Kiss of the Lepers

The Kiss of the Lepers area is fairly deep on the west side of Smith Rock and offers a limited amount of climbing given the time it takes to get there. The popular multi-pitch First Kiss is what draws most of the crowds to the area due to its easy grade and those looking to get their first taste of adventure climbing. A few newer lines have been bolted in the area and require a bit of cleaning still.

Location

The Kiss of the Lepers areas is found in the northwest corner of Smith Rock off of the Mesa Verde Trail past the Monkey Face. There are a number of ways to get to the area and none of them are very quick. The Kiss of the Lepers sits as the chunk of rock you first come to after hiking north past Monkey Face on the Mesa Verde trail (look for signs for the trail). Here are your options for getting to the area:

• Scramble up and over Asterisk Pass and follow the trail right on the other side past Monkey Face staying on the Mesa Verde trail
• Hike up and over Misery Ridge. Once the trail T's near the base of Monkey Face, take a right and follow the Mesa Verde trail to the base of Kiss of the Lepers
• Follow the crooked river and walk around the Southern Tip of the park passing by the Monkey Face and cutting uphill on the Mesa Verde trail

Routes

Images

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Area Map

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