Mountain Project: Climbing Golden

Golden, Colorado is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, only fifteen minutes from the heart of Denver but a world apart. Golden is home of the internationally recognized Colorado School of Mines the Coors Brewery where the factory "short tour" is always welcomed at the end of the day after climbing in the sun drenched walls of North Table Mountain. Also, the American Alpine Club and its amazing climbing library is located on 10th St just E of Washington. It is an splendid resource for climbers!

Clear Creek Canyon and North Table Mountain/Golden Cliffs are definitely the most popular climbing areas. North Table Mt, in particular, is popular as an after work venue with the Denver crew, with its fast and easy access and late afternoon sun.

In addition, there are other less-well-known crags in the general area like Lookout Mt Crag, South Table Mt., the currently closed Ralston Buttes, Golden Gate Canyon SP, among others.

Getting There

Golden is located West of Denver and is easily reached from the West, East, North and South.

Map of Golden

Resources

If you are looking for eats, there is an excellent Middle Eastern restaurant, Ali Babba's, located E of CO Hwy 93, just north of US with tasty "sandwiches." There is Woody's Pizza, located on the E side of Washington St, right next to a great climbing shop, Bent Gate. Good selection of beer, tasty margarita, a reasonable salad bar and unlimited pizza for <$9. See if you can beat the record of 32 slices of pizza in a meal. The Table Mt Inn has good, if more upscale, food and drinks. There is also Taj Masala at 17211 S. Golden Rd for subcontinental cuisine.

Coors Brewery does offer a tour with samples. If you are short for time, ask to do the "short tour."

There is a fun kayak park located on the W end of Golden for those choosing cross-training and/or thermal cooling.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Golden:

Playin' Hooky 5.8 Sport, 4 pitches, 400 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Creek Side

Guppy 5.8 Sport, 1 pitch, 115 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Creek Side

Made In The Shade 5.9- Sport, 1 pitch, 125 feet Clear Creek Canyon : The Canal Zone

First Impressions 5.9 Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Little Eiger

Lunchmoney 5.9+ Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet Capitalist Crag : Lower Capitalist Crag

5th of July 5.9+ Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : High Wire Crag

People's Choice 5.10d Sport, 4 pitches Clear Creek Canyon : High Wire Crag

Reefer Madness 5.11a Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of the '90s

Walking With A Ghost 5.11 Sport, 1 pitch, 55 feet Clear Creek Canyon : The Canal Zone

Officer Friendly 5.11c Sport, 1 pitch, 45 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of Justice

Curvaceous 5.11c/d Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of the '90s

Solid Gold 5.12a Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 450 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Creek Side

Wet Dream 5.12a Sport, 1 pitch, 105 feet Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of the '90s

Slammer 5.12b Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of Justice

Bone Collector aka Bone Crusher 5.12b/c Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet The Quarry Wall

The Great Escape 5.12c Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of Justice

Ten-Digit Dialing 5.12c Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Wall of the '90s

Anarchitect 5.12d Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Anarchy Wall

Sonic Youth 5.13a Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : The New River Wall

Public Solitude 5.13 Sport, 1 pitch Clear Creek Canyon : Primo Wall

Featured Route For Golden

Howdy Doody Time 5.11b CO : Golden : ... : Dude's Throne

Bring your full bag of tricks for this one; success will demand a bit of route finding, power, and finesse. The movement and exposed positions are memorable to say the least.Climb easy rock onto a ledge above the belay. From the ledge, the route climbs up and left on beautiful gold rock, traverses right into a corner, and continues up onto the arete and face above....[more] Browse More Classics in CO

Comments on Golden

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By John McNamee
Administrator
From: Littleton, CO
Feb 12, 2008

Here's a link to the pdf preview on Sharpend books site...

sharpendbooks.com/pdfs/CCpreview.pdf

Impressive!

To preorder the book from the publisher:

www.sharpendbooks.com/prod.php?t=1&q=CO

By Fred Knapp
Mar 6, 2008

Clear Creek books are here! They arrived today. They should be in the local mountain shops today or tomorrow. -Fred Knapp, Sharp End Publishing.

By Jimn Seiler
From: North Platte, NE
Mar 7, 2008

Just went and got mine and let me just say that this guide book (IMO) has just set a new standard on how guidebooks should be done. Excellent work to whoever put it together.

By M Lindfors
From: Highlands Ranch
Dec 15, 2008

The new Table Mountain guidebook is out. I think it is as good or better than the Clear Creek guide. The highlighted cliff sections for each page is great for locating climbs accurately. The color pictures are well done and some have 2 views. The Clear Creek guide and this guide are the new standard of excellence.

By Mark Rolofson
Sep 28, 2010

This September 2010, I just wrote and published a new guidebook titled "Golden Rock Climbs" that retails for $20.00. It is a complete guide to North Table Mountain (with the Golden Cliffs & the four newly developed quarry walls) and the sport climbs of Golden Gate State Park near Dude's Fishing Hole. There are over 325 climbs including 125 new routes never documented in any other guide. It has a color cover and 144 pages. There are 46 black & white photos of cliffs & action climbing shots, detailed text, drawings, and maps. I have also included a section on bolts and top anchors. Something I have spend much time replacing at the Golden Cliffs. Look for it at Front Range outdoor shops.

By Anthony Wagner
Sep 4, 2011

I accidently walked off with some person's Clear Creek Canyon Rock Climbs book by Darren Mabe up on the High Wire Crag Saturday September 3rd 2011.... Contact me at 314-541-2251 if it is yours, my apologies!

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Golden

Introduction

Getting There

Resources

The Classics