Best Half Day Guided Rock Climbing In the Front Range

The Best Half Day Guided Rock Climbing In the Front Range - Boulder and Denver Climbing Instruction and Guiding 

Boulder Colorado is one of the world meccas of rock climbing. Home to generations of legendary rock climbers, mountaineers, and alpinists, Boulder’s been long one of the world centers where climbers come to test their skills on legendary routes. Some of our most famous areas such as Eldorado Canyon, Boulder Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon, and Golden Cliffs, have been developed into areas where climbing flourishes, from easy routes, to some of the most cutting-edge ascents in the world. The advantage of climbing in Boulder is that many of these climbing areas are just minutes from Downtown Boulder, providing unparalleled access to some of the world’s best climbing right in our backyard. Here are our favorite guided half-day climbing trips in Boulder, Colorado.  

Rock Climbing Boulder Canyon – World Class Climbing Just Minutes From Downtown Boulder

Right up the road from Downtown Boulder is the sprawling Boulder Canyon, which stretches all the way from Boulder up to the town of Nederland, nearly a mile away. Boulder Canyon has dozens of climbing areas and thousands of routes ranging from easy first-time low angle climbs to burly multi-pitch and some of the toughest ascents in the world. Beginner climbers will enjoy areas such as The Dome and Elephant Buttress, with a short hike to the top and the perfect staging area to work on first time skills as well as easy introductory climbs. For more advanced climbers, we’ll head to areas such as Nip and Tuck or Animal World, where we’ll get to climb on cracks, dihedrals, arêtes, and thin holds, offering some of the most technical and challenging climbing in Colorado. Boulder Canyon is perfect for both first time climbers and seasoned veterans. 

Rock Climbing Clear Creek Canyon – Creek-side Rock Climbing Near Denver 

Just half an hour from Denver and Boulder, Clear Creek Canyon ascends high above the creek, offering waterside climbing in a breathtaking setting in the high cliffs of the canyon. Clear Creek Canyon winds across the many tunnels of Clear Creek, with a number of different walls and options for beginner and seasoned climbers. Clear Creek offers everything from single to multi-pitch sport options and is the perfect place to either learn new skills or hone their climbing technique on more challenging walls. Clear Creek even lends itself to some of the most accessible ice climbing in the Front Range throughout the winter. While most of the routes are over the 5.10 range, there is plenty for beginner and intermediate climbers to play on slab, cracks, off-widths, and overhanging climbs. While it might look intimidating, Clear Creek is open for every kind of climber. 

Rock Climbing Golden Cliffs – Short Approaches and Climbing Close to Denver

Golden Cliffs is just 30-minutes outside of Denver, set on the red rock cliffs of North Table Mountain. With easy access to the walls, great top-rope climbing, and accessible from Golden or Denver, this is some of the best climbing close to the city with views overlooking Golden, Denver, and near Red Rocks Amphitheater. For climbers who are looking for a short day and a short approach to maximize the time that we’re climbing, Golden Cliffs offers the best of all worlds. The routes here range from easy ascents to stout climbs, with crack climbing, dihedrals, slabs, and overhangs. The short approach and easy climbing makes it a great place for working on skills such as knots, lead climbing, and anchor skills. For climbers who are looking for a short day out of Downtown Denver or Boulder, an easy approach, and a wide variety of climbing, Golden Cliffs makes for a great day out. 

Rock Climbing Eldorado Canyon – The Ultimate Testpiece Ground

Yes the routes in Eldorado Canyon are huge, requiring much more then a half-day climb. However for climbers who are looking to improve their skills whether in trad or multi-pitch, Eldorado Canyon can’t be bested anywhere else in the Front Range. They various walls and climbs of Eldo, some which are no farther then the roadway, offer a wide variety of skill building throughout the Canyon. We have the option to work on a wide variety of cracks and faces, and have space underneath the walls to work on basic skills such as gear placement, knots, and multi-pitch transitions. It’s also a great ground to work on new climbing skills such as climbing cracks, thin holds, or overhangs. Eldorado Canyon may at first look like a place for only the most serious of climbing but it’s a wonderful place for working on and improving skills.

Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides have some of the top climbing guides and instructors in the Front Range. We operate from Boulder and Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park. We offer custom and private trips that are meant to build and gain confidence in climbing both in skill and technique. Call us at720 242 9828 to book your climbing adventure today.