There are at least 3 ice climbs near the Moffatt Tunnel. 2 are close to the tunnel. South Facing. 1 is across the valley on the south side, north facing. I've climbed that one. Rob Savoye had stuff on his website on the south facing stuff.
Most ice climbers will find this are not worth the effort. For those who enjoy a bit of sniffing for ice, there is a tiny bit of scent here.
Getting There
Go to Moffatt Tunnel which lies W of the Peak to Peak Highway connecting Nederland and I-70. From the town of Rollinsville, wander west.
I chopped around there on Jan 4, it's only about 25 feet of ice, the right and left sides of the flow are climbable. The right side was dripping that day. The center of the flow hasn't filled in yet. Geoffrey J./Boulder
This place is actually somewhat decent and a pleasant escape if the "Boulder Canyon Ice Circus" is crowded. To get to the main flow, park in the lot, go left of the tunnel to the trailhead sign and follow a path from the sign (southwest) to the climb~10minutes. The iceflow is about 30 feet high and 30 feet wide. A large tree can be toproped about 10 feet back of the climb. This climb is probably WI 3, similar to the short steep section on the 2nd runnel of ice in Boulder Canyon. Enjoy!
For Moffatt Tunnel, read Wind Tunnel! Expect sustained, hard, cold winds. Fine, of course, if you're dressed for it, but this is as cold a low-altitude place as I've ever visited in Colorado.
Checked this area out for the first time. The main south facing column was a sun baked drool, didn't see any other south facing flows. The north facing climb was pretty fat and dripping in some areas. About 15 feet of vertical. There were a lot of people on Saturday, kind of like Lincoln falls without all the ice.
We visited Moffat Tunnel for our first time last Saturday (1/08/05). Although the wind was raging in Golden, Moffat Tunnel didn't have even a slight breeze... it was beautiful. We had the place to ourselves. The snow was falling lightly, and the only sound you could hear was the water trickling behind the fat ice (main flow).
The weather was not freezing by any means, so either we must have picked a good day, or Flynn picked a bad one.
Yes, it's only a 30 foot climb at best. Not all that exciting, but at least mostly verticle. A good place to take beginners, who aren't sure of themselves, because there isn't any feeling of exposure (to gravity, at least).
It was a nice place to go, away from the crowds, and not have to drive through Vail traffic! But, if you're up for something more interesting/long/challenging, might as well go to Vail.
Moffatt Tunnel
Printer Friendly View
RSS Feed
