Upper Memorial Falls (MT), 5.7-5.8, V0-V7

Overview

Just south of Neihart, which is about 90 miles southeast from Great Falls, the Memorial Falls area is a "new" climbing area since route development ony began in 2014.

The rock is a very hard type called Neihart quartz and is only found in a few places in the world. Before climbers "discovered" it, the only people who paid a whole lot of attention to it were miners, and Neihart once was a busy mining town.

Most of the routes, and the longer ones at that, are at Prospector Crag, but at Upper Memorial Falls you can currently find bouldering, one good sport line, and a decent trad line. To the best of my knowledge, this page and the route page I submitted on MP are the only online sources of information for the trad route. Because the trad route is a pretty obvious line right next to a 5.7 sport route, I can't imagine I was the first person to climb it, and I welcome any information pertaining to who first climbed it and when.

Getting There

Driving south from Neihart, look for a signed parking area for Memorial Falls on the left just after a crossing of Belt Creek. Park here and take trail past the lower and upper falls. Not long after passing the upper falls, cross the stream (the trail is fainter but still exists) and then head a few yards uphill to a prominent cliff that has a single bolted line on it.

Routes

For the bouldering routes, please see the MP page linked to previously.

Roped Routes:

• Two Pines-- Sport, 5.7, 40', 3 bolts and two bolted anchors. The first bolt is high; use a stick clip unless you are solid at this grade.
• Unnamed or Unknown Trad Route-- 5.8, 40', no bolts or anchors. This route follows an obvious crack system just to the right of the Two Pines route. There is some loose rock en route, but I generally found placements I liked, including a couple fall-all-day ones. The 5.8 is my estimate based on my feeling that pulling the small roof down low was a bit harder than anything on Two Pines. Other than that, I'd call the rest 5.6 or 5.7. You can bypass the roof on the right, but I didn't see any good pro there. I did go that way on TR and found it easier, but on lead it likely will be a run-out start. For pro, I used cams, nuts, hexes, and Tricams up to a cam in between a C4 3 and 4. I found that the best anchor was tying off two trees that were a little skinnier than I'd have liked but which had to do. Those first skinny trees I had any faith in were also well back from the top, maybe a good 50', so plan accordingly if you want to set a toprope. Alternatively, you could probably belay a second from the Two Pines anchors and set a directional at the top of this route without too much trouble; there is a spectacular hex placement there, one where pretty much only a hex or large Tricam will work.

Red Tape

None in July 2018.

When to Climb

Spring through fall.

Camping

There is dispersed camping available about a quarter-mile north and on the left.