A beginner who could use some help

Hello all!

I just moved to Fort Collins from Laramie, where I used to climb with some friends who had spent all their time and money building up trad racks that they were kind enough to share when we climbed Vedauwoo. However, we all graduated and moved apart and now I have no one to bum trad racks off. I have sport climbing gear, and can lead 5.10-ish sport, and I was wondering if you could recommend some easy-ish sport leads in the Fort Collins area. I'm heading up to the Poudre to test the Crystal Wall. I would appreciate any advice you'd be willing to share!

Thanks guys!

Not too many easy routes at the Crystal Wall. I often thought even the 5.9 warmups were a little challenging if you weren't climbing that edgy granite style often enough.

I would expect the river is down now, The Palace side of the canyon is probably a better option. Get a copy of the NCCC Guide for the Poudre Canyon. There's lots of scattered climbing through there. Hit the gym(s) and meet some locals.

There's a few climbs at Duncan's Ridge on the edge of the reservoir, but going there to sport climb is an act of desperation.

Thanks Bill! I was hoping to County Line at least, and maybe She's a Daisy and Clean Up on Aisle 9, if all goes well. The Palace will be my next stop after that I believe. Thanks again!

There's also some interesting development going on further up canyon in the "Poudre Falls" area. It's a bit of a drive but worth checking out. Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition published a guidebook for the area:

nococlimbing.org/news/poudr…

You can get to Big Thompson, Boulder Canyon, or Clear Creek for about the same amount of drive time it'll take you to get up to Poudre Falls.

Have fun exploring!

Hit The Palace now, while the river is down. Save Crystal wall for a hot summer day.

Churchill Rejects (.9)
Cheerleaders Gone Hippy (.9)
B.A.H. (.9)
The Scepter (.10a)
Check Your Head (.10b)
Jestor (.10b) - very long route
Monstrosity (.10c)

From Fort Collins - Mary's Bust (in Big Thompson Canyon) is the next closest crag to The Palace. It's got a few 10s.

Out of Time (1st pitch is .10)
Mary's Tricks (.11-, really only one move might be considered .11)
Brown Palace (6 Pitches of 5.9 - 5.11a ... pretty sure it's the longest fully bolted sport route in Colorado, unless something in the South Platte has been fully bolted in the last couple of years).

Jon Lachelt wrote: Brown Palace (6 Pitches of 5.9 - 5.11a ... pretty sure it's the longest fully bolted sport route in Colorado, unless something in the South Platte has been fully bolted in the last couple of years).

Thanks guys! I appreciate the route suggestions a lot. I like County Line a lot, and am heading to the Palace tomorrow. I think the Scepter is beyond me at the moment but that is my goal.

I lived in Fort Collins for four years and just moved to Colorado Springs. Easier sport climbs are hard to come by close to FOCO. But here's a few you might try.

These will be options in the winter depending on the weather:

Jurassic Park - in Estes (1 hr from FOCO)
The Monastery - W. Of Loveland (1 hr from FOCO but with long hike in)
Beehive Buttress - Vedauwoo (1 hr from FOCO, probably snowed in Dec - Mar)

There are two or three moderate sport climbs on a granite buttress in Lory State Park west of Horsetooth Reservoir (I found them not worth the long hike in).

I found FOCO to be relatively impoverished for nearby climbing compared to other Front Range cities such as Boulder, Colorado Springs, Golden, or Denver.