PRINT: Rock Climb Area 51, Estes Park Valley

Area 51

5.10c/d PG13, Trad, 180 ft (55 m), 2 pitches,

Avg: 1 from 1 vote
FA: AL Simons
Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Big Thompson Ca… > Beige Tube Area… > Ironing Board Slabs (…

Access Issue: Access issue - Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc. - open since 2023 Details

Update: per Bruce Hildenbrand: the area has been open since 2023.

Per JF M: as of May 2022, there is no signage on-site, nor information on the USFS webpage for the Cameron Peak Fire (nor on their published map of closures) that indicates the area is closed.

Per Bruce Hildenbrand: it appears that the Forest Service has closed access to all the climbing areas accessed via Storm Mountain Road (Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc.) until they can clear all the dangerous dead trees from the Cameron Peak fire.

I worked this issue with Eric Murdock at the AF, and it looks like the Forest Service picked Devil's Gulch Road as the southern boundary even though all the climbing areas on MP.com were not burned.

Description

Crux just off the ground thru the 2nd bolt.

Pitch 1. Start right of a detached block and a tree. Slab/crimp up, clip and traverse up and right (crux) to a shelf. Traverse to left edge and follow the face and flake up past several bolts. Step left across shallow chimney to a two bolt belay by a small tree.

Pitch 2. up the face or between face and block to right. continue up overlaping slab past two bolts to a roof with a shark tooth of rock pointing down out of it. Climb and pull the roof (8) then clip and pull the bulge/face (10). Finish thru some cracks that take good gear to 3 inches. 2 bolt anchor.

Location

Route is on the upper slabs and tops out on the right end of the ridge. Park at paved parking 0.6 miles past the Beige Siphon Tube. 4th class to the base of the first slab and climb any of several routes to second slab. On second slab, climb Bee Line Highway. 4th class right to gully and up 50 yards to base of climb...or...approach gully 0.4 miles past the tube to big ramp near the ridge top. 4th class up ramp to top of climb 25 yards past end of ramp.

Protection

9 bolts, supplemental gear to 3 inches. 2 bolt anchors at belays.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Upper slabs with Area 51 listed as #10.