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Rabbit Mountain 
South Saint Vrain Canyon 


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Lyons


1 person found this page useful
Submitted By: John McNamee on Mar 2, 2006
Administrators: Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac
Latitude: 40.2229  Longitude: -105.2700 
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Bouldering at Rabbit Mountain.


Description 

Lyons is a small town of approximately 1500 people located North of Boulder, but part of Boulder County. It lies at the downhill end of the canyon connecting with Estes Park.

While there may be no towering cliffs here, there is some interesting climbing for those with patience to search out the hidden gems. The area nearby includes a variety of rock types, from Dakota Sandstone, a variety of sandstone layers in the cliffs just NW of town, coarse granite of the S. St. Vrain Canyon, and the smoother granite in the Button Rock area. Some of the rock here overlaps the descriptions of the Estes Valley area.


Getting There 

From Boulder follow US 36 north for approximately 10 miles. Watch out for cyclists!

Map of Lyons


Food 

Lyons is oddly a culinary hotspot which draws gourmands from a far.

Restaurants here include: Ophelia's Kitchen (burritos), Dairy Delight (for greasy burgers or soft serve), a great little Mexican restaurant (Cilantro Mary's), Soda Fountain (breakfast & sandwiches), the family restaurant (formerly the Outlaw, now Linda & Jeana's), Kokopelli's Italian, Oskar Blues Bar & Grill, Gateway Cafe (need reservations on popular evenings) ($$$), Andrea's ($$$), Black Bear Inn ($$$$)....


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Lyons:
Little Flatiron Left [aka West Buttress]   5.6     Sport, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Upper Infirmary Slabs
Remission   5.7     Sport, TR, 1 pitch   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Upper Infirmary Slabs
Handcrack-a-rete   5.7+     Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Coliseum
Casual Corner   5.8+     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Monkey Skull
KeeMoSabe   5.9     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Scout Rock
Crooked Cross   5.9+     Trad, 2 pitches   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Sentinel
Mnemonic Plague   5.9+     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : December Wall
Alley Cat Street   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : North Narrows Slabs
Sunshine Dihedral   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Monkey Skull
Fogline   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Sentinel
Panic in the Gray Room   5.10a     Sport, TR, 1 pitch   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Upper Infirmary Slabs
Punch Line   5.10-     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Observatory Rock
Rawhide   5.10c     Sport, 1 pitch, 85 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Scout Rock
Upside The Cranium   5.10c     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Monkey Skull
Fever Dance   5.10c/d     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Monkey Skull
Hollow Be Thy Name   5.10d     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : The Monkey Skull
Cyberchondrial Paranoia   5.10d     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Upper Infirmary Slabs
Life After James   5.11b     Sport, 3 pitches, 220 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : December Wall
Telegraph Road   5.11b     Sport, 2 pitches, 150 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : December Wall
Broken Arrow   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   South Saint Vrain Canyon : Scout Rock
Browse More Classics in Lyons

Featured Route For Lyons
The final moves of pitch 1 (direct variation)

Crooked Cross 5.9+  CO : Lyons : ... : The Sentinel
Grab a 50 meter rope and head up to the beautiful crack called Crooked Cross. Hike up to the right of the rock, then scramble left to its base. Pitch one is about 120 feet and will get you to the base of the crack itself. Pitch one begins, as you look up, about 30 feet to the right of the crack, at the low point of the wall. It's a very moderate pitch, perhaps 5.5 or 5.6, and begins in a 20 foot long right facing, bushy dihedral. Work up to ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Comments on Lyons Add Comment
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By Fred Knapp
Dec 11, 2008

Bernard Gillett's new ROCK CLIMBING ST. VRAIN CANYONS is now available. It's a 424 page comprehensive guide. You'll want to have this one if you're bored with the other canyons.

By nrgreen
Dec 13, 2008

Where can you get it?

By nrgreen
Dec 13, 2008

Oh yeah... Neptune's, obviously.