The Lion's Den

Description 

Haven't found your fill of classic sport lines wandering the main corridors and spires of the Monastery? A few more gems are hiding out in the Lion's Den. Here you might find a little more solitude, more underbrush and scree beneath the routes and even better views. The lines tend to be short and spread about the maze that is the LD. Routes in the LD proper as well as the adjecent Nursery will be described here.

Getting There 

The LD lies uphill - northwest of the Guardian. The approach path(s) are quite faint. After reaching the Guardian, the first rock reached via the Monastery trail, head directly uphill passing the Catacomb on the left. Keeping close to the rock formations on the left, the Nursery will shortly come into view. Two superb bolted 5.6 are located here accessible to toproping. Climb further uphill past the last major rock formations (few or no routes currently) and drop down the hillside to the SW. You will reach a small crag with 2 sport routes (7 and 11a) and a 11a wide crack. Just downhill from this is Bearhug(11a), a sport line with a very nice position on a gently overhanging prow. Down a loose scree filled gully you will finally reach the sport lines on Wedding (a 7 and 9 sharing an anchor) and Barnacle Rocks (a 9+) Alternatively one can access these two rocks by dropping down from the main approach into the Catacomb past the routes the Gravestone and Mausoleum, and scramble right across and below several rock ribs.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Lion's Den

Bride 5.7  CO : Estes Park Valley : ... : The Lion's Den

Bride is the left route on Wedding Rock in the Lion's Den. Clip the fist bolt from the slab, then step down and hop on. Crimps, edges, and steep climbing on compact, fine grained rock make this a beatiful route. It shares the last bolt and anchors with Groom (5.9) to the right. Pumpy and steep for the grade. Watch out for a few loose flakes and holds at the start. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO