Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and Monument Canyon, and you can climb in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National
Park.
Southeast Colorado
All the best climbing in southern Colorado can be found on the limestone cliffs and pin-
nacles along Shelf Rd, near where the state's best early dinosaur finds were discovered.
The Gallery, the Bank and the North End are the best sites. Colorado Springs has a strict
permit process for its top climbing destinations: Garden of the Gods and Red Rock
Canyon.
Mountaineering
Unless you plan on tackling one of the estimated 161 technical high-altitude rock-climb-
ing routes, mountaineering isn't necessary to bag peaks in Colorado. Intrepid mountain-
eers summit the 14ers in the winter, a highly technical pursuit that requires training and
proper gear (usually ice axe, crampons, snowshoes or backcountry skis), and cold-weather
clothing. Cold climes can exacerbate the effects of altitude sickness, and avalanches are a
serious concern here.
Mt Elbert - Colorado's highest peak - is one of the least technical and avalanche prone
in winter. Longs Peak and Pikes Peak are also popular and reasonably low-risk (though
that can change in a blink) winter climbs. The Maroon Bells, on the other hand, are as
risky and technical as Colorado mountaineering gets.
Summit Post
(
www.summitpost.org
)
is a solid online resource with basic climbing-route inform-
ation, but proper maps and consultation with local ranger districts are a must, and guide
services are always a good idea. Climbers should take a beacon and never go out alone.
