Main Elk Update

The cliffs around the Pup Tent in Main Elk have seen some major filling in, here’s the updated route list. A big thanks to Jeff Achey for the beta, and all the work he’s put in towards local climbing.

Routes listed from right to left. Bolded brackets are the climbs in the guidebook.

5.8** Short black buttress just off the Hadley Gulch trail.

5.10c* Just left of the buttress route, around the left side of a roof to a steep arete.

Grasshopper, 5.11c, 4 bolts. This and the next route are on the next nice wall downhill from the trailside routes. This one is a short pitch on a blunt prow just before the trail descends steeply away from the cliff.

Total Eclipse, 5.12a***, 7 bolts. Good holds up the steep face to a bouldery roof. Anchors high on the upper slab.

Dual Sport, 5.11c**, 7 bolts, one 3-4” cam needed. Up the face left of a leaning flake, crack climb for 15 feet (5.8), then cross over the flake and pass a stack of blocks to a dramatic headwall finish.

Variation: Supercross, 5.12a**, 2 bolts. “Added value” finish to Dual Sport, a handrail out right. Traverse back left under the summit roofs to shared anchors.

Subprime, 5.10d***, 6 bolts. Starts near the left side of a smooth tan wall. Reachy boulder problem start, then long pulls and balance moves up face.

Stimulus Package, 5.11d***, 8 bolts. Follows a leaning arete feature. Start in a dihedral, then climb the right side of the arete to a shelf and finish in an overhanging corner crack.

Toxic Asset, 5.10+*, trad, 3 fixed pins. Good stemming in a chossy trad dihedral. Finish on the Stimulus Package top-out.

Dope, 5.11+ R**, trad, 4 fixed pins. Climb a series of pods to a roof, hand traverse left to an overhanging seam with three fixed pins, then exit right to a balancey mantel. Pup Tent’s hardest trad route.

Speed, 5.12a*, 4 bolts 3 fixed pins. A sport start to the pin-protected crux exit of Dope.

Hope, 5.12a/b***, 7 bolts. Climbs a multicolored face a bit right of the Eternity dihedral, with the crux at the chains.

[Eternity. 5.11a mixed.]

Jennifer’s World, 5.11c**. A crack line just around the arete from Eternity. Long and a bit old-school – pins and fixed nuts supplement the bolts for pro, and the finger-jam roof crux tops out the crag.

[Masters of Bone. 5.12c/d. Pup Tent’s hardest route]

[Rex Luthor. 5.11c.]

[Craptonite. 5.12a.]

[Puppy Power. 5.11d.]

[Easiest. 5.7.]

[Easy. 5.9/5.10a.]

[Easier. 5.8.]

Crack of Dawn, 5.10+*, 2 bolts. A crack line tucked back in the little cave. Barndoor laybacking to a sporty top-out (will take a 1” cam). Finish purely in the crack or stem to the back wall.

Crack of Despair, 5.12b*, 4 bolts. Short, bouldery climb that finishes in a dihedral.

[Deputy Dawg. 5.8]

[Country Style. 5.8]

5.7*. Stepped arete to anchors shared with next route.

5.8. A trad half pitch in the righthand branch of a deep alcove. Traverse right to anchors at the first break.

Don’t Touch Me With That, 5.9+**, trad, one fixed thread. Climbs a chimney/cave feature to an overhanging dihedral. Well protected and unique.

[First Blood. 5.9.]

Magical Handhold, 5.10c**, 7 bolts. Continuously challenging climbing up the center of the brown face left of First Blood. Finish up a black flake

[Another Dirty Crack. 5.7 trad.]

[Subtle Knife. 5.9.]

5.8*. Right side of face into dihedral to anchors on ledge.

Puppy Love, 5.11c***, 9 bolts, 1 fixed wire. Climbs an undulating wall, then past a triangular roof and up an overhanging seam. Step right on upper headwall to finish.

5.8*. Arete of freestanding black pinnacle.

Girls With Guns, 5.10d***, 11 bolts. Climbs the center of the farthest left buttress at the Pup Tent. Long and sustained.