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5 Cool Missouri Spots to Hang Out and Climb
Courtesy Tuesday Critz
Steven Senger enters the crux of a V7 in mid-Missouri.
Missouri’s landscape provides ample opportunities for rock climbing, but many places are off limits to the casual climber. While climbing sites on private land are often unavailable to the avid rock climber, there are places to get a toehold and ascend. Here are the top five legal and open to the public places to rock climb recommended by Steven Senger, former president of the University of Missouri Climbing Club; Jesse Gross, president of the Kansas City Climbing Club; and Jeremy Collins, who has climbed and developed routes across Missouri.
Cliff Drive is located in northeast Kansas City. Routes here rate from 5.7 to 5.12 in difficulty, based on the Yosemite Decimal System class. Cliff Drive contains routes that ascend more than sixty feet up the limestone cliffs that offer twenty sport and natural leads by the river. Sport climbing involves placing anchors prior to climbing, and as the climber ascends, he or she attaches the rope to the rock by use of the anchors. The Book, a 5.7 route, can be muddy after a rain, but enjoyable for an easier climb. For a harder climb of around 5.12, try The Overhang, which has thin cruxes and thin holds, making it more difficult.
Directions from Kansas City: Take Highway 24 west. Take a right at the Paseo. The Paseo will become Cliff Drive, and the cliffs will be on the right as the road starts to wind.
Elephant Rocks State Park, located at Pilot Knob near St. Louis, is made up of huge granite boulders that stand end-to-end, resembling circus elephants. The site provides myriad opportunities for bouldering with grades of V0 to V10; however, Elephant Rocks does not allow rope climbing or camping. It might be helpful to rub your hands with magnesium carbonate chalk, or gymnastics chalk, to help with grip because the granite may be uncomfortable.
Directions from St. Louis: Take Interstate 55 south out of St. Louis to Highway 67. Turn right at Exit 174 onto southbound Highway 67 and drive past Bonne Terre, Park Hills, Leadington, and into Farmington. On the south side of Farmington, exit onto State Road 221 and travel nine miles. At the Route NN intersection, go straight onto Route NN. Continue for eight miles to a three-way stop. Turn right onto northbound Highway 21 and travel two miles. The park entrance is on the right.
Capen Park at Columbia has a cliff around seventy feet along the creek and a steep bouldering traverse near the parking lot. The park is great for overhang climbing and moderate crack climbing. There are rumored secret bouldering routes in the forest and creek bed in the park. There are ten boulder problems, or short very difficult routes, that may take many attempts, and twenty-five to thirty routes rating 5.6 to 5.11 and V0 to V4. Due to the fact that the bolts are not close to the cliff, you should bring a lot of webbing. Loose rock is also a concern when climbing.
Directions from Columbia: Take Highway 63 south to Stadium Boulevard. Go west on Stadium to Rock Quarry Road and south on Rock Quarry Road to Capen Drive. Take Capen Drive to Capen Park. The parking lot is on the left.
Trappers Camp at Osceola gives climbers a variety of routes from which to choose. Climbs range in difficulty anywhere from 5.5 to 5.11. Climbers on rockclimbing.com rate the Pontoon Wall around a 5.10 for its steepness and number of jugs, or holds. The Halloween Wall, around 5.7, is perfect for beginners because even though it is a steeper, more vertical climb, it has good holds and is easily protected. After you park, walk down the steep hillside just north of the first pull out.
Directions from Sedalia: Take the Route 83 south ramp toward White Branch. Turn left onto Route 83/Wildcat Drive. Turn right onto Route 83. Turn right onto Route 82. There should be two pullouts atop bluffs. Hike south to the rap station, where climbers descend approximately three hundred yards and then hike west through woods.
Truman Lake at Warsaw provides many sport climbs without top-rope accessibility. The Washboard is a prime example of a very challenging and fun sport climb. Rockclimbing.com users recommend bringing a fifty-meter rope and protection devices because many of the sport climbs lack top rope accessibility. Make sure to park at the golf course.
Directions from Warsaw: Go west on Highway 7. Cross the Osage River, and look out for SW 621 Road, which is also called West Dam Access Road; make a right. Take the first left, and park off the road near the gate. From the gate, follow the gravel road on the left to the trail. Follow the trail to the cliffs.
Terms to know
Bolt Anchor used for protection that is permanently drilled into a rock.
Bouldering The practice of climbing large rocks without going more than ten feet or so from the ground, so that a climber can use a spotter and crash pads to descend instead of belay ropes.
Carabiner Clip used to fasten rope to an anchor or connect gear together.
Crux The hardest move or section of a climb.
Lead climbing Climbing technique in which the “lead climber” ascends and hooks the rope into various holds along the route for protection.
Nut A type of passive protection made of a flared piece of metal connected to a cable and designed to be placed in constriction.
Passive protection An anchor that has no moving parts and is usually connected to a wire or sling. Types include hexes, nuts, and slings.
Quickdraw A short sling with a carabiner on each end.
Route The path of a particular climb.
Runners Closed loops of webbing used for protection.
Sport climbing Climbing where the anchors and bolts are already placed in the rock prior to climbing it. As the climber ascends, he or she could use a quickdraw to clip one side to the bolt and the other hanging end of the quickdraw to the rope to prevent him or her from falling.
Top Roping Climbing where the rope is already secured to the anchor before the climber ascends.
Traditional or “Trad climbing” Climbing freely without the use of tools in ascending. The climber only uses hands and feet as well as passive protection, such as nuts and hexes.
Webbing Hollow and flat rope used to make runners.
Climbing scales
The Yosemite Decimal System is the most commonly used grading system in the United States. The first number is the class of the climb and the second number is the difficulty.
Class 1 is walking
Class 2 is hiking up steep trail
Class 3 is steep hiking
Class 4 is steep hiking/scrambling
Class 5 is climbing
Class 6 is aid climbing only
Subgrades increase with difficulty from the easiest at 5.1 to the highest expert level at 5.15. A suffix is often found on grades 5.10 and higher. Alphabetic suffix range a (easiest) to d (hardest) within the grade.
Bouldering is most often measured using the V Scale, or the Hueco Scale. The scale is measured in ‘V’ grades ranging from 0-16. V16 is the hardest climb, and VO is an easier one. VB stands for basic or beginner.
