Skinner Mountain, 5.5-5.12b

Overview/Approach

This is mostly a South Platte sport route destination and grades reflect same (most CO sport climbing is a bit soft).  However, there is one pitch reminiscent of the classic Castle routes (The Castle, not far from Skinner, i.e. Castle Corner) for 75’, Central Corner, 5.10a****, which is the only stand out climbing feature on this small wall mostly made up of bolted slab routes.  Beached Whale (listed in the Fixed Pin guide as “unknown #2" and Dave Bell Memorial Route are a couple of bolted 5.9’s that go well with Central corner for half a day of moderate climbing on Skinner.

Park along Hwy 126 at the entrance to a small USFS campground named Kelsey, located just a couple of miles south of the FS 550 and Hwy 126 intersection.  The south wall of Skinner Mountain is in full view.  Locate a trail fairly immediate in the campground to the left.  Follow this trail heading northwest.  Pay attention for a few small cairns marking an established climber’s trail that heads up to the southeastern corner of Skinner Mountain.  Traverse west onto a large ledge system just below the face.  Might take 20 minutes.  Nine of the thirteen published routes (2022) start off of this broad treed ledge and are for the most part bolted.  Central Corner, 5.10a****, is a two-pitch route.  This classic corner/roof climb is up and right and takes a full bolted pitch and some scrambling to get to the base of the corner itself.  Four more routes are accessed by staying right and not traversing left below the broad south face.

Routes Listed Left to Right on the Main South Face

1937 Route- 5.5/

Attitude Adjustment- 5.9+R*/

Black Streak- 5.12b*/

Skin the Cat- 5.11b*/

Beached Whale- 110’-5.9***/ Just left of the large leaning tree (2022).  This is a decent length sport route on the wall worth doing if you are up here.  There are two one move cruxes, both exactly the same, near the end.  If you have someone watching you that you want to impress, you can heel hook both.  If not, just make a high step or as the name implies, some obviously prefer to beach whale it.  The rest of the route is considerably below grade.  Fixed rap, 7 clips. First clip is hidden in a scoop.  Dow

Easy Out- 5.7R/

Central Corner- 275’-5.10a****/ 240’ of this South Platte classic is easy climbing.  Start up the third bolted line you encounter on the hike in below the wall, just to climber’s left of a decent tree.  Clip 9 cold shut hangers.  Skip the fixed anchor and start angling up and right on 4^th and 5^th class terrain to the base of the real objective, the slightly overhanging right facing corner. Belay below an easy ramp.  Climb the ramp and quickly access the corner.  Jam your way to the roof and traverse out right and pull it, again mostly on jams.  Place a #.5 at the outer edge of the roof to prevent your rope from catching on your last medium to large piece under the roof.  Sling a boulder on top for the belay.  Walk off skier’s left.  Draws for the bolted first pitch.  Single from #.5 to #4.  Double from #1 to #3.  70m rope makes this a more manageable two pitch climb.  Dow

Dave Bell Memorial Route- 85’-5.9**/ This is the 2^nd bolted line below on this section of the wall, as you approach from the east.  It has one move at the grade, above the third bolt.  Several on MP.com think this is a 5.10a move, but it felt no more than 5.9 to me.  It is easy to cheat and go right, but the intent is straight up on small crimps, and then trend right before trending left again to the fixed rap.  4 clips (most of the pitch is 5.7).  Dow 

Lookatdat- 85’-5.7***/ I climbed this route with hiking shoes and never slipped during a rain storm.  It is more like 5.5 in many areas but I can see its allure.   It is a pretty green patina rolling slab with many positive features.  5 clips to a shared fixed rap with Dave Bell Memorial.  Dow

Routes Listed Left to Right to the East of the Main South Face

Wally World- 5.5**/

Route to Baga (sic)- 5.9/

Vegomatic- 5.8/

Eastern Front- 5.7*/