{"id":2223,"date":"2026-07-02T15:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2223"},"modified":"2026-07-02T15:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:04:00","slug":"always-wanted-to-try-rock-climbing-in-colorado-here-are-two-great-places-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2223","title":{"rendered":"Always wanted to try rock climbing in Colorado? Here are two great places to start."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Maybe you\u2019ve envied rock climbers you\u2019ve seen high off the ground in Front Range canyons and wondered how you could give the sport a try. Or you\u2019ve learned the basics at a climbing gym, now you want to test yourself on those gorgeous granite crags in fresh air and sunshine.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re wondering how and where to make that transition, here\u2019s a good option to consider: Hire a guide for lessons in Clear Creek Canyon just west of Golden. It\u2019s very accessible from the metro area, close enough to consider going for a session after work. The canyon has all sorts of routes appropriate for beginners and newcomers progressing from the gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith all the big gyms, we get a lot of clients \u2014 like hundreds per summer \u2014 that are looking to transition from gym to outdoors,\u201d said Kevin Capps, owner of Denver Mountain Guiding, which mentors clients in Clear Creek, Eldorado Canyon, Boulder Canyon, the Flatirons, North Table Mountain, the Cathedral Spires and elsewhere. \u201cThey could be really good climbers in the gym and they just never go outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capps believes Clear Creek is one of the best places to start.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of accessible walls for beginners,\u201d said Capps, who has written a 320-page guidebook, Rock Climbing Clear Creek Canyon, with 1,200 route descriptions. \u201cIt\u2019s really nice, as a beginner to go to a wall with many options. I named a wall East Colfax. There\u2019s like 15-20 beginner routes (on it) for people that are coming from the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capps recommends taking a full-day course to learn critical safety practices, along with learning how to use topographical maps, follow a route, make sure you have the right gear and understand crag etiquette \u2014 even what to do when nature calls and the nearest restroom is half a mile away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always recommend going with a guide,\u201d Capps said, \u201cinstead of a friend who goes out there once a summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another great Front Range location is world-famous Eldorado Canyon State Park, just south of Boulder, which has lured elite climbers from around the world for more than 50 years. Although it is a climbing mecca known for challenging routes, there are routes appropriate for beginners, too.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful mountain with cliffs all around,\u201d Capps said. \u201cThe cool thing about the mountains, and Eldorado Canyon is no exception, there\u2019s different paths to get to the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although it might be a good idea to start in Clear Creek and then try \u201cEldo,\u201d Capps cites two areas in Eldorado Canyon that are appropriate for beginners.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Wind Tower has routes graded 5.4 (beginner-friendly), maybe even easier than that, but on the easier end of fifth class (technical) climbing,\u201d Capps said. \u201cWe bring beginners up it all the time. There\u2019s also the Whale\u2019s Tail, which has routes graded fourth class and 5.0. That\u2019s even a better option sometimes for people who want some adventure but maybe don\u2019t want to too much difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are two primary types of roped climbing, lead climbing and top-roping. With lead climbing, the lead climber ascends first, pitch by pitch, then provides rope protection from above for the follower. With top-roping, the belayer can provide protection from the ground, because the rope runs from the climber through an anchor above and back to belayer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA top-rope setup is one of the best setups for a beginner outside because you have a belayer on one side, keeping the rope tight on the rope above you at all times, so if you fall or slip you\u2019re not going to go for a big fall,\u201d Capps said. \u201cIf we\u2019re doing multi-pitch climbing, the belay would be from above.\u201d<\/p>\n

Top-rope climbing on Supremacy Slab, just east of Eldorado\u2019s visitor center, is a great place for beginners to get a feel for the rock before moving on to multi-pitch climbs. It\u2019s also where the park conducts climbing clinics for beginners.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have people from all over the world who come here to climb,\u201d said Eldorado park ranger Jim Schwartz, \u201cand it\u2019s unique in the sense that it provides a real alpine-type experience with multi-pitch climbing opportunities. A lot of climbing in some of the canyons tends to be sport climbing or top-rope climbing for single pitches. That\u2019s great, but here we have hundreds of routes that are multi-pitch. And there are routes for every climbing ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that Eldorado Canyon is a state park administered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. There is a $10 admission fee per vehicle, for those who don\u2019t have state parks passes, and there is limited parking. Timed-entry reservations are required on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from May to October.<\/p>\n

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Always wanted to try rock climbing, here’s a great place to start. Clear Creek Canyon is close to the metro area, has plenty of beginner routes, and the canyon walls are gorgeous<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,19,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-outdoors","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nAlways wanted to try rock climbing in Colorado? 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