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Elevation: 10,744 ft
GPS: 37.1248, -106.7909
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 15,378 total · 81/month
Shared By: Jaaron Mankins on Aug 4, 2008 · Updates
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

Description Suggest change

This is a really cool, volcanic basalt conglomerate? It can be splitter or really shattered-choose your line wisely. This is remote and extremely zen-like with lots of evidence of climbing but no climbers. The ravens seem to like the top of the cliff. Many routes exist here up to 400 feet. Don't forget your hunter's orange during hunting season partner!

Per Jesse Morehouse: this is also known as V Rock, its name on the USGS maps. The mountain it's on is V Mountain (also on USGS). This is a beautiful place for sure and has the best concentration of stone in the county, and some of the best crack climbing in the state (at least as good as Turkey Rocks). I've heard that climbers have been visiting here since the '70s and routes go up to 5.12. Water is intermittent, and the approach can take from 1-2 hours. You can see it from US 84 in the big curve South of the Buckles Lake Rd. It is a real adventure destination.

Getting There Suggest change

Head south out of Pagosa on CO Hwy 84. Turn left on Buckles Lake Road (FR663), and drive up to trailhead near V-Rock. Hike up a trail to approximately 9800', leave the trail on the right, and traverse down and left to the cliff. It is a one hour approach.

Per Jesse Morehouse:

After a few hikes in here, I feel these GPS coordinates plot the best approach. It takes a little over an hour and involves very little bushwhacking, half is on trail and half is mainly strolling through meadows.

-Follow V Rock trail uphill for about 30 minutes until you reach 0340435 4111329.

-Break off the trail to your right, and you'll find yourself in a long, narrow meadow. Follow the game trail to the back where it disappears into trees at 0340368 4111078.

-Follow the trail into trees and through another clearing of so to the end of a clearing at 0340399 4110645.

-Head left/East to 0340463 4110616.

-Contour with a slight drop in elevation to 034063 4110447.

-Follow the clear cut left towards the rock, and work your way down and over to where the trees give way to the boulderfield.

The contour approach continues to get upgrades. Slowly but surely, it's becoming more obvious with cairns stick lined trail and such.

A Strava route for this approach: https://www.strava.com/routes/28964457.

Per mat degraaf: for all the brothers and sisters that don't own or use a GPS, drive Buckles Lake Road to its terminus. Hike up the V Rock trail for approximately 30 minutes until the thigh-burning steeps plane off at a beautiful meadow. Perhaps 50 yards into the meadow, there is an obvious clearing on a small, grassy hill on your right. Leave the main trail, and walk up this knoll and straight into the long and narrow meadow behind it. Stay in this meadow until it ends, then bear left (south-ish). Continue on this bearing until you see the talus.

The approach is pretty simple and straightforward. The worse thing you could do is go too far downhill which will spit you out at the very bottom of the steep talus field.

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