Maybe you’ve envied rock climbers you’ve seen high off the ground in Front Range canyons and wondered how you could give the sport a try. Or you’ve learned the basics at a climbing gym, now you want to test yourself on those gorgeous granite crags in fresh air and sunshine.
If you’re wondering how and where to make that transition, here’s a good option to consider: Hire a guide for lessons in Clear Creek Canyon just west of Golden. It’s 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.
“With all the big gyms, we get a lot of clients — like hundreds per summer — that are looking to transition from gym to outdoors,” said Kevin Capps, owner of , which mentors clients in Clear Creek, Eldorado Canyon, Boulder Canyon, the Flatirons, North Table Mountain, the Cathedral Spires and elsewhere. “They could be really good climbers in the gym and they just never go outside.”
Capps believes Clear Creek is one of the best places to start.
“There’s a lot of accessible walls for beginners,” said Capps, who has written a 320-page guidebook, Rock Climbing Clear Creek Canyon, with 1,200 route descriptions. “Itap really nice, as a beginner to go to a wall with many options. I named a wall East Colfax. There’s like 15-20 beginner routes (on it) for people that are coming from the gym.”
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 — even what to do when nature calls and the nearest restroom is half a mile away.
“We always recommend going with a guide,” Capps said, “instead of a friend who goes out there once a summer.”
Another great Front Range location is world-famous , 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.
“Itap a beautiful mountain with cliffs all around,” Capps said. “The cool thing about the mountains, and Eldorado Canyon is no exception, there’s different paths to get to the top.”
Although it might be a good idea to start in Clear Creek and then try “Eldo,” Capps cites two areas in Eldorado Canyon that are appropriate for beginners.
“The Wind Tower has routes graded 5.4 (beginner-friendly), maybe even easier than that, but on the easier end of fifth class (technical) climbing,” Capps said. “We bring beginners up it all the time. There’s also the Whale’s Tail, which has routes graded fourth class and 5.0. Thatap even a better option sometimes for people who want some adventure but maybe don’t want to too much difficulty.”
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.
“A 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’re not going to go for a big fall,” Capps said. “If we’re doing multi-pitch climbing, the belay would be from above.”
Top-rope climbing on Supremacy Slab, just east of Eldorado’s visitor center, is a great place for beginners to get a feel for the rock before moving on to multi-pitch climbs. It’s also where the park conducts climbing clinics for beginners.
“We have people from all over the world who come here to climb,” said Eldorado park ranger Jim Schwartz, “and itap 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. Thatap great, but here we have hundreds of routes that are multi-pitch. And there are routes for every climbing ability.”
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’t have state parks passes, and there is limited parking. Timed-entry reservations are required on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from May to October.
