Freemont Canyon, West, North Rim, 5.9-5.13d

Overview/Approach

Fremont Canyon, Wyoming, is an obscure climbing destination by most standards.  When many plan a climbing trip in Wyoming, they are normally heading to the Wind River Range, Vedauwoo, Jackson Hole or Devil’s Tower.  If spending quality time in Wyoming, Fremont makes for a great stop over between Vedauwoo and Devil’s Tower.  What it lacks in multi pitch climbing (virtually none), it makes up for in the quality of solid trad climbing in a relatively remote setting.

Wine and Roses, 5.11a***, is one of the finer single pitch 5.11- trad climbs in the lower 48.  Its setting over rapids in the river in the steep west canyon area makes it that much more magical.  Fremont is broken up into several locations and Wine and Roses is located in what is named West Canyon in the local guide.  There are several ultra-classic climbs located in the West Canyon and these routes are considered by most to be the better routes in the entire canyon.  Wine and Roses, 5.11a****, and Thanatos, 5.10b****, are two of said routes.  Wine and Roses has a cruxy finger traverse start that bleeds into tight hands with a cruxy finish.  Thanatos is more of a conventional corner that offers up many sizes from fingers to fists, a pitch full of variety in the same type of setting as Wine.  Theses two routes are essentially a rope length apart with other routes sprinkled in between.

Drive to Alcova via Highway 220 and head south around the reservoir.  The road bends west at a fork (stay on Fremont Canyon road) and soon crosses the “bridge”.   Continue on the main road as it bends left and then back right.  There is a small gravel pit on the left.  Keep driving on the main road until you see a faint dirt road on the left that heads back behind this gravel pit.  Maybe a mile from the bridge.  Drive back on this road under a utility line.  There is a popular free (2019) camping site on the right.  The routes Thanatos and Wine are to the left.  Park on slick rock and make your way to the north rim.

Main Wall of the West Canyon, North Rim, Listed Left to Right as Viewed from the South Rim

Storming Intrepid- 5.12b*/

Power Behind the Throne- 5.11d**/

Heroes and Zeroes- 5.11d**/

Catch 22- 5.11dR****/

Struggling to Surface- 5.12c/

Terminator Goes to Prom- 5.10a/

The Peak- 5.9/

Kundalini Express- 5.11c*/

Fiddler on the Road- 5.13d****/

Exploding Boy- 5.9*/

Wine and Roses- 95’-5.11a****/ Wine and Roses is the gold standard at Fremont respective of any grade level.  The quality of the rock, the splitter you are climbing and the position over a thunderous rapid section of the river below, make it not just the best pitch of climbing in Fremont Canyon, but one of the better 5.11a single pitches I have climbed anywhere in North America.  There is a bolted rap anchor that allows you to lower yourself onto a ledge.  From there it is close to 100’ down to a fixed belay on a narrow ledge.  Traverse left via stemming into the arcing fingers, ring locks, tight hand splitter.   You get solid hand jam rests, but never much for feet.  Flaring in places.  This is truly a bonanza of a crack pitch.  MP.com discusses the finish as the crux, but the start would be the crux for most.   Single to #3, double to #2, triple from #.5 to #1.  From the top of Thanatos, head upstream.  You can spy the route before you reach its anchors which sit above a ledge about two meters down.  Dow

Strappado- 5.12a*/

Stigmata- 5.12b***/

Cashew Corner- 5.9**/

Jammin’ on the One- 5.12b/

Slow Dance on a Killing Ground- 5.12b***/

Thanatos- 80’-5.10b****/ A highly applauded route at MP.com and I concur.  A lot of variety packed into 80’:  hands, tight hands, ring locks, fingers and a bit of wide. Add in the thunderous falls below this West Canyon area of Fremont during spring and summer months, the ambiance and quality of rock on this right facing corner are 2nd to none.  This is the next corner to the east of the Wine and Roses route itself.  Has a direct fixed rap (with the route name marked on the hangers-2019) down to a grassy ledge.  Start out hands to some fingers to tight hands with a layback move or two.  The left wall of the corner offers up some pro options and a jam or two as well keeping the grade in the lower 10’s.  Crux is somewhere in the middle where most would need to layback for a move or two to reach a hand.  Single rack to #3, double up on a few medium pieces. Dow

Guilty as Charged- 5.13a***/

Warden- 5.11d**/

Rapid Roof- 5.11a/