Home - Destinations - iPhone/Android - Gyms - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New
 ADVANCED
The Amphitheater
Patagonia Women's Nano StormR Jacket

$329.00 50% off

$164.50

at Patagonia

24    more...
Mammut Redburn Hiking Shoe - Men's

$118.95 20% off

$95.16

at Backcountry

   more...
Mammut - 8.9 Serenity Rope

$249.95 27% off

$179.97

at GearX

7    more...
Patagonia Women's Knifeblade Pullover

$349.00 50% off

$174.50

at Patagonia

111    more...
Mammut Men's Alpine Light Harness

$49.95 23% off

$37.99

at Moosejaw

4    more...
Double Ended Pully 2 38 In

$89.95 25% off

$67.46

at CampSaver

5    more...
Mountain Hardwear Men's Pistolero Gloves

$86.19 21% off

$67.59

at AltrecOutlet

1    more...
Rio Trout Light Touch WF4F

$69.99 25% off

$52.49

at AlsSports

47    more...
 more Dirtbag Deals

Select Route:
2nd Pinnacle, NW Corner 
2nd Pinnacle, Upper East Face Right 
D.A.'s Route 
Dialysis Bag 
Direct North Face 
Direct to top of Second Pinnacle  
Direct West Bench [formerly listed as variation] 
Diversion 
East Bench Dihedral 
Finger Crack (onT-Zero) 
First Pinnacle SE Face 
Inset, The 
Inside S. Face (1st pinnacle) 
Juniper Crack (1st pinacle) 
Left Variation (1st pinnacle) 
Macropsychotic 
McCrumm's Crack (1st Pinnacle) 
North Face of the West Bench (2nd Pinnacle) 
Northeast Chimney 
Now and Zen 
Outside East Face 
P.S. I'm Blonde 
Pizza Pie Crack 
Red Gully, The 
Red Wall aka Raptors in Cellophane 
Roof (2nd Pinnacle E. Face) 
Second Pinnacle East Face 
Second Pinnacle South Face 
Shortcut 
Siberian North Face 
Slot [formerly listed at Direct West Bench] 
South Face Direct (1st Pinnacle) 
South Face Left (1st Pinnacle) 
South Rib (2nd Pinnacle) 
Southeast Arete (1st pinnacle) 
Standard Inside East Face 
T-Zero West Face 
Tyrolean Traverse 
West Bench Dihedral 
West Face (of T-Zero) 

The Amphitheater 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Elevation: 6,150'
Lat, Long: 39.9958, -105.2929 Map
Page Views: 15,729. Good page? (1 like)   
Administrators: Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Ben Mottinger on Jan 1, 2001

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
  Print a Mini-Guide with routes

Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event 

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Chance of Rain
66° | 45°
Partly Cloudy
79° | 46°
Chance of a Thunderstorm
75° | 52°
Chance of a Thunderstorm
82° | 55°
Clear
88° | 64°
Some crags in this area are closed 1 February to 31 July: MORE INFO >>>


The Amphitheater from The Spy

Description 

The Gregory Canyon Amphitheatre is a classic climbing area. Thousands of climbers have had their first ascents on the gentle rocks that rest here. On sunny weekends, the inside of the amphitheatre is usually beseiged by climbing programs and beginners. The exterior of the amphitheatre has a number of attractive routes of varying difficulty.


Getting There 

Park either at Chautauqua parking (on the south side of Baseline at about 9th street), or at the Gregory Canyon parking lot. NOTE: If your car tags aren't from Boulder County, definitely pay the fee ($3/d or $25/y) if you park at the latter. From Chautauqua, walk the Baseline trail until you join up with the Amphitheater trail. About 300 yards up, (to access the the N face of First Pinnacle or the E face of the East Bench) take the climbing Amphitheater Express trail, which loops around the north side of the Amphitheater. The regular route (Amphitheater Trail) continues up, and 150 yards later the Amphitheater (T-Zero, W face of E Bench, S face of First Pinnacle, E & S & W face of Second Pinnacle, E face of West Bench) appears on your right side.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Amphitheater:
Tyrolean Traverse   Easy 5th PG13     TR, 2 pitches, 90 feet   
Macropsychotic   5.5 V-easy     Trad, Boulder, 1 pitch, 75 feet   
Slot [formerly listed at Direct West Bench]   5.6     Trad, 1 pitch   
Direct West Bench [formerly listed as variation]   5.7     Trad   
Inside S. Face (1st pinnacle)   5.9 R     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet   
Red Wall aka Raptors in Cellophane   5.9+     Sport, TR, 1 pitch   
Now and Zen   5.10a     Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 60 feet   
Siberian North Face   5.10b     Trad, Sport   
Browse More Classics in The Amphitheater

Featured Route For The Amphitheater
View of the second pinnacle from the anchor on the first pinnacle.

Tyrolean Traverse Easy 5th PG13  CO : Flatirons : ... : The Amphitheater
You can string a rope between the first and second pinnacles to make a fairly exposed tyrolean traverse. The two giant, flatiron's style eyebolts at the top of the pinnacles make for some bomber anchors. The crux is in getting the rope across the gap without the rope snagging on something. I found it's easiest to climb the downclimb routes for both....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Photos of The Amphitheater Slideshow Add Photo
Inside the Amphitheater

Inside the Amphitheater

Top of the East Bench ... relax

BETA PHOTO: Top of the East Bench ... relax

East face of 2nd Pinnacle

East face of 2nd Pinnacle

View of the Gregory Canyon Amphitheater as  seen from The Spy. The Amphitheater was closed this day in September due to black bears in the area.

View of the Gregory Canyon Amphitheater as seen f...


Comments on The Amphitheater Add Comment
Show which comments
By Anonymous Coward
Aug 1, 2004

I set a toprope for the Inside South Face, and instead of traversing diagonally up and left, just headed straight up (to the right of the inside south face route). There is a nice left facing dihedral about halfway up (below the dihedral on the inside south face route) with very thin holds in the corner, and then I exited to the right to some reasonably thin face climbing.

I can't find info about it in Rossiter's (or old Ament's) guidebooks, or on this site. It felt 10-ish to me. There was a little bit of chalk in the dihedral, so it's definitely seen some ascents.

Anybody have any info on this route?

By Tony B
From: Around Boulder, CO
Jun 28, 2007

If you are there at the right time of year, the plum trees inside the amphitheatre produce edible fruit.

By doug rouse
Aug 20, 2008

A while back (early to mid nineties I think) there was a bolt route added to the south arete of the east ramp as you enter the amp. If I remember it is titled "P.S. I'm blond" and given a .12a rating. Can anyone confirm, and has anyone climbed this one? This looks like a fun route as it traverses up and left along the diaginal south arete/face of the east wall. Anyway, I will probably climb this one before any feedback comes in. Thanks Young Doug.

By kevin murphy
Aug 21, 2008

All true young Doug. Been many years, don't think I got it. Must go back soon.

By Jason Haas
From: Broomfield, CO
Aug 21, 2008

Doug, the route goes at 12a and you may want a large nut for the start, otherwise it's a run to the first bolt over moderate terrain. Great line.