The Horn Rock Climbing

The Horn is a technical summit that looks like a bloodstained bison horn.  On a 1988 mission to find Buffalo Berry seeds for the Denver Botanic Gardens, a hoard of snorting bison galloped by our truck in the pinon juniper forest along the road.  A few miles later, with a scope, I found the rap slings on "Super Sharp Crack of the Henrys". My first thought was:  Ed Webster beat me to it...again!  I mention how I found it so no one gets blamed for ratting out the Horn to a mad bolter.   https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/127350327 

Sorry about my terrible camera. Others have posted some really nice images making this page worthy.  More images and beta shared by Mountain Project contributors would most likely lead to some interesting explorations.   mountainproject.com/photo/1…

Not sure how hard or well equipped the easiest summit route for the Horn is.  Bagging the sharp and solid summit looks extra cool, like  Denver's Cynical Pinnacle.  The sheer flame colored face is not unclimbed.  We spotted bolts in very blank and unlikely places.   mountainproject.com/photo/2…  The climb-anywhere @5.13 walls have plentiful mini-pockets in disappointingly sharp volcanic rock.  The mega flake leaning against the Horn's base has a photo below, posted by Mychal, of a 5.12 arete-grab that looks excellent.   mountainproject.com/photo/1…;

To the right of the Horn pinnacle is the "Super Sharp Crack of the Henrys".   mountainproject.com/photo/1…  Tantalizing bolts all over the blank faces.  We tried several unknown routes but they felt too scary and sharp, so we bolted one of our own. The splitter crack is a must do (solid 5.10).  Nearby, Wedding Arete (.11-) and the Rolofson-Barrow-Trout-Miller-Brink-Slater (5.12b) sport route are both fun.

The giant boulders in, around, and all over the terrace/bench above the camp sites are wonderful.  Lots of nice flat landing zones. Jakobi posted a photo below of a perfect problem called Surferosa.   mountainproject.com/photo/1…

Eventually, we tired of volcanic glass gnawing at our fingers.  After a few good vacations to the Horn, we ditched this area for the better bolting, smoother feeling holds, and bigger pockets of California's Owens River Gorge.   mountainproject.com/area/10…