The Hideaway, 5.7-5.8

Overview/Approach

The Hideaway and Humphrey’s Dome are some of the more remote and less visited destinations in all of South Platte. Part of the reason no doubt is that when it and other developed climbing areas in the vicinity were developed there was a road you could drive in on.  After major fires, the road was closed to through traffic.  The approach for Hideaway is relatively long for the few quality routes available (only 4 published as of 2024).  There are no bolts.  Combining this destination with Humphreys makes a lot of sense and all four published routes (2024) on the Hideaway are quality moderate climbs, two of which are multi-pitch. 

If you took the effort to hike to this wall, the two must do routes are Chuck’s Corner, 5.8***, and Dara’s Dihedral, 5.8***.  These two routes represent opposing sides to a tower like feature leaning against the wall at the west end of the south face.  The most efficient way of climbing both is to climb Chuck’s first and then traverse up and right to rappel off of a decent sized tree (photo) either down to the east side gully and scramble down from there to the base of Dara’s or keep rapping the route on gear that you can clean up as you climb back to the tree (three total raps on a 70m).  Once you have climbed back up to the tree, you can easily un rope and head northwest for the relatively easy walk off to the west of the wall in a vegatated gully.  The other two published (as of 2024) routes share the same finish and fixed nut (2024) rap.  Koby’s Crack, 5.7*, and Koby’s Direct, 5.7*, are two single pitch routes just to the east of the 5.8’s.  

Approach beta was not a priority for Fixed Pin and the authors when publishing this relatively modern (as of 2024) guide.  They take a lot of time and space on route descriptions, only to revert to some old school ethic of not describing some of the approaches in any meaningful fashion.  The Hideaway’s approach is one of the more lacking.  If you have climbed Humphrey’s Dome, you assume the Hideaway is not near as big when scouring the guide’s topo map.  But in reality, The Hideaway is larger in total square feet.  This is a wide formation in comparison to Humphreys and to approach the established climbs you must walk in the forest below to the far western end of the south facing aspects of its many walls.  Unlike Humphrey’s where you ascend brush and boulders to the face, you start climbing a lower SW facing wall off the forest floor.  Therefore, you are looking for both of these well-defined corners (Chuck’s and Dara’s) right off the ground for the most part. 

From the north, turn onto CO Hwy 126 through Pine towards Deckers. Turn west onto South Buffalo Creek Road near the hamlet of Buffalo Creek across from Highway 96 which takes you the opposite direction to Cathedral Spires.  There is a huge mountain bike parking area, complete with restrooms, etc. on the left as soon as you turn west and pass a community center.  Park here and bike along the dirt road heading west which follows Buffalo Creek itself.  There are multiple gates and/or cattle guards to bike through.  The main concept is that you will eventually see Humphreys on your right and not long after you will come to an obvious gate on your right immediately off the road.  Maybe 30 minutes biking slightly up hill with large packs. Go through this gate and take a wooden plank (2024) bridge over a creek.  Continue on a more primitive road for a short distance, leaving it before a major switchback right and up a hill (which ends at a private cabin).  Park the bikes in the easy to walk through forest and angle northwest for the coordinates (supplied) of the Hideaway.  As you near the base of the wall(s) near the southeast corner, turn left below the lower broad south face.  Walk through the forest floor to the west end where the two dihedrals, Chucks and Daras, become obvious.  Chucks is on the left, Daras is on the right.  The two 5.7 routes are just slightly right of these dihedrals.

Routes Listed Left to Right as you face this South Facing Wall

Chuck’s Corner, 2 Pitches, 5.8***/ The guide has the 2^nd pitch way longer than it is.  Both pitches are 115’ long and with proper extension, you could lead this route in one pitch with a 70m rope.  Both pitches are rated 5.8.  The first pitch is cleaner.  Start up the wide left facing corner and start placing gear about 20’ up.  The slab out left always has decent feet.  No real crux, mostly a cruiser.  You can belay out left at 115’ near a tree on a comfortable ledge.  The 2^nd pitch had no real crux either.  Just more of the same, but it is mossy and dirtier.  Once you reach the comfortable chimney area, you can mantle up right and set a belay with medium gear.  From there, you can follow 5^th class slab up to a significant tree where we left a sling and biner in 2024 so you can rap Dara’s Dihedral and climb that route before walking off to the west.  The gear call in the Fixed Pin guide was single to #5, doubles #1 to #4.  That rack would be excessive for me on either pitch, but just about right if leading both pitches at 230’.  The 2^nd pitch takes small gear near the end, the first pitch does not take any small gear.  Dow

Dara’s Dihedral, 2 Pitches, 5.8***/ This dihedral is located on the opposite side of the pillar that forms Chuck’s Corner.  This is a right facing wide arcing corner.  This route is not as good as Chuck’s Corner, not as clean rock, but it offers a different style for sure.  To reach a comfortable belay ledge with a boulder to sling at the top of the 1^st pitch, it is better to have a 70m rope as it is approximately 210’ to reach it.  The Fixed Pin guide references 140’, but it is way off on most of its lengths on the more remote features of South Platte.  Start by tunnelling through a hole below a massive chossy block.  Gain the corner.  Most of the climbing is actually on the slab, visiting the corner to place gear.  You can place a single rack from #.5 to #7.  You don’t need the #7, but if you are climbing Sugar Magnolia on nearby Humphrey’s, you might have it anyway.  The Fixed Pin guide recommends 2-3 #6’s, but I would be comfortable with one even if I did not use the #7.  This route, by nature, will be a bit run out, but the climbing is never above grade and the corner constantly bites down for other gear.  The crux is near the end of this pitch where it stays wide and deep.  You will run it out short of placing big bros, but the slab is well featured and less chossy at this height.  Eventually you get a #4 in just before reaching the belay ledge.  The guide also calls for double from #1 to #5 which is overkill for a competent leader at the grade.  I took a single rack from #.5 to #7 and thought it perfect.  The 2^nd pitch is approximately 115’.  Follow the arcing corner to its end, head up easy ground to a gear belay where you can walk off.  The start of this pitch offers good fingers with feet on textured slab.  Fun climbing at the grade.  Turn the corner and finish above.  Dow

Koby’s Crack- 115’-5.7*/ The guide gives both of these 5.7’s three stars as well (both 5.8’s are deserving).  But that is overrated for the 5.7’s.  Koby direct is just a short variation to Koby’s Crack.  For Koby’s crack, follow the arcing right facing corner located not far to the east of Dara’s Dihedral.  The Fixed Pin guide calls for a single to #6, but a competent leader at the grade does not need the #6 nor #5.  The corner bites down plenty to get other gear in.  This is the exact same style as Dara’s Dihedral.  You place gear in the corner, but for much of the climb you will be climbing textured slab out right.  It is a bit mossy and dirty for the first half but improves for the 2^nd half.  You reach a three-nut fixed rap which was in good condition as of 2024.  Dow

Koby’s Direct- 115’-5.7*/ This route is considerably easier than Koby’s Crack, probably a 5.6 by South Platte standards.   Climb the easy, heavily featured, hand crack to the right until it ties into the finish of Koby’s Crack and use the same shared fixed nut rappel.  Don’t need anything larger than a #2 on lead for this route.  Dow

Descent

Descent for both of the 5.8’s on this wall is to walk north for a quick bit and then drop down west and return through a vegatated gully back to the base of the routes.  The 5.7’s share a fixed gear rap.  Both of these routes are 115’, but a 60m will get you down just barely on rappel.  If you want to top rope these routes, a 70m just does it for either route.