| Kissing Couple | |
|---|---|
 Southeast aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,815 ft (1,772 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 305 ft (93 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Black Ridge[1] |
| Isolation | 2.28 mi (3.67 km)[1] |
| Coordinates | 39°05′21″N 108°43′05″W / 39.0891483°N 108.7181544°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  Kissing Couple Location in Colorado  Kissing Couple Kissing Couple (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Mesa |
| Protected area | Colorado National Monument |
| Parent range | Colorado Plateau Uncompahgre Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Colorado National Monument |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Late Triassic to Early Jurassic[3] |
| Type of rock | Wingate Sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1960 |
| Easiest route | class 5.11a climbing[1] |
Kissing Couple is a 5,815-foot-elevation (1,772-meter) sandstone pillar located in Colorado National Monument, in Mesa County of western Colorado, United States.[2] This iconic 400-foot-high tower is situated on the west side of Monument Canyon, 1.5 mile southeast of the monument's visitor center, and nine miles (14 km) west of the community of Grand Junction. It is also a half-mile south-southeast of another popular climbing destination, Independence Monument, and both can be seen from viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. It is so named because it resembles an embracing couple.[2] This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1982 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2] Older USGS maps have the feature's name misplaced by about one-half mile to the southeast. The first ascent of the summit was made May 4, 1960, by Layton Kor, Harvey Carter, and John Auld via the five pitch, class 5.11a route named Long Dong Wall.[4][5] The first free ascent was made in 1977 by Andy Petefish, Tom Stubbs, and Jim Pearson.[6][7] Some climbers alternatively refer to Kissing Couple as "Bell Tower."[8]
- ^ a b c d e "Kissing Couple - 5,815' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ a b c d "Kissing Couple". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ Geologic Formations, National Park Service
- ^ Cameron Burns, Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, 1999, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898866575, page 34.
- ^ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com
- ^ Cameron Burns, Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, 1999, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898866575, page 34.
- ^ Long Dong Wall (aka Bell Tower), Mountainproject.com
- ^ Stewart M. Green, 2010, Rock Climbing Colorado A Guide to More Than 1,800 Routes, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9780762763443, page 468.