Spillimacheen Klippen
Spillimacheen Klippen
The premiere climbing area adjacent to Golden is at Spillimacheen on the south facing slopes of Jubilee Mountain. There are now close to 300 climbs to choose from. The climbing is predominantly on dolomite and limestone. Climbs are mainly bolted and are predominantly one pitch, ranging from 5.5 to 5.12 with an emphasis on moderate grades. Most climbs can be done with a 60m rope, although a number require a 70m. There are a number of distinct cliffs, the largest being Hueco Wall which boasts a number of two pitch climbs. Further along, Nathan's, Salmon, and Julian's Wall offer short and somewhat harder steep fingery climbs with sharp edges. The current guidebook is "A Rock Climber's Guide to Spillimacheen" by David Jone and Bruce Failey, available at the Four Points bookstore in Golden and the two climbing gyms in Golden. The guidebook lists 244 climbs of which about 160 are 5.10a or below. Close to three dozen new climbs have been added since the guidebook was published.
To get to the cliff: drive 62km south from Golden to the hamlet of Spillimacheen and turn right (west) on Westside Road. Cross the railroad tracks and the Columbia River and at the fork continue straight ahead. Cross the bridge over the Spillimacheen River and climb a long hill; at the switchback take the road to the left. The first parking lot has a Forest Service Notice Board and services all the cliffs from Pirates Wall to Red Slab. The second parking lot services Nathan's to Julian's Wall; the third lot gives quick access to Julian's Wall and Tiger Tower. A smaller glen about 300 meters west of the third lot is used for Far West Wall.
There is camping available at the base of the cliffs, with pit toilets, and a composting toilet at the base of Hueco Wall, but there is no water or other facilities.
Travel safely and responsibly. Please remember to:
- Take care to follow any fire restrictions in place, as the site can be very dry.
- Do not to shotrcut trails as the site is quite fragile and erosion is a continuing problem.
- Pack-in, pack out. Please clean up after yourself
- For more tips visit our Responsible Travel page.
Route updates are posted from time to time on Instagram at www.spillyrockclimbing
