The Forgotten Playground: Climbing History In Colorado National Monument

To the unaware traveler speeding down I-70 at midday in summer, The Colorado National Monument and the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area are easy to miss. The apex of the sun disguises it; coupled with the veil of high-speed interstate traffic, it becomes merely a reddish/tan geologic feature off in the distance. There is no depth, no topography, nothing to draw the eye. It remains just another object off in the distance. A hidden gem drowned out in the surrounding blur of moving images in the heat of the day. To the front range climbing population heading west to Utah for the weekend, its treasures remain a complete mystery. Even now, as huge quantities of social media posts highlighting the area are slowly lifting the veil, the fantastic climbing within the park has been sluggish to pick up popularity. 

Photos by Josh Taft.

Climbing in the Colorado National Monument is a surreal experience. Otto’s Route on The Independence Monument may very well be the most frequently climbed freestanding formation in the Desert Southwest. However, the climbs on the many surrounding free-standing monoliths remain shrouded in mystery, and consequently are rarely traveled. These obscure offerings are of a certain variety that experienced climbers tend to seek out for adventure rather than physical difficulty. These formations typically involve a summit or high point that is only gained by a technical ascent. For years, these routes, some of them heavily tipping the scale toward excellent, have languished in a sort of purgatory. A complete lack of information has left would-be suitors to deal with the first ascensionists visions on their own terms. For the visiting climbers that get off the beaten path, stellar lines, big adventure and rarely visited summits await. 

The Colorado National Monument is also ripe with climbing history. While not technically a true free climb by today’s standards, in 1911 John Otto forced his way up the Independence Monument by drilling large holes and then pounding in iron pipes. By attaching one side he essentially created a ladder to the top. It was the first of its kind to be established here in the states and oddly similar to the “Via Ferrates” of Europe which had already been popular  for several hundred years helping to connect villages in the high alps.  

After Otto’s initial summit of Independence Rock the Desert Southwest saw very little action by early mountaineers for almost 50 years. Climbing clubs were concentrating their sights on other objectives like Devils Tower and Mount Waddington. The climbers of the 1930s, ever seeking new challenges, once again turned their eyes to the Colorado Plateau. For North American Mountaineering in the 1930s, Shiprock was one of the last truly great climbing ventures. Taking almost 15 years of effort, The Tsi’ Tsia’ or “Winged Rock” as the Navajo people call it, finally saw a summit in 1938 by a team from the Sierra Club. Spider Rock in Canyon D’Chelly was next summited in 1956. Monument Valleys Totem Pole, the iconic slender spire in Navajo lands that was made famous by Clint Eastwood’s The Eiger Sanction, fell to adventurers in 1957. In 1961, the eyes of the climbing counterculture turned toward the Colorado National Monument. 

These titans of desert climbing history included figures such as Layton Kor, Huntley Ingalls, Harvey Carter and Fred Becky. They were quick to snatch up some of the easier prizes.  The availability of quick approaches due to the road around the rim helped them to nab the first ascent of the some of the largest formations in the park. Included are the Sentinel Spire on May 3, 1960, Kissing Couple on May 4, 1960, Egypt Rock on September 9, 1961 and Grand View Spire, also climbed between spring of 1960 and in early fall of 1961. These towers were all summited before they turned their eyes toward the formations of the Professor Valley outside of Moab. Castleton Tower and the summits of the Fisher Towers were soon to fall but these early pioneers had already made their mark on the Colorado National Monument.

In today’s modern era, the Colorado National Monument and The McInnis Canyon NCA remain one of  Colorado’s hidden gems, with a storied climbing history rooted in adventure. Its climbing history goes all the way back to before its designation as a monument. Over the years, many more adventurers have added their brush strokes to the walls that tower over the majestic landscape. The routes that have appeared since those early days of Carter and Kor are a lasting memory to those few souls that have become captivated by its beauty — each generation of new climbers leaving a few brush strokes on the surrounding walls as they pass through town or put down roots. Names like Allen Lester, Fred Knapp, Bret Ruckman, KC Baum, Pete Takeda, Ron Olevsky, Mike Baker and Matt Lisenby all contributed to the well-established climbing history within the canyon walls. These contributions have helped to produce a wide variety of quality climbing areas and high quality, high adventure objectives.  Not only are there great single pitch zones that have high quality cragging that rivals the more known desert crags like Escalante Canyon and Indian Creek, there are also imposing tower lines like Clueless Tower that can test the metal of the most seasoned desert veteran. Most of these venues require healthy hikes to get to — throw in a fully loaded desert pack and a workout is all but guaranteed. However, unlike the crack climbing meccas of eastern Utah and Western Colorado, the climbing crowds in the Colorado National Monument are almost zero.

The Monument and McGuiness Canyons National Recreation Area hold great value for both the local and traveling climbers.  With Grand Junction and Fruita so close, you can always find time to grab a beer and some food. With a stop at a local place such as The Hot tomato, Trail Life or Base Camp Brewing, you are sure to run into some like-minded fellows to swap tales with. There is also a large amount of BLM Land to camp on within striking distance as well as a five-star campground within the parks boundary proper. All BLM camping is close enough to make for early morning alpine starts yet far enough from the city center to feel the quietness one craves when camping.

The value in the climbing experience in Colorado National Monument is marked by the true silence of the desert, usually mixed only with the chip of the swallows and ravens. You will be hard pressed to see anyone. Looking down from a belay across the canyon at the ravens as they catch thermals is to truly know this place and allows you to take just a little part of its history with you.