Bottle Top Tower is a tower formation in Colorado National Monument with a top that, well, looks like a bottle top. I’ve walked by it half a dozen times climbing at Tiara Rado and have always wanted to climb its fun-looking 5.9+ route on its south side called the Bouncing Betty Route. Its only one pitch, but several hundred feet of fun class 3 to low 5th class scrambling leads up to the saddle between the tower and the mesa.

Late afternoon shade on Bottle Top Tower during the hike out from one of our visits at Tiara Rado

The slabs we scrambled up and right to the saddle between the tower and the mesa

My buddy Ryan Marsters was on his week-long desert binge for Thanksgiving week and met me at the Gold Star Canyon trailhead around 9:30am on a Sunday morning to kick off his week. After maybe an hour or so of hiking and fun scrambling up the slabs, we made our way to the saddle and found the interesting crack on the tower’s south face which led to the summit.

Ryan scrambling up a spicy slab

Ryan doing some stem work

Me trying to mimic his maneuvers. Photo by Ryan

The 5.9+ crack to the summit is on the right

The research we had done said it to be a nice “hand crack”. Well, yes, it was a hand crack of sorts for a portion of it, but the description failed to mention a good 15-20′ section of tough, sandy off-width climbing where you really had to jamb your body and bend you leg 90 degrees using your knee on one side and your foot on the other side. There was a hand crack in the back of this off-width, but was way too far back to utilize. I think at one point I used my hips as an actual jamb. This was definitely 5.9+ climbing and being off-width felt harder than that especially since I’m not all that particular good at off-width climbing. Nevertheless, Ryan was patient with me and I pulled the small hand crack roof move at the top of the off-width and got to a decent rest. It was then fairly smooth sailing to the summit anchors (nothing over 5.8). I was glad I led the route clean.

Me starting up the crack. Photo by Ryan

In the off-width portion. Photo by Ryan

Me using my hip jamb. Photo by Ryan

More hip jamming. Photo by Ryan

Grabbing a cam to put in the roof. Photo by Ryan

Me in the chimney portion near the top of the route. Photo by Ryan

The two bolted anchors are on a great ledge a few feet below the summit cap. I then belayed Ryan up to me as he cleaned the route. Even though only one 80-90′ pitch of technical climbing, Bottle Top Tower was a great summit and a fun adventure.

Ryan in the chimney almost up to me at the anchors

Ryan peering over the summit cap’s edge at Grand Junction

Looking east to Liberty Cap Tower in the distance

Ryan found a frozen pool of water on the summit

I set up my camera’s timer and tried to time me karate chopping the ice ala Karate Kid Part II, but it ended up being too thick and the this was the resulting picture. Looks like I am punching Ryan 🙂

Bottle Top Tower summit (5,755′)

A nice view

It was about noon and we rappelled the summit pitch after a good 20 minutes up top. We then stowed the rope and scrambled down the slabs back to the trail, which would take us over to Tara Rado for a few pitches of climbing. Ryan had never been to Tiara Rado, so I was excited to show him a few of my favorites.

Ryan rappelling

Me rapping off Bottle Top Tower. Photo by Ryan

Looking back at the tower’s summit pitch. Photo by Ryan

Ryan on a nice perch on the descent

Ryan heading down a fun chimney

Down-scrambling. Photo by Ryan

Ole Tiara Rado

Ryan leading Short-Cupped Hands (5.9+)

Me starting up 100′ Hands (5.10b)

Ryan on 100′ Hands

By 3pm it was getting pretty chilly and uncomfortable in the shade, so we decided to call it a day given we had a 45 minute hike back to the cars. All in all a great day out with Ryan and by 4pm I was heading back home and he was heading west to meet up with friends.

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