There are at least 3 ice climbs near the Moffatt Tunnel. 2 are close to the tunnel, they are South-facing. One is across the valley on the south side, north-facing...some folks have been assisting the ice. I've climbed 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 West of the Peak to Peak Highway connecting Nederland and I-70. From the town of Rollinsville, wander west.
Park at the tunnel. Cross bridge, hike along trail past a dark hut. Ice should be visible up and on the left. Wallow up snow through trees to the blue ice. There is 20-25 feet of vertical curtain with a cave on the right. It is fun, short ice but in a beautiful setting. Walk off right. Beware of brittle ice, I broke a pick here. There is more ice around here for those with good noses. Some will not find this worth the effort...ah often there is solitude on weekdays....[more]Browse More Classics in CO
By Alan Stevens From: Golden, CO Jan 24, 2013 CONDITION REPORT
Went to Moffatt Tunnel this morning (1/24/12). Ice was in decent shape. A little wet at climber's right. Some big hoses up top weren't running. Snowshoes weren't needed on the approach.
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 it was mostly vertical. It's 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.
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