The Lost World

BETA PHOTO: The Lost World - Gnome Dome. From left to right: ...

Description 

This sub-alpine area is listed here for organizational purposes. This is an area with various granite crags/domes uphill/upstream from the Rock of Ages area in the Big Thompson drainage a.k.a. Moraine Park a.k.a. Fern Canyon. Here, you can find crags such as Gnome Dome, The Colossus, Moot Point Apron, and Orange Arete. There are routes up to approximately 5 pitches here. There is room for new routing here.

Getting There 

The hike is approximately 2 miles from the Fern Lake Trailhead in Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park. Note, this is a popular trailhead for hikers, fisherpeople, and backpackers in the summer. You hike past the ice climb, Jaws; Arch Rocks; Arch Rocks backcountry campground (1 mi). Gillett describes, on p. 214-216 of his excellent guidebook, leaving the trail shortly after passing Arch Rock, a "rock retaining wall with several logs," a "10-foot section of retaining wall" on the left, going 50 yards, and then leaving the trail. For those with more average route-finding skills like us, we went to just short of "The Pool" (1.7 miles) then broke off right, up a hillside, across a moist meadow, and up to the crag(s) of choice.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Lost World

Colossus Crack 5.8 R  CO : Alpine Rock : ... : The Lost World

This is an excellent and unknown route. Hike the Fern Lake trail for 1 and 1/2 miles to a bridge. Scramble up the hillside to the right; the Colossus is a dome with its east side seemingly shorn off, left of a prominent orange prow. The walk is long enough to induce one to do other routes in the area as well.P1-just up from the SE corner of the Dome, find a clean, 100 foot long vertical hand crack--classic 5.8. Belay on the ridge.P2...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO