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Scary Looking Mixed Climb Gets Rare Ascents

Deep Throat was first climbed 25 years ago, but only has a few repeats. Watch two videos showing just how wild this route is

The classic steep mixed route called Deep Throat M7 WI6 in Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon has had at least two repeats this winter. The route was fist climbed in 1997 by Jeff Lowe and Will Gadd.

The first pitch climbs awkward and loose mixed for 40 metres to a ledge. The next M5 pitch heads up a corner into a wild looking cave. The next pitch tackles the intimidating overhanging cave pitch past huge daggers.

Veteran mixed climber Josh Wharton repeated it a decade ago, and said this about the crux, “Take a deep breath, and start questing upward and outward. Although this pitch looks horrendous, it actually is mostly chimney climbing, and gear seems to appear often, including some fixed pins. The gear is surprisingly good, especially because it looks like there is hardly any at all from the belay! Leading this pitch is mostly about being patient while cleaning all the icicles away so that you can creep out amongst them. Things get easier as you go. It’s a 50-metre quest to a fixed pin anchor up and left from the exit (do not attempt to follow with a pack!).

There’s no way to know how many ascents the route has had, but likely not more than half-a-dozen. This year, Jesse Huey and Matt Segal repeated it, followed by Quentin Roberts and Maury Birdwell. “Wow, just wow,” said Birdwell. “That might the wildest thing I’ve ever climbed.” Watch Roberts’s short video about the climb below, and John Dickey’s footage of Wharton.

Deep Throat 2023

Wharton on Deep Throat

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