Mecca of Classic Routes
Boulder, Colorado is home to many fantastic rock climbing venues, including the famous Eldorado Canyon and the well-recognized Flatirons. These are excellent rock climbing areas to both learn and hone your skill as a climber. They offer you the opportunity to do anything from climb a classic route, perfect your rock climbing technique, or learn valuable technical skills.
Eldorado Canyon
Eldorado Canyon State Park represents one of our country’s finest and most famous climbing areas. Many of the conglomerate sandstone walls soar to over 700′ high, and offer a wealth of both single and multi-pitch routes of all difficulties. The conglomerate sandstone rock quality is second to none, and is more reminiscent of granite than other sandstone climbing destinations. The Redgarden Wall is host to a wide variety of climbing routes including many “must-dos” including The Yellow Spur, Ruper, and Rewritten to name a few.
The Bastille and Wind Tower also offer classic climbs, both single and multi-pitch. This is a great venue to improve your climbing skill, and also offers easy logistics for setting up top ropes for technical training and more.
The Flatirons
The Flatirons form the classic backdrop and scenery of Boulder and are easily recognizable when you arrive to the area. The First and Third Flatirons offer some of the best climbing as well as some moderate multi-pitch climbing to the top of their features. The Direct East Face of the First Flatiron is one of the longer routes of the area and provides stunning positions and scenery of the surrounding area.
Other can’t miss climbs in the Flatirons include the Standard East Face of the 3rd Flatiron, and the North Arete of the First Flatiron. Overall, these climbs represent an excellent way to become more familiar with multi-pitch climbing techniques in a user friendly setting.
2024 Dates
Available Daily Upon Request
April through November
Costs
$599 for 1:1
$449 pp for 2:1
$399 pp for 3:1
No Hidden Fees
Includes:
- Guiding and instruction with an AMGA Certified/Trained Guide
- All rock climbing gear (harness, helmet, rock shoes, etc.)
Eldo & Flatirons Select Routes
Below is a list of classic routes you might consider at each venue. All programs are custom scheduled and tailored according to your schedule and desired outcomes. Whether you would like to tick off a classic route like the Yellow Spur, or do a 2 Day Rock Rescue Course to hone your technical rock climbing skills, we can put it all together for you.
Below are just a few of the routes that we recommend in Eldorado Canyon. Many other options exist and don’t hesitate to contact our office to discuss which routes are best for you. In addition, we have listed a few custom programs that are perfectly suited for Eldorado Canyon.
- The Yellow Spur (5.9+, 6 pitches)
- Ruper (5.8, 6 pitches )
- Rewritten (5.7, 6 pitches)
- Bastille Crack (5.7+, 5 pitches)
- Calypso (5.6, 3 pitches)
- Over The Hill (5.10a, 2 pitches)
- Custom Introduction to Rock or Learn to Lead Trad Climbing Course (2-3 days)
- Custom Self and Partner Rock Rescue Course (2 days)
Below are just a few of the routes that we recommend in The Flatirons. Many other options exist and don’t hesitate to contact our office to discuss which routes are best for you.
- Direct East Face of the First Flatiron (5.6, 8 pitches)
- Standard East Face of the 3rd Flatiron (5.4, 8 pitches )
- North Arete of the First Flatiron (5.4, 5 pitches)
Rock Climbing Equipment List
| Backpack | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | The Osprey Mutant 38 represents an excellent all around performer for Ice Climbing trips in the Ouray Ice Park and surrounding San Juan backcountry. |
| Water Bottles | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | We recommend wide mouth Nalgene (or similar) water bottles for the majority of our programs. Two 1 liter bottles is the standard for days in the mountains. |
| Personal Food | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | Lunch begins when breakfast ends and ends when dinner begins. Bring what you like to eat and consider the length, relative difficulty, weight, and other factors when deciding what to bring in the mountains with you. A variety is always best. Don't be afraid of Mr. T. |
| Sunscreen | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | Essential for all of our programs. SPF 30 would be our minimum recommendation. Typically a 4 oz. bottle will suffice but consider trip length when deciding how much to pack. |
| Belay Device | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | A belay device is a required item on any of our technical climbing or mountaineering courses. While not necessary to have the Guide ATC specifically, we think owning one of these offers additional versatility as you progress and gain additional knowledge about the various levels of functionality provided by a device of this type. |
| Harness | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | The BD Aspect Harness is a great all around performer for all types of climbing - ice, rock, alpine etc. The adjustable leg loops and integrated ice clipper loops make this a solid investment as your do-all harness. |
| Locking Carabiners | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | We recommend at minimum 2 - 3 personal locking carabiners on our climbing courses and any technical private guided program. We prefer classic screw gate carabiners over other types of locking mechanisms. |
| Climbing Helmet | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
 | A versatile, hybrid-shell helmet for lightweight protection in any discipline, the Vector features excellent ventilation and a ratcheting adjuster. |
Training & Follow Up Climbs
As always, being in excellent physical shape is an important component of our our programs. A good mixture of cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness, and especially core strength will help you to maximize the potential rewards that are possible on a great climbing trip.
Specific to Rock Climbing – it is a great idea to experience rock climbing in a gym first prior to your first experience outside!
Before Your Trip
Familiarity with basic climbing principles such as knots, belaying, rappelling, and other climbing techniques can be very helpful for our Intro Course participants. Though not required, prior gym climbing experience will help you to acquire and assimilate the information covered in our rock climbing course progression as quickly as possible.
Follow Up Climbs
Boulder, Colorado: Getting There
Boulder, Colorado is located in the Northeastern part of Colorado and approximately 30 minutes from Denver International Airport. A mecca for climbing, hiking, cycling, and foodies; make sure you plan to spend some time in town before and after your SJMG trip. Boulder, CO serves as the launching point for all of our rock climbing courses and climbs in the Front Range.
*If you are planning to combine additional days of climbing in Eldorado Canyon or The Flatirons then Boulder, CO is also a logical place to base your lodging for your trip.
 The best option for flying to the area is to fly into Denver, CO. Many airline options exist, and because Denver is a major airline and travel destination there are typically many one-way flights to choose from.
 You will likely need a to organize a rental car to drive to Boulder, CO from Denver. Typically in the summer months you can choose any type of vehicle but in the spring and winter months please consider that weather can change rapidly in the mountains so an All Wheel Drive or Four Wheel Drive vehicle is worth considering. Below are some approximate driving times to get to Boulder, CO.
- Denver, CO:Â 30 minutes
- Estes Park, CO:Â 45 minutes
- Colorado Springs, CO: 2 hours
 Boulder, CO also has a number of great hotels, suites, and vacation rentals for you to stay in while you’re in the area. Give our office a call at 800-642-5389 if you have any questions about what would suit you best for this trip!
Program Policies
Registration & Cancellation
Advance Registration is required for this program. You have the option to either call our office and register via phone or utilize our secure Online Reservation System. All participants must read and sign an Assumption of Risks/Liability Waiver and agree to our Reservations and Cancellations Policies.
Inclusions
- Guiding and Instruction with an AMGA Certified/Trained Guide
- All rock climbing gear (harness, helmet, rock shoes, etc.)
Exclusions
- Transportation to Boulder, CO
- Hotel costs before, during, or after the program
- Guide gratuity
- Lunch food or snacks
- Personal hiking/climbing clothing
- Trip Cancellation Insurance (recommended)
- Costs associated with weather delays or other variables beyond the control of San Juan Mountain Guides
Book This Trip!
We Offer Online Registration
- Click on Book This Trip
- Select your Program dates
- Enter your Info and Payment
Or, call 800.642.5389 to register
