Poudre Canyon ROUTE CLIMBING GUIDE By Craig Luebben, Cameron Cross, & Bennett Scott FIRST EDITION : WINTER 2010 Laramie, WY WYOMING COLORADO N HWY 287 I-25 Red Feather Lakes CO 14 POUDRE CANYON Mulberry Ave. CO 14 Fort Collins 34 34 Estes Park Loveland HWY 287 Longmont 36 119 Boulder I-25 36 Denver I-70 = AREA COVERED IN THIS GUIDE 2 POUDRE CANYON ROUTES ! WARNING! Climbing is an inherently dangerous activity responsibility for the safety of those who use that may result in serious injury or death. this guidebook. If you are not an experienced Read this before you use this guide. and proficient climber seek instruction before climbing. The authors and publisher cannot verify the accuracy of information presented Do not attempt climbing without proper in this guide including, but not limited to equipment and training. In addition, this approach or descent routes, problem/route guide should not be used as an instructional descriptions and/or ratings, maps, directions, manual. Information presented in this access information, property boundaries, or guide is based on opinions and should not management regulations. be relied on for personal safety. The author and publisher assume no responsibility in This guide is a compilation of information the event of injury or death. Do not use this from a variety of sources. Although we guidebook if you are unwilling to assume painstakingly research the information we total responsibility for your safety. provide, it is impossible for us to give first hand knowledge of all the routes presented. THE AUTHORS AND PUBLISHER MAKE NO In addition, translating route descriptions can WARRANTY, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR be difficult, so errors will occur. Always use IMPLIED, THAT THE INFORMATION PRESENTED your best judgment, and back off if a route HEREIN IS ACCURATE. FURTHERMORE, THERE seems overly dangerous. ARE NO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Regardless of the rating, a climbing mishap THE USER ASSUMES ALL RISK ASSOCIATED can result in injury or death. We assume no WITH THE USE OF THIS GUIDE. COPYRIGHT NOTICE “Poudre Canyon Route Climbing Guide” by Cameron Cross and Bennett Scott is published by the NCCC (Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition) and Copyrighted © 2010 by Cameron Cross and Bennett Scott. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the authors or the NCCC, except for reading and browsing those portions made available via the World Wide Web. No part of this book, in any physical or electronic medium, may be distributed or repurposed without permission in writing from the authors or the NCCC. Photos © Cameron Cross 2010, unless otherwise noted. For more information email: [email protected] COVER PHOTO: Craig Luebben dancing up another climb at Greyrock © 2010 Craig Luebben Collection www.NOCOCLIMBING.org 3 Chambers Lake Chambers CO 14 CO 420 BOULDERS N Gandalf You’re Almost There! Zero your tachometer as soon as you turn onto CO 14 from HWY 287 and these mileage CO 14 CO readings will get you to the crags. Ted’s Place: 0.0 Picnic Rock: 2.6 Rustic Gateway Mtn Park: 5.0 Boy Scout Road CR 69 Poudre Practice Rock: 6.7 Red Feather Lakes Greyrock: 8.4 OVERVIEW Mishawaka: 13.8 14 CO Electric Ocean Triple Tier Parking: 14.7 Tunnel: 14.8 Palace/Crystal Wall: 15.0 Crystal Wall Upper Narrows Stove Prairie Road: 16.3 Upper Narrows/Eden: 19.3 Palace Triple Tier Triple Pingree Park Rd: 26.7 Mishawaka Red Feather Rd: 31.4 Archers Store: 33.0 Poudre Park Poudre Profile Rock: 34.2 Greyrock Hatchery Boulder: 38.3 420 Boulders: 41.5 14 CO Gandalf Boulders: 46.1 Place Teds Teds HWY 287 HWY to Laramie to Fort Collins 4 POUDRE CANYON ROUTES Poudre Canyon Routes Guide SELECT Table of Contents CLIMBING HISTORY 7 ICON DESCRIPTIONS 10 GREYROCK 12 South Slabs 15 Northwest Slabs 20 Southeast Face 23 Breakers / Granite Sea 28 The Crest 33 TRIPLE TIER AREA 37 The Sail 38 Laughing Man / Undertall Wall 40 The Fist 42 Chimney Sweep Wall 43 Middle Class Wall 44 Upper Echelon 46 OVERVIEW CRYSTAL WALL 49 PALACE 58 Poudre Face 62 Lion’s Den 64 Mineshaft Wall 66 Lower Chamber 68 Upper Chamber 70 Red Wall 72 The Scepter 74 Palace Pages 76 The Citadel 78 Wall with a View 80 Cirque Du Poudre 82 Vatoville 83 STOVE PRAIRIE ROAD AREAS 84 THE NARROWS 87 Electric ocean 88 The Trough 96 Eden Area 98 Eve’s Cave 101 Snake Eye’s Wall 102 Last Turn Crag 105 ROUTE INDEX 107 www.NOCOCLIMBING.org 5 This guidebook is dedicated to Craig Luebben, who, in his customary generosity, wanted to provide this information as a free resource to the climbing community. Thank you for everything. You are sorely missed. Acknowledgements OVERVIEW We would like to thank all the people who have helped make this project possible. Beyond spending countless hours exploring, cleaning, and developing routes, many people have been instrumental in helping us record the rich and diverse history of climbing in the Poudre Canyon. In particular, Craig Luebben for his tireless development of routes and for providing a wealth of knowledge and help with the guide. In addition, we would like to thank Jeff Bassett, Derek Peavey, Sam Shannon, Rodney Ley, Steve Allen, Bryan Beavers, Paul Heyliger, Tim Wilhelmi, Steve McCorkel, Matt Samet, Greg Martin, Brian Espe, Mitch Musci, Reed Woodford, Rob Poutre, Mike Caputo, Vance White and all the other people who have provided valuable contributions to the canyon and assistance throughout the editing BS on the incredible O.D.K. (12b), Upper Echelon process. 6 POUDRE CANYON ROUTES Poudre Canyon Routes Guide Overview Climbing History Rumbling through downtown Fort Collins Far from the hustle and bustle of other Front lies the mighty Cache La Poudre River. A Range destinations, Hwy 14 meanders from crowning jewel to this northern Colorado Fort Collins toward Walden and Steamboat town, it flows east from the Rocky Mountains Springs, offering a beautifully scenic and providing drinking and irrigation water for inspiring drive. Beyond the wealth of much of Northern Colorado. The river has climbing and scenic vistas, the Poudre also carved out the Poudre Canyon which Canyon also has excellent whitewater rafting now provides climbers with a wealth of cliff and kayaking, fishing, hiking, and skiing. faces and crags. The first definitive period of formal climbing development began in the late ‘60’s and About this Guide early ‘70’s. By most accounts, ROTC Rock (now known as Picnic Rock) and Greyrock This guidebook is a compilation of written were the first areas to see climbing activity. resources as well as information gathered The routes developed during this time period OVERVIEW through interviews with local climbers and (primarily by Steve Allen & Rodney Ley) developers. One of the greatest challenges in were done in ground-up style, and often documenting climbing in the Poudre Canyon focused on ascending interesting formations is that there have been a large number of and features. Given that active protection people involved in the development of areas (camming devices) hadn’t been invented yet, and routes, yet little information has been pitons were a common form of protection formally recorded. As a result, many of the and can still be found at various crags in crags and lines are known by multiple names the canyon as a reminder of these historic or have fallen into obscurity. ascents. In an attempt to preserve as much history The next wave of development stretched as possible alternate names are listed where from the early ‘80’s to mid ‘90’s and was applicable, with the most common name focused on Greyrock and the Narrows areas. listed first and alternate names following. At Greyrock in the early ‘80’s, developers In regard to first ascents, we have listed such as Jeff Bassett, Don Braddy, Pat the first known ascent, and it is indubitable McGrane, Jim Brink and others began to that many of the lines were done prior to establish bold, ground-up “Bachar” style their first recorded ascent. While we have face routes where groundfall potential was made every effort to provide accurate and nearly always a concern and climbers were well-researched information in this guide, forced to be competent mentally, physically we will inherently make mistakes given the and technically. By the mid ‘80’s Greyrock scope of the project and historical context of attracted locals including Craig Luebben, the canyon. We strongly encourage anyone Ken Gibson, Sari Schmetterer, Steve Drake with additional information to contact us at and others who began to develop more [email protected]. difficult, but generally better protected www.NOCOCLIMBING.org 7 OVERVIEW Rob Candelaria climbing Someday Never Comes (12b) in the Middle Narrows. © Craig Luebben Collection 8 POUDRE CANYON ROUTES lines. In addition, the first bolted lines in the to other popular areas along the Front Range, Psilocybin Canyon (Palace), Crystal Wall, and there are rarely tyrolean traverses set up the Narrows began to appear in the early due to the wide nature of the river and lack ‘90’s, with Craig Luebben, Lizz Grenard, Rob of suitable locations. As a result, wading Poutre, Ron Ambrose, Steve McCorkel, Vance is required to reach a fair number of the White, Casey Rosenbach and others doing popular crags. the majority of the development. Spring runoff, which usually begins in late From the mid ‘90’s to the present, a third April and extends through July, makes wave of development has defined the river crossings impassible unless you canyon.