Colorado Springs is a mid-sized city located just east of the geographic center of the state of Colorado in the United States. It has a population of approximately 370,000 and is the third largest city in Colorado. At elevation 6,035 feet, it is situated near the base of one of the most famous American peaks, Pikes Peak (14,110'), on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. The capital of Colorado, Denver, is 68 miles to the north.
For climbers, the appeal of Colorado Springs is that it has many features of a modern urban area, such as parks, bike trails, urban open-area spaces, business and commerce, theatres and other entertainments. It was established as a posh resort community, and the tourist industry is strong and offers many activities and attractions. It is the number one destination for Colorado tourism. There are a number of military installations in the area, high-tech industry, and many Christian organizations and churches make their headquarters there.
If you have problems finding Colorado Springs, perhaps you shouldn't go climbing. The Springs as locals call it is 70 miles south of Denver on I-25, at the base of Pikes Peak.
For out of town folks, there is a modest-sized, quiet airport located SE of town.
Resources
In the Springs go with La Casita (US 24 and 8th street as you get back into town, about a mile before I-25 is a pink, converted garage on your right) or Il Vicino (Downtown on Tejon between Colorado and Pikes Peak (local gear shop Mountain Chalet is just three blocks north).
Vic's brews their own beer, but suds are definitely also available at Kinfolks in Manitou. In case you got chased off the Pericle or Four Mile Dome, Kinfolks has conveniently combined bar and gear shop in one so you can replace your gear and stop your hands from shaking so.
If you need coffee in the morning to quell the shakes, hit Boulder St Roasters (Tejon next block north of Mountain Chalet) or Wooglins (Tejon just five blocks further north). Basically, everything you need is on Tejon. If climbing up on the Rampart range road or any of the outlying areas early morning coffee and monster dounuts can be had at the dounut mill in woodland park. It's located on the north side of US 24 about 1/2 way through town.
Between Garden of the Gods & Red Rocks Open Space, you can find a hearty meal at the Mason Jar near Colorado Ave & 30th St.
Weather
Note, this area is located at the foot of a 14,110 ft peak with plenty of foothills just to the west. Of note, you should be aware that weather can be dramatically different than that in its neighboring community just 70 miles to the north. You can use the NOAA website to check on forecasts.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Colorado Springs:
This is the obvious line up the middle of the main boulder's south face. Get to the sloper and then up to a knob to top out. Landing is good. ...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Does anyone have any beta on Barney's Dome? I hike up there last fall and it has a handful of beautiful lines. I'm sure they'be all been climbed, but it's obvious it sees very little traffic.
I botched it on the way up. I went up from the same road that access Ute pass boulders. I thought this would work well, but the trail dead ends at the saddle and then its a total bushwack. On the way out we found a trail that will lead you to the top of the Heizer trail. The Heizer trail starts in Cascade. Walk up the main street for 100 yrds from the hwy 24 stop light. Turn left at the first street. Go a few hundred more yards and take your next 1st left. Walk up this to a sharp right hand switchback. The trail head leaves from the switch back on the left side of the road. Walk up the Heizer trail for about 45min- hour. You will pop over the top, drop down a little and then there is a fait trail that splits left and walks along a ridge (south east) all the way to Barney's dome. If you eventually hit a road, then you missed the left turn. There's a big right hand dihedral that splits the entire north face. It looks to be 2-3 pitches and is capped with a pretty big roof (and not a lot of obvious gear at the roof if I recall. There is a faint climbers trail 20-30 ft below the base of the dome.
I read somewhere that normal chalk is not allowed in Garden of the Gods as well as Red Rock Canyon. I also read that climbers must get a permit from the city in order to climb, is any of this true or enforced?
By BrettPierce From: Colorado Springs Aug 13, 2008
Jacob, both are true. You can pick up a permit at the visitor center and the chalk at Mt. Chalet.
I was reading the guide Stewart Green put out about the Pike's Peak area, and he seemed pretty positive about Williams Canyon. How come it's not listed here? Is the climbing that chossy?
Williams Canyon is not everyone's cup of tea. It's adventure sport climbing at its finest! Be prepared for the finest choss in the Pikes Peak region. You got to love loose, flakey limestone with tottering pillars, removable handholds, and rotten rock to climb at Williams. Ian and I did 20 or more routes here. Even a big one on The Temple, a massive 200-foot overhanging wall. Bring a helmet and a sense of adventure...if the place cleaned up, some of the routes are a lot like American Fork in Utah.
I made my way to the top of the Manitou incline today and found what seemed to me like some pretty awesome bouldering but no evidence anythings been climbed. The approach is insane, but I'm thinking of hauling my crash pad up there to start working and cleaning some problems. Has anyone had the same thoughts for this area?
Yeah, the boulders and little cliffs on top of Mt Manitou and Rocky Mountain. I went up there a lot in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Steve Cheyney, Jim Dunn, Brian Teale, and few other guys. Bouldered our brains out on that great PP granite. Mark Hesse did some roped routes on the bigger stuff there. Harvey Carter also climbed up there too in the 1960s. We also did problems on the best trailside boulders on the hike up Barr Trail and along the Manitou watershed road above Ute Pass Boulders. In fact, there's an awesome splitter 5.12 finger crack up there on a block of granite. So like Phil says, it's been climbed on already. But the great thing is that, like so much rock in the PP region, you can climb and boulder and it all feels new...and that's a good thing!
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