Suggestion: Castle Peak (Mesa County) is 5.3

[Tom Pierce]

I went out today and climbed Castle Peak, the ranked 8'er in Mesa County. It's listed as 5.x here, and after mulling it over I'd say it's 5.3. It sounds easy, but separating the climbing moves from the noticeable exposure and horrifically loose rock was a challenge. Easy enough I suppose, but a fall near the top would probably end very badly, and the rock is just really awful: stacked eggshells and dried mud. If anyone else goes after it (I signed the summit register, only Mike G had previously signed in, and I believe that was in 2004), be careful!
-Tom

[TWorth]

Tom, Good to see you made it. I might have been the last one up there, in 2009. My 2nd attempt after a snowed out attempt in 2008. Climbed the chute on the E end, leaning an old log at the base for an initial foothold. One atop the chute, around an exposed ledge to a safe spot next to a small buttress, about the only semi-solid thing around. From there I could not bring myself to climb that small but exposed gap to the main summit. Looking back, wish I had just gone ahead as I probably would have made it fine but doing so much solo stuff I tend to be pretty conservative, especially with rock like that. So I just rapped off from the small buttress. Don't make it to the W slope much these days and was out of state much of 2009-2011, so never made it back for another attempt. One of the cruddiest small towers I've been on, probably #2 behind Pin Top in Wyoming:

http://www.listsofjohn.com/PeakStats/Cl ... p?Id=10967

-Tim W

[Tom Pierce]

Hey Tim,
Thanks for the message. I know exactly the spot you're talking about, it was a mid-point notch that required 2-3 steep moves up and over. That went OK, but unnerving as I too was solo and by that point unroped over big exposure. I have to say I was less than thrilled downclimbing that spot. Happy to get off that thing. Hey, how would you rate that opening chimney/slot? I did a mini-traverse in from right>left, then up. The moves were easy to spot but awfully loose and exposed. I thought 5.3, but upon reflection it seemed harder than the first part of Lizard Head and I think (?) that's rated 5.5. Anyway, nice chatting with a fellow Castle survivor!
-Tom

[TWorth]

For rating I recall thinking maybe 5.3-5.4, at the time. No fancy moves, just more or less clawed up it. But the looseness added difficulty beyond the rating. Being enclosed somewhat helped. Also, it was very dirty....I was covered in chalk dust by the end of it.

A fall off the N side might be survivable w/o major injury, but off the S side, big problems.

Imagine if that side tower wasn't there to rap from...may not be a safe way to get down.

Wonder how high the benchmark guys got....the datasheet is vague to say the least.

Castle survivor, thats a good phrase as its one of those peaks you just want to get off ASAP. Still I'd like to get back someday but no hurry...maybe this fall.

[John Kirk]

Castle survivor, thats a good phrase as its one of those peaks you just want to get off ASAP.

Glad I'm learning this now instead of when I arrive at the base of this POS...