Trip Report
Red Castle Peak, Uintas. TR
Friday July 20, 2012 3:08pm
After many years of not doing this we finally made it out to Red Castle to see about some climbing potential.

Our first view after 6 miles of hiking. Only a few more to go.

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Looks like some potential....

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Getting closer and looking for a line.

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Lots of rain recently has left many of the potential lines running with water.

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No climbing yet, but we did find a mummified Rufous Hummingbird at over 11,000'. It was kind enough to pose for a photo.

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After several hours of goofing around....we found something dry and suitable for climbers of our ablities.

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Pitch 1

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Pitch 2

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Adios Red Castle.

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A topo of our route on the North Spur of Red Castle NE Peak.

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  Trip Report Views: 8,605
Rudyj2
About the Author
Rudyj2 is a trad climber from UT.

Comments
PellucidWombat

Mountain climber
Draperderr, by Bangerter, Utah
  Jul 20, 2012 - 03:11pm PT
Mummified hummingbird?! Weird . . .
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
  Jul 20, 2012 - 03:16pm PT
that mountain looks awesome!
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jul 20, 2012 - 03:26pm PT
Nice!
Rudyj2

Sport climber
UT
Author's Reply  Jul 20, 2012 - 03:31pm PT
Yeah, the hummingbird was weird. I guess it wasn't technicaly mummified more like dessicated I guess.

And yes....it is a very awesome mountain, someday I hope to go back with more time and more sack.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Jul 20, 2012 - 04:32pm PT
Looks awesome. Would love to get into the range sometime.
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Jul 20, 2012 - 04:38pm PT
looks good, what kind of rock?
Rudyj2

Sport climber
UT
Author's Reply  Jul 20, 2012 - 04:40pm PT
Quartzite for the most part. Some shale layers and some places where the quartzite more closely resembles sandstone.
labrat

Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
  Jul 20, 2012 - 04:57pm PT
Thank you!
Zander

climber
  Jul 20, 2012 - 11:20pm PT
Looks like fun back there. Thanks for posting.
Z
fsck

climber
  Jul 21, 2012 - 01:58pm PT
very cool. the uinta range is so awesome. some of the best cragging and bouldering i've done. i might have to take a trip up and check out this peak. looks like a great place for some adventure climbing.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
  Jul 22, 2012 - 10:54am PT
You don't see that everyday.
In particular, this idea that the closer you get, the better the rock looks!
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Jul 22, 2012 - 01:32pm PT
sweet!
dfinnecy

Social climber
'stralia
  Jul 22, 2012 - 04:27pm PT
From Summit Post:

Another very rugged peak is located in the north central portion of the High Uintas Wilderness Area. This is the famous Red Castle. The true Red Castle (northern peaks of the massif) is or was reportedly unclimbed according to several sources dating at least as late at 1991. I can’t confirm this for sure, but was told so by several rangers and climbers when working as a backpacking guide/instructor in the High Uintas Wilderness in 1990 and 1991. If anyone knows if this is or isn’t the case, please post and addition/correction here. If this really is the case, it would certainly make Red Castle one of the last unclimbed peaks in the Rockies. In any case, it looks horribly loose and dangerous, but not completely vertical.

Surely it isn't unclimbed? Was it unclimbed in 91? The rock looks great upclose,...

TFPU!
Rudyj2

Sport climber
UT
Author's Reply  Jul 22, 2012 - 04:54pm PT
I doubt very much that it was unclimbed before this summer, and if it was unclimbed before....it has been climbed now. We found a cairn on top of the Red Castle Northeast Peak also. That one at least had been climbed before.

The Hummingbird was in a protected spot at the base of the wall and may have been a somewhat recent casualty.
John Butler

Social climber
SLC, Utah
  Jul 22, 2012 - 09:48pm PT
I love the North slope of the Uintas... you can spends days up there and not see anyone.

TFPU

I think I need to get up there again.
fosburg

climber
  Jul 22, 2012 - 10:40pm PT
Very nice!
Bowser

Social climber
Durango CO
  Jul 22, 2012 - 11:03pm PT
Awesome adventure climbing. Great job guys.

TB
Rudyj2

Sport climber
UT
Author's Reply  Sep 6, 2012 - 10:45am PT


I added a topo of the route we did.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Sep 6, 2012 - 10:51am PT
Nicely done....looks like good quartzite.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  Sep 6, 2012 - 01:38pm PT
Good lookin' line and rock!

Thanks for the TR.
Rudyj2

Sport climber
UT
Author's Reply  Sep 6, 2012 - 06:33pm PT
Thanks.

Pretty much a consolation prize when considering the scope and size of the terrain. Any ascent of the Red Castle Peaks from the west side will require a pretty large amount of effort and more time then we had. I hope to go back next season, maybe with horsepack support.

For now it is on to the East face of Yard Peak to have a look at potential.
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