The Starcastle to last route, "Dawning Of The Day" which sits on the South flanking edge of the formation. Cut due west at this point and head down an easy scramble to the forest floor. Here you will pick up a faint trail that continues West and South for 200-300 yards. It should go directly to the North end of The Shaft, however, it is quite indistinct until you walk around the North end and peer down into the narrow corridor of The Shaft between two largeish fins of rock. The climbing is on both sides, with the left side being much better and much steeper.

The Classics