Chad Greedy gets an alpine high. Photo: Caroline Treadway
Colorado’s high peaks and big, solid rock faces offer some of the finest alpine climbing in the country. The Diamond Face on Longs Peak is the preeminent alpine big-wall in the Rockies and the Crestones and San Juans offers multi-pitch alpine routes on par with some of the best in the Alps. But what about all of those big granite blocks up in the Colorado high country?
Recently many climbers have turned their attention away from the summits of the state’s towering peaks to focus on the massive boulders littering the bases of these mountains. That change in attitude began not long after the introduction of the commercial crash pad in the 1990s, which allowed for riskier climbing above uneven landing zones. Soon, climbers began to explore the dramatic valleys of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). As climbers shifted their perspective to climbing these smaller, harder summits, suddenly they saw the potential was limitless.
Rocky Mountain National Park’s Emerald Lake was the first place climbers ventured into in the high country for bouldering in earnest. But the arduous two-mile approach to 10,080 feet, erratic weather patterns and complex landings here didn’t endear the place to a bouldering community that was accustomed to easy roadside access. However, the quality of the stone and pristine setting beneath the towering walls of Hallett Peak drew some intrepid souls.
In the fall of 1998, world-class climber Tommy Caldwell hit upon another prime bouldering spot in the park. Chaos Canyon’s gigantic field of blocky and swirly gneiss surrounding Lake Haiyaha, which sits at 10,219 feet.
“Chaos was the freaking mother lode,” says Caldwell, an Estes Park local. “For me it was like winning the lottery.”
In an adrenaline frenzy, he spent two days, exploring the heap of boulders below the sparkling lake. The overhanging features and complicated landings called for stacks of pads, so Caldwell invited his friends Herman Fiessner and Brian Capps to join him. Over the first few days, they established a handful of classics in absolute solitude.
Shortly after, Caldwell left on a two-month trip to California. The news about Chaos Canyon’s riches spread like wildfire, and local residents were among the first to head for the new bouldering playground.
“The first day I returned home to Estes I hiked straight up to Chaos and there were about 25 people in the boulders,” says Caldwell.
The exploratory vibe and potential for hard climbing soon attracted Dave Graham, one of America’s strongest climbers. Over the next few years, Graham and his friends, including Luke Parady, Chad Greedy, Nick Sagar, Theo Merrin and several others put “The Park” on the map by laying a solid foundation of modern test pieces up to V14 on the obvious boulders in Lower and Upper Chaos. In an instant the value of these blocks of high alpine granite increased and everyone wanted to stake their claim.
The influx of climbers led groups of industrious boulderers to search for gems in other alpine areas based on rumors from traditional climbers and by scanning aerial photos on Google Earth, TerraServer, Bing and USGS Maps.
In the summer of 2002, Ben Scott, Ken Kenny and Rob Pizem decided to explore the lush valleys of 14,265-foot Mount Evans near Idaho Springs. Five years prior, Pete Takeda had recognized great potential on the granite blocks scattered around the tundra below the multi-pitch route he was climbing on the Black Wall. It was 1997, and he thought, “no one is going to come here for bouldering.” But he managed to convince Phil Benningfield, Eric Greene and Pete Zoller to visit the area a couple of times even though most people didn’t yet believe the place held much potential as a bouldering destination.
Kenny and Pizem became converts, however, and they convinced Scott and a few others to hike from the Summit Lake parking lot at 12,830 feet down into the glacial cirque along a scenic trail laden with delicate alpine flowers. From the rim, it was immediately apparent that they had entered the promised land. Hundreds of king-sized blocks with steep angles, immaculate features and flat landings spread out over four stacked areas they dubbed simply A, B, C and D.
“I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular bouldering scene,” Scott says. “I was giddy like a little kid in a candy store.” There were sticky slopers on rounded arêtes, miniscule crimps on sheer faces and smooth, blocky features on overhanging walls.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Scott said. “I could literally see Denver from the boulders and not one of them appeared to have been climbed on before.”
That first summer, Scott along with his crew of Jeremy Bisher, Jason Tarry, Dave Ludders and Cameron Cross cleared a trail system through the scrub oak, cherry picked the best lines from V0-V10 and attempted the hard projects. Only a handful of climbers knew about the boulders at this time, and with RMNP now discovered, they remained tight-lipped about the place. But word got out.
“Suddenly Area A was cooler then Lower Chaos, and before we knew it 50 people were sitting at the Dali boulder one day.”
As soon as climbers began sharing photos, videos and 8a.nu scorecards boasting hard first ascents, it was impossible for any boulderer to resist. The abundance of boulders and cool conditions in an unspoiled landscape drew climbers from around the globe. In a matter of a few years, Colorado’s alpine boulders went from being virtually unknown to an international bouldering destination.
This new approach also birthed a generation of boulderers willing to explore further and climb higher than ever before.
“Generally speaking, before RMNP climbers didn’t hike much to boulders,” Caldwell remarked. “Chaos introduced a spirit of exploration into the high country for bouldering.”
For the past five years, Colorado’s alpine environs have been regarded as one of the best places to boulder and beat the heat during the summer months. Development has continued at a consistent pace and the gaps are filling in with enjoyable moderates alongside some of the hardest problems in the world. Although the most obvious spots at the popular, Original areas are now nearly exhausted, there are still endless projects hidden amongst the talus and trees.
Of course, too much growth can be a bad thing. The fragile alpine tundra has taken a serious beating from foot traffic and crash pad placement over the last 10 years. Rocky Mountain National Park rangers are monitoring the impact—they are most concerned with the proliferation of off-trail use.
“The easiest way for them to shut down these climbing areas is to say boulderers are destroying the fragile environment,” Scott says. “Everyone needs to start working together to preserve this amazing area.”
Legitimizing the scene, Sharp End Publishing released a Bouldering RMNP and Mount Evans guidebook in June, documenting nearly 400 problems. But there are other areas and the supply of boulders is far from exhausted.
“If you look at all of Colorado, there are thousands of potential boulders,” said Jamie Emerson, the author of the guidebook. “It really comes down to how far people really want to hike.”
Climber Angela Payne agrees: “The extra work and effort that it takes to reach these areas is well worth the all-around experience of climbing in an alpine area.”
Writer Abbey Smith recently returned from bouldering in the Indian Himalayas. Colorado’s alpine bouldering areas are her inspiration and training ground.
Hot Rocks Bonus
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
RMNP contains some of the most beautiful boulders in the state, perhaps only rivaled by Mt. Evans. The setting is alpine, with crisp granite and gneiss boulders. Positioned in a talus field, at 10,000-11,000 feet. Classics here are Autobot (V5), Tommy’s Arête (V7), and Bush Pilot (V11).
MOUNT EVANS
Accesing these perfect, freestanding granite blocks requires a steep, burly one hour hike in after parking at 10,000 feet. The reward? Super classic highballs. Archetypal lines not be missed are Timeline (V0+ R), tall and with a committing finish via slopers on licheny ripples; Maker’s Mark (V5), 15 feet, climbs hanging arête to slopey mantle; and Bierstadt (V9), ascending the underbelly of the Bierstadt Corridor.
INDEPENDENCE PASS
Independence Pass contains a plethora of alpine bouldering on granite and metamorphosed gneiss located at 10,000 feet. The base of the Grotto Wall, beneath the trad line Cryogenics 5.11c is the Upper Boulderfield, a good place for beginners. The Ineditable (V6-V7 X) is one of the tall/great Colorado problems. The moderate highball here is Jaws (V3), which ascends a jug haul along roof to an engaging crux 20 feet off the deck.
—Chris Van Leuven