Black Canyon of the Gunnison ClimbinG

Alimony Wall & Blackjack Terrace  (South Rim)

Category: Colorado (Black Canyon)Elev: 6,000-7,000 ftRock Type: Gneiss
Dates: see main page for all days I've climbed in the Black CanyonPartners: see main page for all people I have climbed with in the Black CanyonTrip Report #s: see main page for all trip report numbers corresponding to reports for the Black Canyon

2 Trip Reports

ALIMONY WALL (SOUTH RIM):

May 2020

BLACKJACK TERRACE (SOUTH RIM):

May 2020

This page is trip reports for Alimony Wall and Blackjack Terrace in the Black Canyon. Go to Black Canyon main page to access trip reports on other formations in the Black Canyon.

Table of Contents for this page

Trip reports

Last Payment (5.11, 4p, ~400')

ALIMONY WALL (SOUTH RIM: PAINTED WALL OVERLOOK AREA)
  • Date: May 24, 2020 (Sun)       Partner: Michael Cantrell

The 400-foot Alimony Wall is as close to cragging as you get on the South Rim. It is located mere minutes from the road, and has a number of 3-4 pitch climbs on good rock. Plus, Alimony Wall is shaded for most of the day. Last Payment is perhaps the best route on the wall, climbing a crack system to the top of the wall, with comfortable belay ledges every 100 feet, and a thoughtful 5.11 offwidth crux. 

Michael and I climbed Last Payment as the second of three climbs during a trip to the Black in May 2020, where we did two climbs on the South Rim (Blackjack and Last Payment) before driving 1.5 hours to the North Rim, where we did one more climb (Escape Artist). This was my first time checking out the South Rim, and Michael's first trip to the Black. At the thinnest points on the rim, the South Rim and North Rim are a mere 1,100 feet apart, but it took 1.5 hours to drive around the Black Canyon to get from one rim to the other!

Route Overlay

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach: 

Park at the Painted Wall Overlook, walk up the road a few hundred yards, and then cut through the oak brush to the head of a steep gully that descends alongside Alimony Wall. There is a giant chockstone in the gully. Descend the gully (3rd and 4th), and to get to the base of Last Payment, bushwhack uphill to the base of the wall and start in a junky crack system on the right of the alcove.
A lazy breakfast at the Painted Wall overlook, waiting for temperatures to warm up (it was uncharacteristically cool for late May, and the sun felt nice).
Painted Wall from Painted Wall Overlook.
Painted Wall from Painted Wall Overlook.
Walking along the road to reach the approach gully for Alimony Wall.
Some pretty cacti.
Some sort of cool plant.
Headed into the approach gully. We decided to change to climbing shoes and leave our approach shoes at the top. Climbing without shoes, water, pack, etc. is nice.
The approach gully.
The approach gully.
Looking up the left side of Alimony Wall. The route Alimony climbs a crack system on this side. Next time I have a half day to spare on the South Rim, I will climb this route.

Pitch 1: 

5.8. Vic Zeilman's topo says to take the "least shitty" crack system, which is a great description of the first pitch. Belay at a grassy ledge above.
Looking up Pitch 1.

Pitch 2: 

5.9. Climb up the nice hand-to-fist crack to a large, sloping ledge.
Looking up Pitch 2.

Pitch 3: 

5.11. Climb a fun hand crack, and then puzzle your way through the steep 5.11 offwidth/flare. A #5 cam is nice to have here. (A 5.10 variation to the right avoids the 5.11 flare, but why do that, this part is cool!). Belay at another ledge above.
Looking up Pitch 3. The 5.11 crux is pulling through the offwidth/flare. Michael the offwidth specialist highly enjoyed this pitch.

Pitch 4: 

5.8. Continue up a crack/corner, exit right through a notch, and then finish left in a chimney system.
Looking up at the first half of Pitch 4.
Looking down the first half of Pitch 4 from the notch.
The body-width chimney after the notch.

Top out: 

Top out on the top of Alimony Wall. A quick hike brings you back to the road and the Painted Wall overlook. 
On top.
We had an audience standing at the Painted Wall overlook.

Other photos:

Random photos from the afternoon. This was a short route and we finished around noon. We debated climbing Alimony as well, but decided to spend the afternoon driving to the North Rim (~1.5 hours drive from South Rim), nab a campsite with a cell signal in the BLM land, get some work done (Michael had a paper to write and I had some overlays needing to be created), and relax in preparation for another climb the next day. 
Michael working on writing a paper.
Me working on my trip report.
Dinner with a view. Car being used as a windblock, since it can get rather windy on the flats north of the rim.
Couldn't do this trip without my car.

Blackjack (5.9+, 4-8p, ~1000')

BLACKJACK TERRACE (SOUTH RIM: CHILLUMSTONE GULLY)
  • Date: May 23, 2020 (Sat)       Partner: Michael Cantrell

Blackjack is one of the better sub-5.10 climbs on the South Rim, especially for those who like a bit of adventure in their climbing. The route climbs the massive-left-facing corner system directly across from North Chasm View Wall on the north rim. The majority of the route consists of sustained 5.9 hand cracks, chimneys, and squeezes that protect fairly well overall and with a 5.9+ crux move here and there. The first four pitches are quite good. After this, typical of routes in the Black, one must navigate an equal amount of unmemorable 5.7 terrain to reach the rim. 

Michael and I climbed Last Payment as the first of three climbs during a trip to the Black in May 2020, where we did two climbs on the South Rim (Blackjack and Last Payment) before driving 1.5 hours to the North Rim, where we did one more climb (Escape Artist). This was my first time checking out the South Rim, and Michael's first trip to the Black. At the thinnest points on the rim, the South Rim and North Rim are a mere 1,100 feet apart, but it took 1.5 hours to drive around the Black Canyon to get from one rim to the other!

Route Overlay

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach: 

Descend the Chillumstone Gully, which entails some scrambling and a single rappel on a fixed line. Navigate through some 4th to low 5th class to get to Blackjack Terrace, and then walk to the end of Blackjack Terrace and scramble up a bit of 4th class to below the enormous corner system.
The visitor center was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Parking at the Devil's Overlook.
Some pretty lupine in the morning sun.
We followed the guidebook's instructions to head down the road and turn off into the bush at the 20mph sign. This worked perfectly.
Beginning the descent of Chillumstone Gully.
Further down Chillumstone Gully. The gully was lusher than the North Rim gullies such as SOB Gully and Cruise Gully.
Michael at the rappel over the giant chockstone.
The rappel anchor.
Michael beginning the rappel.
The rope was a tad suspect in places. Coupled with the fact that it was quite a fight to get the fat/stiff rope to fit into our belay devices, next time I would choose to rappel using our own rope. It would actually have been quicker, and much safer.
Blackjack Terrace starts on the left side of the photo.
A bit of 4th to low 5th to navigate to get onto the terrace.
Hiking across Blackjack Terrace.

Pitch 1: 

5.9+. Climb up a slot-like dihedral feature and then turn left and follow a steep hand crack. Continue up and left, belaying in the main corner system. This is a long pitch, ~55m.
Looking up Pitch 1.
Further up Pitch 1.
A relaxing belay....
...with a view of North Chasm View Wall. One of the best parts about climbing on the South Rim is getting a new view of all of the routes on the North Rim.

Pitch 2: 

5.9. Climb through a chimney and then continue up double cracks in the pegmatite to a belay stance on the right, just after a wide section (a #5 is nice to have here). This is another long pitch, ~55m.
Looking up Pitch 2.
Looking down from the top of the chimney section on Pitch 2.
Looking up the double cracks on Pitch 2.
Looking down Pitch 2 from the belay. A #5 is nice to have for the final wide section.
A view of Checkerboard Wall and Newberry's Slabs across on the North Rim.

Pitch 3: 

5.9 to 5.9+. Continue up the double cracks. The main corner becomes a bit wide, but you can stem and squeeze your way up it. The pitch finishes with some moves through a 5.9+ roof/bulge. Belay at the first available stance out left. This is another long pitch, ~55m. It is possible to set a belay in the corner beneath the roof/bulge, which is what we did since we were running a bit low on gear.
Looking up Pitch 3.
Further up Pitch 3. You can see the 5.9+ roof/bulge above.

Pitch 4: 

5.9 to 5.9+. Climb up cracks and features until the angle lessens. Trending left to a large ledge with great views. It is possible to link this pitch with the 5.9+ roof/bulge section from Pitch 3 (which is what we did).
Looking down from just below the roof/bulge. We combined this section with Pitch 4. Michael is belaying at the optional belay stance mentioned for Pitch 3.
The crack system of Pitch 4 above the roof/bulge.

Pitches 5-8: 

4th up to 5.7. Continue for another 500-600' up the ridge. It is difficult to simulclimb this part due to rope-drag. We ended up unroping for most of it, using a rope only on the first and last parts. The other option ("sucks worse" as Vic accurately jokes in his guidebook) is to scramble into the gully on the right and bushwhack to the rim via a steep drainage. 
Michael starting us off on the final ridge climb. We unroped after the first lead and soloed until the final section.
The first bit of the ridge. This part was 5.7.
The "sucks worse" exit. Yeah, I'd rather take the ridge any day.
An easy section of the ridge. Soloing here is the way to go.
The upper part of the ridge. This was low-5th and we continued to solo for awhile.
On the upper part of the ridge.
We roped back up for this final part. If you fell here you would probably end up in Gunnison River.

Top out: 

From the top of the buttress, hike easily to the main road, staying left of the large drainage.
(no photos)

Other photos: 

Random photos from the afternoon and evening. 
We checked out some of the overlooks after the climb. It was cool to see the North Rim objectives from a new perspective.
A view of North Chasm View Wall, Checkerboard Wall, and Newberry's Slabs from the Chasm View Overlook.
Some climbers on North Chasm View Wall, just above the wild 5.12+ crux of 827 Go!
Enjoying the free camping in the BLM area to the south of the South Rim.
Michael's dinner. Good thing it tastes much better than what it reminded me of!
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