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GPS: 40.35596, -105.52332
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Page Views: 3,079 total · 22/month
Shared By: Nathan Welton on Jul 1, 2013
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC
Warning Access Issue: Temporary trail closure & Thumb and Needle Closures - resolved with The Thumb Open Space creation DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

This is a big boulder with two established lines, a dirty warmup and a brilliant V9, which sit starts and ascends a left-angling seam/crack. It's begging for you to climb it.

Getting There Suggest change

Access to the crags is gained from a signed trailhead and small parking lot on Peak View Drive just west of Curry Drive. Do not park on Curry Drive or access the crags from anywhere along Curry Drive. From the Peak View Drive trailhead, the trail is well marked and approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. Expect about 20 to 30 minutes for the approach to reach the Thumb and the Needle.

The Town of Estes Park worked on purchasing the property with the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal is to keep this area public with climbing access, so please respect private property rights of adjacent landowners.

Formerly: The Thumb and Needle were on private property and the gravel road part of Curry Dr. is a private road. There was no public access to the Thumb or Needle until the Thumb Open Space was created. The Town of Estes Park purchased the property with our partners the Access Fund, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, GOCO, and The Estes Valley Land Trust. The goal was to make this area public with climbing access...success.

Any questions?  Please contact me directly.

Brian Berg, Town of Estes Park Park Supervisor, bberg@estes.org,(970) 577-3783

Head out of town on CO Highway 7, and turn right on Peak View Drive at a big church. Head past Curry Drive (the road that leads to the Thumb/Needle parking area), and park at a teal water treatment plant.

Locate a trail just behind the building that leads uphill. Follow it for about 2 minutes from the parking area and wander off to your right for the Maoi and Flatanger Boulders. Gangletron is above you (see overview photo). If you follow this trail all the way, you will wind up on the very top of Prospect Mountain.

Park at the teal treatment plant, and follow the trail upwards for a few minutes. You will pass a road directly on the left, and then continue for another few minutes. At a big left hand bend, look off to the right -- through the forest you'll see a pretty big boulder, The Cracked Boulder.

3 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Cracked Boulder

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
V9 7C
 4
Little Bear (subsequently called…
Boulder
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Little Bear (subsequently c…
 4
V9 7C Boulder
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