Rainbow Tower

About

Rainbow Tower is a rock climbing destination located near Grand Junction on the Western Slope. The site features an elevation of 4,642 feet and offers a moderate difficulty level for climbers. The typical visit duration is approximately six hours, with parking available on site and pets permitted. The tower climbs an obvious, giant left-facing dihedral. The route begins with ten feet of mank leading into a thin splitter crack. Climbers ascend this crack on small gear until it widens, revealing a pin to the right that leads to a two-pin anchor in an alcove (rated 5.6 or C1, 115 feet). From the alcove, three crack options lead to a chimney. Climbing the center crack involves awkward 5.9 moves into a chimney with two aid bolts, leading to the Torpedo Block and an anchor in a notch (5.9 or C1, 65 feet). The right crack merges with the center in the chimney, while the left crack meets them just before the Torpedo Block. The final pitch involves a short crack with pin holes, requiring hand-placed pins to aid up the face to a mantel on the summit (5.7 or C1+, 40 feet). The summit itself has no fixed anchor, though climbers may replace pins left by previous parties. Descent involves rappelling from the summit to the notch on top of pitch two, followed by a double-rope rappel to the ground. The climbing route is available year-round from January through December, though seasonal weather conditions affect trail and climbing conditions. The area is characterized by jaggy red rocks, exposed cliff faces, technical boulders, and sandstone blocks. Local resources include Summit Canyon Mountaineering downtown, REI east of downtown, and the Western Colorado Climbers' Coalition for access updates.