Climbing Devils Tower - an out of this world experience!

• NOTE: THE TRIP DIARY IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT, MUCH MORE DETAIL WILL BE ADDED SOON! BUT, WE DID WANT TO GET THE PICTURES OUT NOW!

Climber's Notes: It's much cooler and less crowded early in the day. Be sure to bring enough water and dress properly!

Day 1. Saint Louis to Capen Park (Columbia, MO) to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Two hours from Saint Louis on our way West, we stop in Columbia, Missouri to climb at Capen Park, a nice set of bluffs just a mile or so from the University of Missouri. It's surprisingly uncrowded and provides a half-dozen or more anchored top-rope climbs from 5.6 to 5.11+. Click HERE for additional information and pictures of Capen Park. We then continue on, staying overnight at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Day 2. Council Bluffs, Iowa to The Badlands, South Dakota.  Corn Palace, Cabrellas.

Day 3. The Badlands to Mount Rushmore.  No you can't climb on the Presidents, but, some of the best climbing in the West is 1 mile down the road. 

Day 4. Devils Tower to Sturgis to Rushmore.   We checked in a day early at Devils Tower, so to get some more practice we drove 1 hour back to Rushmore and worked out on a double pitch 5.7 and a couple of top-roped 5.8's.

Day 5. Devils Tower - South Face Direct. It's a 5.8 with 800' of exposure, but, once you get going you really don't notice!

Day 6. Devils Tower to the Needles and back to Sioux Falls, Iowa. The Needles in Custer State Park is another one of the finest climbing areas in the U.S.

Day 7. Capen Park, Missouri and back home! Back home in 7 days with 6 days of technical climbing and 1 day hiking/scrambing.