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The Dark Side Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in The Dark Side

L › R R › L A › Z

	27 Tons S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Acetylcholine S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Animatronic S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Asym S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Audition, The S 5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Beginner's Outing S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Black 'N Dicey S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Black Awareness S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Black Dihedral T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Blank Frank S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a
	Bonnie S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Call From Overseas S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Captain Caveman S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Clyde S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Corner Pockets S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Counter Balance S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13
	Crack Happens S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Crack's On Top, The S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Crown of Thorns aka Box Lunch aka Lou Raven's Rest S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Dark Side Roofs S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Eagle Has Landed, The S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Eat, Drink, and Beat Larry S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Edge Of Fright S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	El Guapo S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Enchanted Porkfist S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Everybody Was Here S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Face The Music S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Fat Like Butta S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Fight or Flight S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Fragile S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Go East, Old Man S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	I Scare Myself T,S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R
	Karen S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Kashmere S 5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b
	Kinesthesia S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Levels of the Game S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Line of Strength S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R
	Lumina S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Man in Black S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Mannequin S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Missing Hangers aka Hangers Regained S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Muted by Reality S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Papillion S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Plum, The S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Porkus Procurement S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Puddle Of Holes S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
	Punjabi S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Red Devil S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Redlined S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Rip It S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Route Fluffer S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Shelf Road Virgin S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Show Me Your Bolts S 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Slap Me S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Stink Finger S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Stuck in the Middle With You S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Suspender Man S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Swinging Richards S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Teenage Wristband S 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Thank Heaven for Little Girls S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Trolling For Holds S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Two Hearts S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	U Pump It S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Unknown S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Unknown But Worth Doing S 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Viaggro S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Void Lloyd S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a
	Warm Busch Beer T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Way We Were, The T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
	Welcoming, The S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Whisper To A Scream S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a

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Elevation:	6,800 ft
GPS:	38.6281, -105.2239 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	94,069 total · 360/month
Shared By:	Richard M. Wright on Sep 28, 2001 · Updates
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

Description

The name says it all. Dark rock, in the shade, and a good choice for pulling limestone pockets on a hot day. This excellent crag offers a somewhat unique experience from other crags in the main Shelf area. This is one of the "old school" crags at Shelf, with bolting & grading more in line with the original lines at The Bank, Sand Gulch & The Gallery. If you're used to Cactus Cliff style bolting, be prepared for spaced-out bolts, and be prepared to supplement some routes with gear.

As for the climbing, many of the walls are relatively slabby, with fluted black rock that can be uncommonly sharp in places. There are numerous longer lines, but generally the routes here are shorter than those at Cactus or The Gym. Overall the route quality is excellent, despite the mysterious sparsity of stars in the latest guidebook from Sharp End.

Finally, despite the name, in the height of summer, when shade is at a premium, this crag bakes in the sun 'till mid-day. Thankfully the crags sickle-shape provides shade for the East end of the crag a bit earlier (~10am). There are a number of dihedrals that provide earlier shade for routes such as Punjabi, and the routes around Suspender Man.

Getting There

There are two ways to approach the Dark Side, depending on the routes you're headed for. Park at the newly expanded parking lot just past The Bank campground for both approaches.

For routes on the West end of the cliff, hike down from the parking area toward the Bank. Shortly after the road drops down a bit you can pick up a trail to the right. This trail will take you to the 2150 Wall, Cactus, etc, or to The Dark Side by staying hard right ~15 feet after leaving the road. Head East just below the cliff band, where you will encounter various scrambling sections not suitable for young kids.

For routes on the East end of the cliff, hike ~100 yds back down the road, towards Canon City, to a turnoff on the left (N) side of the road that leads to the Group Camp site. Walk towards the Group site, which is surrounded by a ridiculous fence. Once you reach the fence pick up a faint trail that heads East along the fence line. Follow this for ~30 yds to the cliff band atop the bank. Locate a fixed rope or two, and down climb the 3rd class chimney to the base of the cliff. There are ~5 routes located East of this downclimb, but the rest of the routes are to the West. The first route encountered to the West of the downclimb is "Slap Me".

71 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at The Dark Side

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 279 ● Lumina Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 63 ● Acetylcholine Sport
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a 143 ● Fight or Flight Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 68 ● Black 'N Dicey Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 111 ● 27 Tons Sport
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 164 ● Teenage Wristband Sport
5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 81 ● Unknown But Worth Doing Sport
5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 157 ● Porkus Procurement Sport
5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b 96 ● Corner Pockets Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 298 ● Enchanted Porkfist Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 43 ● Crown of Thorns aka Box Lunch a… Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c 48 ● Dark Side Roofs Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 81 ● Muted by Reality Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 88 ● Suspender Man Sport
5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a 36 ● Blank Frank Sport