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Combat Rock Climbing 2020-present

Combat Rock Climbing 2020-present

Route:

various

Region: Colorado
Elev: ~6,700 ft
Rock type: Granite
Type: 
Date(s): 2020(x2 days), 2021(x5 days), 2022(x1 day), 2023(x1 day), 2025(x2 days)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright, Scott Kimball, Cassie Vendegna, Bernard Gillett, Paul Bodnar

Combat Rock is a south-facing 250-foot wall of granite located on the north side of Big Thompson Canyon between Loveland and Estes Park, on the road to the top of Palisade Mountain. The 10 minute approach, lower elevation, and southern exposure make Combat Rock a great winter crag. Most of the routes are one- or two-pitch, ranging from 5.8-5.11 or harder. The high quality granite has an assortment of discontinuous cracks, incut edges, friction slabs, and roofs. Due to the nature of the rock, most routes are supplemented with protection bolts, although since many of the routes were bolted on lead, bolts are somewhat spaced at times. The climbing is techy and engaging.

The first time I climbed at Combat Rock was in March 2020. I was impressed with the climbing at this somewhat obscure crag.

I've also spent an afternoon climbing all six routes on Elmer Fudd's Wok, a small crag of good rock on the approach to Combat Rock. The six sport climbs on the wall range from 5.5-5.10.

On this page, I give photos from climbing at Combat Rock, organized by date. At the bottom of the page, I keep a list of the climbs I've done at Combat Rock.

Photos

SOME RANDOM PHOTOS FROM CRAGGING AT COMBAT ROCK


More climbing fun!
Date: March 7, 2020 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
This was my first day climbing at Combat Rock. As an Estes Park local, Nate had long since lost count of the number of days he had climbed there. I was quite impressed with the quality of not only the rock but also the quality of the movement. No wonder Nate keeps coming back. I'll be back again for more in the future!
Nate starting up Pitch 1 of Camouflage.
Splitter on Pitch 2 of Camouflage.
Front Lines Pitch 1 with variation right at top.
Nuclear Polka climbs the obvious corner.
Looking down corner from belay at top of Pitch 1 of Nuclear Polka.
Fun in the sun on Pitch 2 of Nuclear Polka.
You can see this Pitch 2 splitter on Nuclear Polka from the road. But since you cannot see it from the belay at the top of Pitch 1, I don't think most people climb this second pitch.
Anchor at top of G.I. Joe.
Anchor at top of Lober Route. (As of April 2020, this anchor has been replaced by a bolted anchor about 15 feet higher.)
Looking down while leading Diagonal, one of the most obvious trad lines at Combat.
Nate starting up Diagonal.
Combat Rock in the afternoon sun. Lots of great features.

More climbing fun!
Date: April 11, 2020 (Sat)
Partners: Nate Arganbright, Cassie Vendegna, Bernard Gillett
Climbed at: Combat Rock
Camoflage.
Cassie on the recently-bolted first pitch of Post War Dreams.

More climbing fun!
Date: February 20&21, 2021 (Sat&Sun)
Partners: Nate Arganbright (both days), Scott Kimball (second day)
Climbed at: Combat Rock
A great place for winter cragging. On Saturday we cragged on the left side of the wall and on Sunday we cragged on the right side of the wall.
Across Enemy Lines, 5.11b.
Empty Brass, 5.9+, a fun bolted line on the left side of the wall.
Monkey Lust, a fun 5.8 corner.
Paul Bodnar leading Post War Dream (5.11b).
Pitch 1 of No More War (10a). Also called Beetle Bailey.
Upper half of No More War (10a).

More climbing fun!
Date: April 24, 2021 (Sat)
Partners: Nate Arganbright, Scott Kimball
Climbed at: Elmer Fudd's Wok
This is a wall of nice rock is at the beginning of the approach to Combat Rock, with six sport climbs ranging from 5.4-5.10. After an adventurous morning exploring the nearby Palisade Mountain, we stopped here to climb all six routes on the wall.
Elmer Fudd's Wok.
Nate leading Silly Wabbit (5.8).
Upper section of Kiwl the Wabbit (5.8).
Jack getting an early start on Be Vewy Afwaid (5.8).
Taken while leading Be Vewy Afwaid (5.8).

More climbing fun!
Date: October 10, 2021 (Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
This was only the second time I had climbed since getting Covid, so the usually-easy approach was pretty difficult and my climbing lacked some power, but it felt great to be outside and on the rock.
Nate leading Camouflage Pitch 1 (5.9). Always a fun route.
Nate leading Diagonal (5.9). Another one that is always fun to do a lap on.
Nate starting up Sgt. Reckless (5.10).
Pretty aspen. This is a really pretty place in the fall.

More climbing fun!
Date: October 16, 2021 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
Another perfect fall day at Combat Rock. Climbed 9 pitches 5.8-5.11b. We had the whole place to ourselves!
Climbing Pitch 1 Nuclear Polka (5.10a).
Colorful fall aspen at the base of Combat Rock.
The wasps really like this place in the fall. Fortunately they seem to have no interest in stinging.
Another wasp photo.

More climbing fun!
Date: January 9, 2022 (Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
A sunny winter day at Combat Rock climbing with my favorite partner.
Nate leading the first pitch of Camouflage (2p, 5.9). We've climbed this two-pitch route several times. I led the second pitch.
Excellent compact stone at Combat Rock.

More climbing fun!
Date: January 8, 2023 (Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
First day of cragging for 2023. A wave cloud hovered over the sun for most of the day, so it was a bit chilly, but we still got in five good pitches including a new 5.11+ route that Bernard and Paul and Nate were working on putting up. Hot chocolate, hot shower, and warm fire felt better than ever that evening.
Beetle Bailey (5.9). A nice short warmup with a tricky start (an offset 0.3/0.2 cam protects the start well).
The 5.11+ section of Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens (5.11d). 'Smedging' may be the best way to climb this section.
Rope art.

More climbing fun!
Date: March 8, 2025 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
A 9 pitch fun in the sun day.
25°F as we drove to Combat Rock. T-shirts by midday.
Above Nate is our first route of the day: Swords for plows, a new 3-pitch 5.10a addition to the wall.
Nate leading Pitch 2 of Swords for Plows.
Nate starting up Pitch 3 of Swords For Plows.
Nate pulling the roof on Pitch 3 of Swords For Plows.
Nate starting up Pitch 1 of Post War Dreams (5.11a).
There was one other party of climbers at Combat Rock. Their dog Ivy enjoyed the day out with them.
Ivy really wanted my meat stick. She tried to hypnotize me with her eyes.
The Safeway was stocked with Easter chocolates already. I have a weakness for chocolate.

More climbing fun!
Date: March 16, 2025 (Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Combat Rock
We climbed one 2-pitch warm-up route before bailing because it was too windy. We tried to climb at Subskull (at Palisade Mountain) but it seemed even windier there. So we drove back to Estes Park. I went to the gym for a couple of hours and then worked on my endless website rebuild while dreaming of sunny desert climbing, while Nate worked in his shop.
Heading up a route on the right side of Combat Rock. The wind had really picked up by the time we finished the route.
After deciding it was too windy at Combat, we tried to relocate to Subskull at Palisade Mountain, but it was too windy there too. I took this photo of a burned tree - this area had been burned in some fires the previous fall, but most of the climbing rock was fortunately not affected.
I had some extra cat-photo-time that afternoon.

List of Climbs I've done at Combat Rock

LIST MAINLY FOR PERSONAL RECORD-KEEPING | DATES I'VE CLIMBED THERE ON SECOND TAB

Previous and Next Adventures

(March 2020: First time cragging at Combat Rock)

Bishop Offwidth & Bishop Crack, The Bishop (Cathedral Spires), CO
Cragging at Kenny Mountain, CO

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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