The cave boulder on the approach to sugarloaf begging to be climbed. Start all the way in, finding hands. Lift off. Pull the lip and fire the roof.

Sugar Rush

Beginners Delight

The Sherriff

Green Room

Buzz

The pillar

The Beekeeper

Amoeba Route

Keystone Light

NW corner

Lonely Arete

West Face Overhang

Runnin' Late

The Deputy

Fear and Loafing

Air Pig

East Face

Running Scared Direct

Time bandits

First lead

Shakedown Street

Leftover Salmon

The Exterminator

Running Scared

One Eyed Lady

The Saga

Franklin's Tower

Rope Thief

The Lamp

Matador

Franklin's Direct

Six Pack

Tiny Hammer

Winona Alpine Club

E-Walks

Ramp Route

Back in the Saddle

Beginners Delight is located just to the right of the NW corner route and is a great first lead for the budding sport climber. Bolted  with new climbers in mind, all of the bolts are located at great stances with a small runout to the chains to get the feeling of being above gear.

The Sheriff was the first route bolted on the North Face and is one of the best routes on the Sugarloaf. The climb follows nice edges and flakes to a concave steep section that is passed by fun bear hug style sidepulling or you can bail left to make it easier.

Fun route which gets easier as you climb. The first 20ft are the most difficult while the top section offers fun easy vertical climbing. One of the longer routes on the Sugarloaf.

Start on the arete/layback in between The Exterminator and the Saga. A few bouldery moves past two bolts leads to steeper climbing using the remaining bolts of The Saga. Stay left of The Saga bolts for full value.

Climb the pillar/trunk feature on the SE face with a crux at the halfway point. At the ledge 10ft from the top either finish using the bolt to the right(PG) or use the last two bolts of The Saga for a tame finish.

Climb the overhanging face to the right of Running Scared. Begin with big holds climbing towards the overhanging notch. Climb through the notch using good horizontal ledges to a steep finish. Chains need to be moved a little to the climber right to make it better(soon). You can set a TR by climbing Running Scared and clipping the anchors out right around the arete.

This is a great beginner lead with well spaced bolts and short crux section. Crux is located at the white Amoeba shaped section of rock. Stay on the bolt line for the best route even though it looks less obvious than to the right.

Keystone light begins on the subtle corner right of the start of Six Pack. It then climbs through the fun bouldery section between Six Pack and West face overhang where you use the Keystone for the crux section, then passes the overhanging section on the right following bolts to top anchors nearly on the top of the sugarloaf.

Follow two expansion bolts to an old bolted anchor and continue to the two glue-in bolt anchor above. Very easy climbing with a great view. Can be made harder or easier by climbing further left or right.

Vertical climbing up the left side of the obvious pillar to its top and climb the steep bulging wall above to the anchors. Bouldery climbing from the top of the pillar using the arete to the chains is the crux. Small feet leads to a sustained finish. Fun with awesome position.

Climb up initial steep corner to lower angle terrain and through the obvious overhang with closely spaced bolts  to protect the slab below. Fun moves through the overhang lead to easier terrain to a two bolt anchor with fixed SS wiregates.

Climb the short steep face while trying to avoid the large ledge to the right for full fun. Thin moves lead to a pair of huge pockets which leads to easier terrain to the anchors. If interested, you can add another pitch or continue on(watch ropedrag) to the summit making a two to 3 pitch practice climb.

Start with some fun bouldery moves leading to a hanging inside corner. Climb to top using the same anchors at the Sheriff. One of the best routes on the loaf!

This fun route begins by climbing a small over hang above the last pair of belay bolts in the center of the North Face. Continue through a cool black streak to a small corner system and finishing on the big corner/flake feature. Clip the last bolt and follow the corner using laybacks and side pulls to a good edge above the anchor bolts. 6 GI bolts to a two bolt anchor with SS wiregate biners.

Climb off the belay anchor through a small overhang climbing on a subtle arete then trending to the left through a bulge which leads to the chains. Fun climbing; try to avoid the large ledge to the left while climbing the first half to add to the grade.

Fun route on the east face that serves as a good 2nd or 3rd lead. Well protected and fun opening moves.

Running Scared Direct follows to the right of the bolt line directly. Begin with delicate yet powerful moves which are harder than they look to reach the jug above the small overhang. From the jug launch for the big holds approx 3.5/4ft above. Finish the same as Running Scared.

Time bandits climbs the inside corner just left of The Ramp route. Start up a vertical section which leads to fun easy climbing up the corner system to a two bolt anchor.

This route was bolted as a beginner lead. Closley bolted with easy clipping stances makes this a nice stress free first lead.

Shakedown street is a fun addition to the north face of the sugarloaf. Use the belay anchors for Lonely Arete and climb the pillar on the right side to the top of the pillar. From there a crux high step with cool pockets gets you to the chains. There is a runout between the 3rd and 4th bolts but the climbing is easy and holds are positive.

An eliminate face climb  on great rock with a few variations. basically climb straight up the bolt line without using the crack to the right or ledges to the left for max difficulty.

Fun, bouldery climbing leads to easy steep climbing finished by a small runout to the chains.

Running Scared is the 6th bolted route (L to R) on the North Face of the Sugarloaf. Climb to the left of the bolts using flakes and side pulls to gain a jug at the 4th bolt. Use the left corner to gain another jug  3-4 feet above. Clip the last bolt and make a reachy clip to a two bolt anchor with cable draws and SS wiregate biners. There is a single belay bolt at the base.

One Eyed Lady gets its name from the cool crystal filled pocket near the start of the route. The route climbs just to the right of the Sheriffs bolts and ends at chains down and to the right of that routes anchor. After the pocket climb past a couple big ledges to the crux steep section leading to the last bolt and chains

Super fun climb that is steeper than it looks. Start with a crack over a bulge which leads to fun moves in an open dihedral through another bulge finished with a steep flake to the chains.

There are a lot of good holds for hands and really good feet for most of the route.

Rope Thief is the 3rd  bolted route from the left side of the North Face. Start by climbing easy big ledges leading to steeper edges and eventually using sidepulls and lay backs off the large flake feature that runs the majority of the climb. The pump builds to a crux right at the chains(were its supposed to be!).

The Lampshade route climbs the unassuming section of the east face right of the East Face route. The climb is defined by two different sections; the first is a fun steep face followed by the second section which is fun steep climbing over the small lip to clip the top anchor.

Matador is a super fun route which climbs through a concave feature located on the NE face of the Sugarloaf. Begin by climbing up a blocky, sort of hollow pillar past a bolt to a good stance on top of the pillar. From there super fun and steep stemming leads you to big holds and a final mantle which holds your attention.

Franklin's Direct is the straight up version of Franklin's Tower. In stead of stemming and using the corner and arete feature to the left, climb straight up using one newly added bolt to complete the line. Better climbing than F.T. but a grade harder.

Fun route with varied climbing including some tenuous  slab to steeper finish. See if you use the sweet "six pack" hold while clipping the last bolt.

Start on a slab just to the right of the large inside corner on the SE side of the Sugarloaf. Follow good holds to the final bolt where a mantel is needed to pass the last steep section.

Climb the clean face with great rock to the right of Franklins Tower. After surmounting the initial block the crux is the first two bolts. Using cool pockets and edges climb pretty much straight up passing an old bolt placed by the Winona Alpine club in the 60s. Finish on the pillar type formation to the right of Franklins Tower.

E-Walks climbs the fun prominent inside corner on the SE side of the Sugarloaf. Start with a stemming corner and following increasingly larger ledges to a short run out to the anchor.

Begin just right of the obvious corner climbing  through a couple large ledges and continue up the ramp/low angle climbing to the chains. The most difficult section is the first 10 ft. I t can be made easier by starting to the left. Good first lead.

Back in the Saddle is a fun west face route and great lead for those starting to climb the grades. Climb up as if you were starting the First Lead and follow the steep corner system exiting out and to the right to the same anchors as Time bandits.

Sugar Loaf is an iconic place in Winona, MN. Sitting approx 600 ft above Winona, the Sugarloaf is a unique man-made tower; a result from quarrying in the 1800s. It offers routes on all aspects of the tower ranging from 5.3- 5.11 in difficulty. The majority of routes are in the 5.6-5.9 range. Currently 28 lead routes and a few additional top rope anchors with approx 8-12 more routes to be bolted. Most anchors have stainless steel wiregate biners at the anchors for easy TRing and cleaning. Almost all anchors are glue in bolts with the remaining expansion bolts slated to be removed by the end of 2017. There is a comprehensive trail plan approved by the city that will offer better access and develop the park as a designated rock climbing area. Routes are listed beginning on the NW corner and moving right from there around the formation.

Description

Location

Routes in Winona, Sugar Loaf