Climbing Epicenter in Colorado.

I'm Moving to Colorado this fall and would like some input on different climbing towns/cities. I want to live somewhere very close to a great crag and still have the option to do weekend trips to further destinations and a gym would be nice too.

I am looking at Grand Junction and it seems to meet the requirments. I can't live in boulder mainly because of the cost of living and I plan on suedo dirtbagging it with a part time job for awhile.

I prefer to boulder and climb single pitch sport.

Thanks in advance, Ben

( California isn't totally out of the question either, my main motivation for moving is to climb so anywhere with rock and a junior college will do.)

also, anyone in the area looking for a roomate?

BenG wrote:I'm Moving to Colorado this fall and would like some input on different climbing towns/cities. I want to live somewhere very close to a great crag and still have the option to do weekend trips to further destinations and a gym would be nice too. anyone in the area looking for a roomate?

Co. Springs:
Inexpensive
Shelf and Devils Head are @ 1 hr. away, Castlewood 45 mins.
Has bouldering
Has branches of both CU and CSU
Several local crags
Decent people who don't spray a whole lot.

I'd consider Longmont. It's about 30min north of Boulder so you can still get to all of the good climbing Boulder has to offer but the cost of living is significantly less. The commute really isn't that bad, and Longmont has some pretty good job opportunities as it is still growing. Also, Gunbarrel is a small "suburb" of Boulder that is cheaper and has easy bus access to the city.

hello mr. hanky.

I'd have to say glenwood springs, aspen area. Good camping, couple of jr. colleges. oh yeah, little place called rifle and independence pass. not cheap, but well worth it, and a lot of part time jobs.

What about fort Collins? Is there enough rock to keep my busy? I have heard of a few areas to boulder like horsetooth reservoir and the 420's but I am unfamiliar with them and surrounding areas.

Ft. C. is reasonably close to Vedauwoo, WY; about 1-1.5 hours away. You're also about an hour from Lumpy Ridge, which is spectacular and there are a few other places to climb around Estes Park/RMNP which isn't a bad drive at all.

Both Vedauwoo and Lumpy are trad climbing. I've never climbed there, but apparently there is a fair amount sport climbing in the Big Thompson canyon which is just a little ways west of Ft.C., on the way to Estes.

You'll be about 1-1.5 hours away from Boulder, so Eldorado Canyon (trad) and Boulder Canyon (mostly sport) are within reach. S. St Vrain canyon too. So basically, Ft.C. is about an hour from everything. Bouldering at Horsetooth Res. is closeby, though.

If you want all the climbing to be in your backyard, while still being in Denver metro, then Boulder/Longmont/Lafayette are the best options. Westminster/Arvada are also good. Golden too.

Rent is somewhat expensive (compared to...?) pretty much anywhere along the Front Range/Denver Metro, but you can find good deals if you are patient and poke around enough. All of the places I've listed here have pretty easy access to nearby community colleges.

Golden is nice! Check out Clear Creek Canyon, North Table Mountain, Morrison, Three Sisters Park in Evergreen, and of course everything in Boulder which isn't far away either. Not a bad commute to Metro State or Denver University from what I hear. 400 $/mo for rent is a good price here.

Thanks for all the info, I have alot of research to do before I make up my mind, although i'm half tempted to just roadtrip through colorado and settle down wherever it is that floats my boat.

The slightly smaller towns like golden tend to appeal to me more than say.. boulder or denver but please if you have anymore suggestions don't hesitate im all ears.

I live in Junction. There is good bouldering here, dynamite shacks is practically in town and Unaweep has a lot of unclimbed routes left. Sport climbing you’ll have to drive for, either Rifle or Ouray. Trad and aid climbing on the other hand, plenty of that around. If you move out here you’ll have to hit me up.

As far as junior college we don’t have much of one here, and you’ll pay out the ass to go there. Have you looked at Bishop CA? California has one of the cheapest junior college systems in the country (well until they run out of money). Bishop also has a lot of what you’re looking for as far as climbing goes.

I'll second Golden, since you're more into single pitch sport Clear Creek has enough to keep you busy for a while. I knew a guy that lived pretty frugally by renting out a carriage house near the heart of Golden , within walking distance of Golden City Brewing. Still close to Denver, Boulder, Eldo and lots of other really good climbing should you want to explore trad or alpine.

Wzup Ben. Another option is to live up in Nederland in the foothills 20 miles away from boulder. Cheap Rent. We're talking 300-500 a month. Your commute to boulder (25 minutes or an hour by bus) takes you directly through boulder canyon with heap loads of climbing in the moderate grades. I personally am taking online courses through Colorado Mountain College, which is super cheap and has all the basic courses, and climbing within 10 minutes from my house, where I pay 350 a month. You have access within an hour and a half to estes park and RMNP, all the climbing in the boulder/golden area, evergreen climbs, and plenty of hiking. Just so you know, you can find housing in boulder for $300 a month. I have more than one friend living in that price range and you aren't going to find anything cheaper that in the areas your looking at. In nederland you also have access to Eldora ski resort in the winter, and a good night life scene. Check out Lyons too. Half hour from boulder, and has a sweet outdoor venue. You can find cheap housing anywhere around this area and it sounds to me like you don't mind compromising so just research the boulder area fro housing on craigslist. Good Luck

I've been living in Fort Collins for 14 months now, 12 as a grad student, 2 as a part-time job-having climber. I've been getting out 3 days a week consistently - definitely no less than 2 and often 4. It's a great little town, and isn't any further from destinations than Boulder - Boulder's closer to points south, but Fort Collins is closer to Vedauwoo, and both are roughly equidistant from the Estes area. Fort Collins lacks the near-by destinations like the Flatirons, BoCan, and Eldo, but does offer an attitude-free style and much cheaper cost of living - I'm sharing a 2 bedroom duplex with a roomate at 337.50 a piece.

Horsetooth Reservoir is the local crag -great bouldering, but not much else. You're driving a half an hour or so to sport or trad climbing up the Poudre Canyon (our version of Boulder Canyon), and options are a little limited there. I consider Lumpy Ridge in Estes Park, which I can make it to in 50 minutes, my "home crag." Since the weather's gotten nice I go to RMNP instead, and my job takes me to Boulder 3 days a week, so I climb the Flatirons a lot lately.

Never been to Grand Junction aside from driving through, but I appreciate Fort Collins' proximity to cultural centers (Denver, Boulder) and a multitude of different climbing destinations.

I personally feel that the climbing around Denver/Boulder is more about quantity than quality. There are a lot of routes, but crags tend to be very crowded (especially ones with many moderate routes) and the quality of the routes varies a lot.

For sport, I generally would rather drive to Rifle or Shelf Road if I have a couple days than climb locally in Clear Creek or Boulder Canyon. Rifle does suffer from crowds too though, but the climbing is much more fun if you like steep stuff.

Hey Grand Junction is pretty good for climbing. It's mostly trad with sport climbing nearby (Rifle, Ouray, some on independence pass). Plus I'm looking for a roomate. You'd live with two climbers. Call me if you want details or have questions, (970)640-8420. Garrett

Longmont or Gunbarrel are a little bit cheaper than Boulder, and Front Range Community College is there. You have to drive to Boulder for gyms or climbing, but it's easy to hop on I-25 and head north to Vedauwoo or south to I-70 or US285 to Clear Creek or the South Platte. If you're looking for just sport climbing on the front range, the Boulder or Golden areas are gonna be your best bet by a huge margin. I wish I could say living in the Rifle area was cheap and easy, but it ain't. I lived in Glenwood Springs for a summer and couldn't afford to stay, so I moved back to summit county (not terribly cheap either). Grand Junction is a cool up and coming place but as has been stated you gotta drive to rifle for any decent sport climbing, and it's wickedly hot in the summer. One out of the way place you might want to think about is Del Norte. It's a funky little hippy/farming town down south right by penitente canyon, which has some of the best sport climbing and bouldering in the state. There is a community college in Alamosa a short drive away, and in the winter Wolf Creek Pass has unreal ice climbing and skiing. No gyms though, build a woody in a barn.

"Boulder" is the answer to the title of your post.

I road tripped through CO first and it really helped put things in perspective. Also try to prioritize things. Do you need a crag within 15 minutes? Or a gym for the winter very close? Do you climb trad at all or want to learn? etc...

My opinion:

If you are not really into trad try to live close to Clear Creek Canyon or Rifle or maybe Shelf, but I didn't find CO Springs to be that interesting. Those are your best sport areas. There are others, but those are the three best. Sounds like Golden or somewhere near GJ is your best bet.

Probably more choices for a junior college from Golden, but I don't know that really. There are three gyms in Boulder (20-30 min drive).

Also lots of the little towns around Boulder are cool, if you don't mind a bit more suburban feeling and a bit further drive to most things.

Ophir, Colorado. Don't you want to be a kick ass alpinist, shred dog, ice bashing traddie??

woo!
Golden.

can boulder in Morrison, sport climb in Clear Creek Canyon. Red Rocks Community college stone throw away.
there you go.

Also is closer to I70 and 285 than Boulder is...

Truly grateful for the responses thanks a lot.

Ben

Breckenridge. within a two drive in any direction you can strike gold. and you get to go against the grain with the frontrangers!!