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Guidebooks
Below, you will find downloadable guides to selected areas in Northern Colorado. Our guides are completely free at this time, but are the culmination of hundreds of hours and research and work. Please feel free peruse the guides to get acquainted with the local areas. We generally offer our guidebooks in two formats – Low Resolution (best for internet viewing) and High Resolution (best for printing), feel free to choose whatever fits your needs. If you find the guides useful, please make a donation to support our efforts. Any help you can provide enables us to develop and maintain these excellent resources for the community.
Considered by many to be the home of modern American bouldering, Horsetooth Reservoir, just minutes from downtown Fort Collins, offers hundreds of excellent routes and boulder problems of all grades and styles. In addition to their national historical significance, these immaculate sandstone cliffs and boulders that overlook Horsetooth Reservoir give climbers easy access to some of the finest lines in the area. From toproping at Duncan’s Ridge and the Torture Chamber, to the tall and heady John Gill boulder problems in Rotary Park, Horsetooth has something to challenge and reward everyone.
Known for its impeccable granite, the Poudre Canyon is home to many of the areas finest boulder problems, including Circadian Rhythm V13, the hardest problem in the Fort Collins region. In recent years, the 420’s and other Poudre areas have seen a flurry of press, but don’t let big numbers deter you. The Poudre is full of some of the best moderates around. Check out the guide below, it includes many previously unpublished areas and problems as well as accurate and up-to-date access information.
“Poudre Canyon Rock Climbing” by Craig Luebben, Bennett Scott and Cameron Cross is the first comprehensive print guide for the Poudre and is the definitive resource for bouldering and route climbing in the area. Aside from being a sleek and glossy, full-color guide, the book (scheduled to hit shelves in Dec 2010) is a very unique project. 100% of the profits from the book will be donated to the late Craig Luebben’s family. Check out more details about the project and pre-order a copy today from Fixed Pin Publishing.
Nestled among the tall pine trees of Lory State Park, the Arthur’s Rock area offers a plethora of excellent granite bouldering. Although only a stone’s throw from Fort Collins, Arthur’s Rock has remained a low-key area since it’s initial development around 2000 and is one of the best hidden gems around. With well over 100 problems scattered throughout the peaceful forest overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir, Arthur’s Rock is well-worth a visit.
From long, moderate slab routes on superb granite at Greyrock, to desperately thin crimpfests at the Palace & Crystal Wall, the Poudre Canyon offers a plethora of route climbing at all grades. Although there is very little literature regarding the countless crags in the canyon, the Poudre has a rich and exciting history and a lifetime of rock worth exploring.