Need advice on where to climb in Boulder area

Hey Everyone! I need some help. My best friend and I are coming to Colorado in July or August to do some climbing in celebration of our 45th and 35th birthdays.

We are thinking of climbing Eldorado Canyon and Lumpy Ridge. I can follow up to 5.10 and lead (trad) 5.7 and 5.8 (easy 5.8). My friend can climb 5.8 and only follows trad, BUT is learning how to lead for sport.

We would love some suggestions on: best areas to climb (if other areas might be better for us than Eldorado or Lumpy Ridge), recommended routes, when the weather would be best and of course good restaurants and pubs.

Thanks!
Nicole

Hi Nicole,

I think that you'll really enjoy Lumpy Ridge. There are really great classic 5.7 climbs to get you warmed up for Eldo because it's great too. I liked leading Mesca-line in Eldo this summer. I'm a new trad leader and it was fun. There are a few sections that are pretty exciting, but not too scary. Then you can TR a couple of other really great climbs to the left of it. One's a 5.11 and the other is a 5.9?, super fun climbs too. Have fun! Happy Holidays.

Patty : )

At Lumpy for long routes, try Kor's Flake (take 1-2 Big Dudes for the offwidth pitch) and Pear Buttress (be prepared for the 15-20' runout off of the deck-don't try to place pro (#4Camalot) in the crack too soon before you have a solid stemming stance). (The Cave Exit is spectacular! It is not as hard as it looks or at first feels if you think outside the box and face different directions as you progress upwards.)

At Eldo, Bastille Crack can't be missed if you don't mind waiting in line. Also, Rewritten is good.

For Alpine in RMNP try NE Ridge on Spearhead. Get an Alpine start to avoid the afternoon storms. (maybe think about getting a bivy permit so that you can start climbing as soon as it gets light enough.) An Alpine start could also apply to the longer sub-alpine routes.

In Estes, check out the Estes Park Brewery. Watching the sunset from the deck while having dinner is classic. In Boulder, Old Chicagos on Pearl St Mall.
Have Fun! Be safe(for sure wear a helmet on Rewritten and Spearhead)!

Lumpy and Eldo can be nice or really hot at that time of year. At Lumpy and Rocky Mountain Nat. Park some pretty serious thunderstorms roll through like clockwork in the early afternoon, so start really early and try to be down by noon-1:00.

Kor's flake is kind of a wide thrutch. Maybe you're into that, but just so you know.

NE Ridge of Spearhead (III 5.6) in RMNP is a great recommendation. Nice and cool up there at altitude. Hiking in and doing the bivy would make for a really fun trip.

The Southern Sun brewery (next to Neptune Mountaineering)is a much cooler climber hang than Old Chicago, imo.

Southern Sun for sure for afta' a day in Eldo.

You'll need one after a hot day at that time of the year.

Estes Sweet Basillico Cafe' best food in town. Ed's for beers, boring food.

Head into RMNP and hop on some alpine routes. Get some time in down lower, get a feel for the weather, then hit an alpine route.

Halletts the First Buttress has a fun 5.7 called the Great Dihedral. Fun climbing, shorter approach then most alpine routes. No one climbs it, and it's in a beautiful setting.......
Easy to bail off of too...

My 2 cents......

Thanks Zach,

You reminded me that a hot weather retreat at Lumpy is the Left Book before noon. (White Whale, Manifest Destiny, Hiatus, Cottontail)
Veduawoo in Wyoming is also cooler on the north side of the formations.

On Kors Flake, with big gear, you can 'cheat', and quickly bypass the offwidth by laybacking with your feet smearing on the face to the left of the crack. Without big gear, it is too runout and insecure not to use offwidth technique.

The flatirons are mostly easy, but a trip to boulder is not complete without a romp up the standard east face of either the 1st or 3rd, whichever is open at the time of your visit. It can be done in a few hours.

After you're acclimated to western crack climbing, I'd say J-Crack or Cheap Date at Lumpy. You'll remember everything about them for life.

July and August are great months to play here. To beat the heat go up to Lumpy or Rocky Mtn National Park. North ridge of Spearhead (5.7) and the Petit Grepon (5.8) are some really good moderate alpine routes in the park that don't see alot of traffic on a weekday. Start early and lose altitude by noon or so, crazy storms happen from mid day on sometimes. Any bar that's open in Estes is a good one and Oskar Blues in Lyons has bonafide burgers and beer. Have a blast!

Mike Lane wrote:After you're acclimated to western crack climbing, I'd say J-Crack or Cheap Date at Lumpy. You'll remember everything about them for life.

Those are great climbs, but I don't think that Lumpy Ridge 5.9s and 5.10s are appropriate for someone leading trad 5.7-5.8, unless they have a guide or a rope gun.

In the heat of the summer, climbing on the shady side of Boulder Canyon can be quite pleasant. Check out the moderate sport routes at The Watermark (Lothlorien, Glennevere, Road to Isengard), and some great 5.7-5.8 cracks on Cob Rock (North Face Center, Empor). At that time of year, you'll likely have to do a Tyrolean traverse to get across the creek, however.

Ron Olsen wrote: Those are great climbs, but I don't think that Lumpy Ridge 5.9s and 5.10s are appropriate for someone leading trad 5.7-5.8, unless they have a guide or a rope gun.

I agree with Ron. Those climbs are both great, but not to lead for someone who's leading 5.7. I totally dug leading White Whale, it's a perfect beginner lead for trad at Lumpy. Also, Magical Chrome Plated Semi-Automatic Enema Syringe is a great and fun trad lead.

Patty : )

Ron and Patty are right. My statement about acclimating to western cracks was more about getting to 5.9 or .10 than anything. I would suggest that they hook up with a rope gun/guide regardless. Both those cracks can eat up so much gear that they aren't really undoable, but a knowledgeable local would really help our visitors have a productive trip.

Hi Mike,

That's a great suggestion. I love climbing at Lumpy Ridge. I can't wait until I can lead 5.8's and 9's, safely because there are so many climbs that I would like to do there.I have had the opportunity to climb Cheap Date and it's super fun. I also think the Pear Buttress is really cool. My favorite so far has been Climb of the Ancient Mariner, which I was fortunate enough to go with an excellent partner who led it, with lots of style and grace. It is the funnest climb (well for second at least, I didn't have to do the scary lead part). If you did get a guide, it would be worth it! So much cool stuff in Colorado, you might as well do the best while you're out, if you can..

Patty : )

Hey Nicole. I highly recommend you get a copy of the book "Serious Play - An Annotated Guide to Front Range Classics 5.2-5.9" by Steve Dieckhoff. A friend of mine gave that to me when I first moved out here and was just starting to lead my own trad routes. I have now ticked almost every route in the book and they were all great. There's a little bit of everything and it encompasses several Front Range areas.