Asshole Rock, 5.8-5.12d

Overview/Approach

The Fixed Pin South Platte guide covers a section named Buffalo Creek which is centered on Forest Service Road 550.  FS 550 is a popular free place to camp for fisherman and city dwellers in general.  It is also a great place to reach a lot of climbing.  From several of the sites, you can either hike or bike to several features directly from camp.  One of those areas south of FS 550 contains four significant formations, one of which is Asshole Rock.  Little Scraggy, Twisted Sister and Da Butts make up the other three. 

The guide discusses approaching Asshole Rock from a gated forest road along FS 550 just west of Highway 126.  However, a better approach in my opinion is to gain the Colorado Trail off of FS 550 on bike or foot and hike south as you would for Little Scraggy.  Asshole Rock comes into view to the east.  From the Colorado Trail, start hiking up the open forest to the base of the northeast face.  There will be bushwhacking involved regardless of which approach you use, but it is tame.   Once you get to the NE face, circumvent the base of a slab to the east and you will reach the better routes of Asshole Rock (and some of the better routes in all of South Platte) on the SW face.  Notably Cardiac Crack, 5.9+****, Southern Exposure, 5.12d***, and Laughing Stock, 5.11b***.  Cardiac Crack is one of the best 5.9+ or 5.10a trad leads in South Platte.  Southern Exposure is one of the finer tips and finger 5.12 or 5.13 leads in all of South Platte.  Laughing Stock is one of the finer off-width 5.11 routes in all of South Platte.  They are all next to one another in an intimate wilderness setting.

It makes sense to combine Twisted Sister and Asshole Rock together for a full day adventure.  Twisted Sister is easily reached by descending to a drainage to the east and ascending under the southwest face to reach its better moderates.  On return, it is better to descend the opposite side of Twisted Sister as you angle back north to the Colorado Trail via easy traveling through open forest.

Northeast Face, Routes Listed Right to Left Whilst Facing the Wall

Jungle Love- 5.10cR*/

Psycho Killer- 5.11c***/

Taint- 5.8***/

Wild West Show- 100’-5.9**/ This route belongs to a small cluster of routes on the west side of the north face gully.  Wild West, Psycho Killer and Jungle Love share a fixed belay/rap atop their first pitches.  Wild West Show climbs the left side of the obvious twin dihedral.  Place finger gear at will as you ascend the left facing dihedral.  Feet are quite positive keeping it at a moderate grade.  Mantle to the top and traverse right to the fixed rap.  Single from #.2 to #2.  Double #.3 to #.5.  2nd Pitch is not worth doing.  Dow

Southwest Face, Routes Listed Left to Right Whilst Facing the Wall

Mister Sol- 5.10c*/

Parallax- 5.11c/

Anything Goes- 5.11d/

Cardiac Crack- 95’-5.9+****/ It is a perfect sustained 5.9, but I do not really see the plus.  Stem or chimney up to place finger gear.  Face right to pull the small roof.  Finish on a #4 sized crack with perfect fists to chicken wing.  Medium to large gear belay on top.  Doubles from #.75 to #4.   Short walk to the northwest end to locate a short fixed rap back to near the base of the route.  Dow

Southern Exposure- 5.12d***/

Laughing Stock- 5.11b***/

Worst Error- 5.11a**/

Inflatulation (sic)- 5.8+**/