Climbing Near Bayfield, Colorado

This is a big, overhanging boulder with a handful of hard boulder problems, all very high quality and the same type of sandstone as Sailing Hawks. It is secluded and shady most of the day. The grades given here are all the grades found on 27 Crags and word of mouth, although I found most of the boulders to be a number grade easier than the the listed grades. From Durango, head towards Lemon Reservoir on Florida Rd. After about 10 minutes when you see a sign for the Colvig Silver Camps, turn left onto CO Rd 240, drive up this road for a couple minutes until you reach a gate, go another minute or so, and when you see a big slab uphill on your right park at a small pullout on the left side of the road. From here, there is a faint trail on the uphill side of the road that leads you to the Colvig Boulder. The approach takes maybe 2 minutes. Head up and right of the big slab boulder, and at the top you will find the Colvig Boulder.

This area is a little known gem of Southwestern Colorado. No crowds, guidebooks or beta adds to the seclusion and fun of this area. Many unexplored rock and ice formations exist. Excellent opportunities for beer and good food exist at the Vallecito Country Market (La Comida Mexicana). A large variety of climbing exists within the valleys from single pitch top-roping to long alpine style routes rock and ice. Approaches can sometimes be interesting. Drive north from Bayfield for approximately 18 miles on CR 501 to reach Vallecito Lake. Most climbs are near Middle Mountain road or the Pine River trail head.

This limestone crag lies above Lake Vallecito just south of the confluence of the Pine River. The rock quality is variable with some rotten bands. There about three main areas on this outcropping that are better quality and should yield some more fun routes. The leftmost buttress is called Metolius Buttress, and the rest are currently not named or climbed. Take CR 240 out of Durango and follow signs to Vallecito. At the base of the dam, turn right and follow this road past the dam. Continue around the east side of the lake until FR 851 is seen on the right. Follow this to its end, and you will be just down the hill from the crag. In winter, park back at the gate where the nordic track starts, and ski up road and hike to crag. In winter, the approach takes about an hour. It takes 10 minutes in summer.