Witches' Tower  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  6,750' Lat, Long:  40.0022, -105.395 Map Page Views:  13,147. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Leo Paik on Jul 15, 2004 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 66° | 45° 59° | 46° 70° | 45° 75° | 50° 79° | 52°

Irina moving left into the steep corner on Tese.

Description 

This is up to a 140 foot high buttress or rib of rock that connects with Sherwood Forest across the creek from the Riviera & Bihedral about 7 miles upstream from the Elephant Buttresses/Dome Rock area. It is initially less than obvious that it is a separate rock unless you are Boulder Canyon cognoscetti or until you peruse R. Rossiter's 1999 Boulder Canyon guidebook. Apparently there have been old routes done or attempted low on its steep W face. Since this original post, there has been some lines with bolts and gear added. Certainly, from a distance, evidence of such lines or attempts is difficult to discern. However, a shallow dihedral on the NW edge draws the eye. The less-steep North face also invites the adventuresome but has more lichen.

Expect some lichen and loose rock if you explore here. There is room for more lines for those willing to explore. Expect some shade.

You can descend off to the East on steep slopes. No anchor currently exists on its top.

Several new routes were added in the fall of 2005.

L->R:

A. It's My Swamp, 8, 3p, 370', gear.
B. Panic Attack (AKA BOB...Bombs Over Baghdad)), 12-, 1p, bolts & gear.
C. War is Love, 11, 1p, 70', bolts & gear.
D. Tipskin Jihad, 12, 1p, 45', bolts.
E. Teenage Terrorists, 12-, 1p, 50', bolts.
F. Romancing the Stone, 9-, 1p, 80', bolts & gear.
G. Nala, 10-, 1p, 100', gear.
H. Tese, 10-, 1p, 100', bolts & gear.
I. No Direction Home, 11-, 1p, 45' or 95', bolts.
J. Scarecrow, 8+, 1p, 45', gear & bolts.

Getting There 

Go to Boulder. Drive W on CO Hwy 119 (aka Canyon). Drive W about 7 mi upstream past Elephant Buttresses/Dome Rock. Park in a nice pullout with some shady trees on the S side of the road below the Bihedral. Walk 150 yards downstream to a tyrolean traverse that starts on a big flat boulder and goes to a big tree on the far side. Cross the tyrolean and head left on a trail heading downstream. After a few minutes you'll reach Witches' Tower near the route Romancing the Stone. Just uphill and right from this is Sherwood Forest.

The Classics

Featured Route For Witches' Tower

Tese 5.10  CO : Boulder Canyon : Witches' Tower

Start right of Romancing the Stone. Climb up a cool face making nice moves on edges and knobs past two bolts. A yellow Alien can be place before the third bolt. Make cool moves stemming up and over several small overhangs to the anchor.ADD on: 6/10/08...Greg Hand and Bob D just added a extension past the anchor climbing along a cool arete with great moves. The route is now 100 feet long and 11 bolts. Be careful lowering as a 60-meter rope just makes it to the ground.A great addition and one of t...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO

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BETA PHOTO: Witches' Tower, Sherwood Forest, and Garden Party ...

BETA PHOTO: The Witches Tower & Sherwood Forest areas.