UKC

We are off to Colorado for three weeks later this month. There seems to be an overwhelming choice of great climbing venues but can anyone that has been suggest any particular good venues? I find its always useful to get beta from folk that have been. Thanks.

In reply to Richard Pow:
Depends on what grades you're looking for, but in the 5.8/9+ catagory, Eldorado Canyon is one if the best, with so many brilliant routes - especially those on Redgarden Wall.

In reply to Goucho:

Yes, I climbed in Eldorado Canyon many years ago and we'll go back there again. Anywhere else? (5.8 - 5.10)

In reply to Richard Pow:

Garden of the Gods and around Estes Park is supposed to be quite good I think, but never climbed there myself.

In reply to Goucho:

Lumpy Ridge at Estes Park is really good. Easy walk ins and class routes.

In reply to Richard Pow:

If you're going for 3 weeks you should put the desert on your list. Castleton tower near Moab is a must. For alternative Colorado venues Independence Pass near Aspen has great climbing and camping.

In reply to Richard Pow:

I won't bother with Garden of the Gods - nice to look at but that's about it.

In October you will maybe be looking for S.Facing Crags, so yes Eldo, Lumpy Ridge fit the bill. South Platte area is less well known to Brits, but full of granite - recent new guidebook. Cynical Pinnacle is the classic venue, but there are endless possibilities.

If you fancy some easy access sport climbing in those grades, then Boulder Canyon (also good trad there), Clear Creek Canyon (Little Eiger has great long moderates) and of course Shelf Road. Shelf is usually a good bit warmer than much of CO and useful for a cold spell - quality limestone pocket pulling. Warm enough if sunny even if there's snow on the ground.

As Andy says, you should definitely make the trip out to the desert - only 5/6 hours from the Front Range to Castleton Towers.

Mountainproject.com covers all these area pretty well.

Weatherwise could be anything from shorts and tee shirts to snowstorms in October.

Feel free to contact me if you want more info.

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC:


Can you tell us a little more...

In reply to seankenny:
Well, its a huge area SW of Denver, there are about 4000 routes there, including masses of new sport routes at Devils Head, granite domes and classic trad areas like Turkey Rock and Cathedral Spires - where Center Route (5.9) and Wunsch's Dihedral (5.11) on Cynical Pinnacle are regarded by many as the best of their grade in Colorado.

New guidebook is in three volumes - of which two are now published.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/south-platte/105797719

Though that page is out of date. Probably more like 600 routes at Devils Head alone now.

In reply to Richard Pow:

Another vote for Lumpy Ridge. It's excellent.

In reply to Richard Pow:

On a three week trip Vedauwoo in Wyoming could be worth a visit. It's an interesting environment and unlike anything you'll find in the UK. You would need advice from someone local as to whether it would be worth visiting in October.

In reply to Richard Pow:

yhm

In reply to Andy Donson:
Hey Andy, are they still climbing in Colorado? Just checking - obviously without grit and sea cliffs it must be difficult to get motivated...

In reply to Unknown Climber:

Vedauwoo could be ok temperature wise - or too cold.

Great place to fail to climb 5.6 offwidths on crystalline granite.

Personally I hate the place. (see above)

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC:

Sorry Jonathon but dismissing the Garden of the Gods is rubbish, it is an amazing place for a couple of days - old skool bolted sandstone, don't fall off more than a couple of feet above the gear, or routes lke Montezumas Revenge, a very exposed VS with very spaced gear. Plus an amazing place. (Caveat: I was there 15 years ago so it might have changed).

Granted, Colorado has lots of brilliant places to climb but after 10+ visits the Garden still jogs memories.

In reply to bullybones:

Most climbers are too baked to climb anything more than 4 moves these days......

In reply to Richard Pow:

In late October i think the desert in the south west of colorado and southern utah would be a great area. Independance monument CO, as already mentioned Castleton near Moab, Fisher towers, Indian Creek etc. There are Falcon guides to the Moab area and Colorado, Utah more generally.

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC: Good advice. Mountainproject website is excellent for choosing the best routes in Colorado, with 50 best in Colorado and 50 best in the main areas. Eldo, Lumpy Ridge and South Platte are my favourites with Eldo and South Platte being perfect in October. In South Platte Cynical Pinnacle and Turkey Rocks for cracks and The Dome, Wig Wam Dome and Big Rock Candy Mountain for slabs, just need a bit more time as the crags are spread out. Much less crowded than Eldo, or at least it was 30 years ago, you would hardly see anyone then.

In reply to Richard Pow:

It's many years since I've been but the places I thought were brilliant (all of them): Eldorado and Boulder Canyons, Lumpy Ridge, the Flat Irons and South Platte. It may not be the best time (too cold, not enough daylight?) but the Diamond on Longs Peak is spectacular. The desert sandstone in Utah might be quite a long drive from wherever you are in Colorado - why spend your precious holiday driving when just the stuff above Boulder could last a lifetime?

In reply to Richard Pow:

I've just got back from Colorado. As well as the places already mentioned, 11 Mile Canyon has lots of crags/domes with easy access, short approaches and great surroundings. Turkey Rocks in the South Platte is wonderful, like a bigger version of Hen Cloud.

For quick-fix cragging, places like Clear Creek Canyon and Boulder Canyon are very popular - shade or sun, as required. By late October Lumpy Ridge should be OK, but snow is possible.

In reply to Richard Pow: to those who've been recently how consistent did you find the grading? I recall climbing trad and sport in Boulder Canyon about 10 years ago - the trad was very hard for the grade and the sport extremely soft - have they come together a bit?

There is a lot of climbing in Colorado - more than England?

In reply to Richard Pow:

As others have said, there's a lot. Depends on what kind of thing you like, and which part of Colorado you're in - for sport one site that I don't think has been mentioned is Rifle Mountain Park - plenty of routes around 5.10b; Unaweep Canyon is worth a visit for trad. There are some great 14,000 ft peaks for winter climbing (too many to list). Snow can come early in some places, often 3ft by early November. If you're hiring a car and climbing seriously, it's worth getting a 4x4.

In reply to wbo:

Your observation about variation in grades is basically correct, though I would say that more recent routes (usually sport) are more softly graded and older, long-established ones (usually trad) more harshly. The usual grade UK/US conversion tables, e.g. HVS 5a = 5.9 are very misleading, as 5.9 in practice means anything from HVS 5a to E2 5c. The older 5.9s at Castle Rock, for example, are like HVSs at Stoney Middleton in the early 1970s, but, unlike Stoney, they have never been upgraded.

In reply to Richard Pow:

Climbed at Eldorado, Boulder Canyon and Lumpy Ridge a few weeks ago. Underwhelmed by Eldorado and Boulder as places to come a long way for. Lumpy Ridge far more inspiring. But, if I were you, I would head straight through to Moab and the Utah desert for a climbing experience out of this world; well, certainly totally unlike anything available in Europe. Why fly 5000 miles for less?

In reply to Richard Pow:

PS Rifle reminded me of Stony Middleton on a wet day......but then it was raining......I suspect almost anywhere in Spain would be a better bet.