Halfway up the problem where some intersting erosion patterns make solid hand holds and allow for the feet to match up and reposition.

This was a good spot by my campsite for the Fat Tire Fest and yes I forgot my climbing shoes. Climber, Alex Morris/Photo, Melissa Triester

this is a fun problem to go out and do on a chill day

Easy and tons of fun. A more difficult variation sit starts low on the right side to the same top out.

beutiful scenery to check out while hiking in a place my friends call "surface of the moon".

This is a buddy of mine leading the first pitch of Dewar Dihedral with the sun in the background.

This is the beautiful Monolith Spire, of the three prominent cracks, Taming of the Shrew is on the left. Dewar is just around the corner to the left of Taming of the Shrew.

This is Red Iguana. My friend is at the crux of the route. He lead the route but there was only the two of us so I couldn't take a picture while lead belaying him. We did laps on the route and this is him on his third lap.

In this picture you can see just some of the climbing in the area, such as Two Cents Worth. You can also see the 300 foot rappel to get into the area.

This is my first real crack climb even though it kind of almost maybe looks like I'm leading it. Booya. Double Jeopardy is a single pitch 5.10 hand crack. The crux for most people is actually at the very bottom of the climb where you have to pull yourself onto this giant shelf (you can see it in the background). For me, however, the crux was a basic hand crack that makes up about half the route. My technique has gotten a lot better but man, that first crack is tough. The photo is taken by Tom who's belaying me from the anchor.

I am not quite half-way up the route Cool Breeze and am just getting past the 30 foot perfect hands section and going into the overhanging fists and offwidth. After that section it goes into a pumpy, overhanging, hard to protect flake. After that there are some huecos and then the anchor.

This is where the 5.9 perfect hands section end and the 5.11 overhanging fists and offwidth begin. The route is only a "Cool Breeze" for about 30 feet of the 80 total feet. Fun climb, I highly reccommend it.

Independence from the approach, mid spring of 2004, a beautiful day to climb!

My friend leading the route. He is currently at the crux of the route.

My friend about 20 feet from the top de-pumping from the overhanging crack on a large ledge.

At the anchor finally. It is the best climb and Liberty Cap and it's one of those climbs where you breathe out hard when you get to the top.

Me doing a tyrolian traverse between grand view spire and the canyon rim, with independence monument in the background.

This is me climbing , im about half way through the first pitch

This is Fast Draw. It is one of the best cracks I have done on the Colorado National Monument and the only Spire. It is hard for the rating, I think. The second pitch is sport with lots of chimney work.

This is the very bottom of Sentinal Spire's route Fast Draw. It is hard because it is reachy and very thin. Also, there is like a ten foot drop between where the belayer is standing and where the spire starts.

This is Irish Pride. Personally, I found the hike up to the route harder than the actual route. The route is kind of scary on lead. I doubt whomever bolted the route even looked at the route before they bolted it. It feel kind of runoutish between bolts after the first two.

My friend Jew-lian leading Irish pride with his sweat little biking helmet. The picture was taken right before be bailed of the route and made me lead it, which I didn't mind because it was a really cool route. There are some scary hand-foot matches five feet above the last bolt kind of action on the route. I hope you have two big friends to bring with you on the route if you know what I mean.

I am at the crux and am trying to chalk up quickly before I slip out of the perfect hand jam at the overhanging section. The trick to getting past this seciton is to stick your butt out and get your feet up as high up as you can. The higher your feet get, the better the holds are. This is my favorate route in the monument.

This is Route #3 on the Colorado National Monument. It is a fun route. It has fingers, hands, fists, offwidth, and a overcammed Rock Empire cam that nobody can seem to get out. If you want to know more about it, it is has a grey extendable sling on it and is between finger and hand sized.