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Elevenmile Canyon Climbing 2021-present

Elevenmile Canyon Climbing 2021-present

Route:

various

Region: Colorado
Elev: ~8,500 ft
Rock type: Granite
Type: 
Date(s): 2021(x3 days), 2023(x2 days)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright

Elevenmile Canyon is a stunning mountain landscape on the South Platte River. With over 400 established routes from 5.0 to 5.14, mostly sport and some trad, cracks and featured face, Elevenmile offers a unique experience for every climber. The setting above the peaceful meandering river is sublime.

The first time I climbed at Elevenmile Canyon was on a nice fall weekend in October 2021, when Nate and I enjoyed a weekend of climbing and camping. We came back a couple of years later for a spring weekend of cragging. We agreed that the ambiance is great and there are some good pitches of climbing to be had, but perhaps not quite enough to keep us coming back again and again given the 3+ hour drive each way from Estes Park.

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

Photos

SOME RANDOM PHOTOS FROM CRAGGING IN ELEVENMILE CANYON


More climbing fun!
More climbing fun!
Dates: October 29-31, 2021 (Fri-Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Elevenmile Dome, The Icebox, Pine Cone Dome, Springer Gulch
Routes (ordered by grade): 
• Corneal Abrasion 5.6, sport
• Roof Bypass (Pitch 1) 5.7+, trad
• Overleaf, The 5.8, 1-2p, trad
• South Face Direct (Pitch 2) 5.8 R, sport
• Route just left of Scoop DeVille (not in guidebook) ~5.9, sport
• Talk to Your Toes aka Kabuli 5.10a, sport
• Harder Than It Looks 5.10a, mixed
• Scoop DeVille 5.10b, sport
• Body English 5.10b, sport
• Stemulation 5.10b, trad
• Toy Cows in Africa 5.10c, 2p, sport
• Conarette (Pitch 1) 5.10d, sport
• Kayak For Sale 5.10d, sport
• Brain Freeze 5.10d, sport
• Curt Loves Ugly 5.11b, sport
• Bye, Bye Butterfly 5.11c, sport
I was itching to get out for an overnight climbing weekend, so when weather looked a tad cool and inclement near home on Halloween weekend, it seemed like a good time to check out Elevenmile Canyon, where the forecast was slightly warmer and drier. It turned out to be well worth the 3.5 hour drive. Nate and I climbed 16 routes over the course of the weekend, ranging from 5.6 to 5.11c, mostly in the 5.10 range (thanks Nate for leading nearly all of the pitches). I was impressed with the quality of the rock and the variety of the climbing. Despite this, we had the entire place to ourselves (we only saw one other party climbing). Nate brought his canvas tent and propane heater, so we set up our camp chairs and table inside the tent and enjoyed the long evenings and cold mornings toasty warm and reading good books. Great company + good climbing + canvas tent comfort = Quite an enjoyable weekend!
The Overleaf (5.8, 1-2p) on Elevenmile Dome. This was one of the few trad routes we climbed on this trip.
Fun corner and crack climbing on The Overleaf (5.8, 1-2p) on Elevenmile Dome.
Roadside cragging at Elevenmile Dome.
Stemulation (5.10b) at Pine Cone Dome. A short but fun pitch.
Nate leading Conarette Pitch 1 (5.10d) at Pine Cone Dome. Large crystals and nice exposure.
Conarette Pitch 1 (5.10d) at Pine Cone Dome. Large crystals and nice exposure.
Aspens below Pine Cone Dome lit in the late afternoon light.
We camped in the Riverside Campground ($8.50 a night if you have an interagency pass, $17 otherwise). When we passed through the entrance to the canyon, the lady on duty informed us that the campgrounds would be closed at the end of October, so we squeezed in this trip with perfect timing. I think there is also free camping up Wagon Tongue Gulch Road, but it can be nice to have a table, flat spot to park and put the tent, a bathroom, and a dumpster.
Camping in style.
My dinner. Yum.
Sunrise.
Left side of the south face of Pine Cone Dome. The sun hit this face at about 10am.
Nate starting up Toy Cows in Africa (5.10c, 2p) at Pine Cone Dome. Fun climbing on great rock.
Nate starting up Pitch 2 of Toy Cows in Africa (5.10c, 2p) at Pine Cone Dome. Note the fisherman in the river below. This canyon is quite popular among fisherpeople.
Elevenmile Canyon. A sublime setting.
Roof Bypass (5.7+) goes up the corner/crack system, while Talk to Your Toes aka Kabuli (5.10a) ascends the line of bolts just right of the corner. Nate led Talk to Your Toes and I took advantage of this to climb up both routes.
Looking up Bye, Bye Butterfly (5.11c) at Pine Cone Dome. Nate cruised through the crux, whereas I had to one-hang it on toprope to figure it out. Nice lead Nate!
Looking up Easier That it Looks (5.10a) at Pine Cone Dome. Yep, easier than it looks.
Aspen grove below Pine Cone Dome.
Aspen grove below Pine Cone Dome.
Looking down Corneal Abrasion (5.6) at The Icebox. This route is a great one for the grade.
Looking up Brain Freeze (5.10d) at The Icebox. This was a stellar pitch: excellent stone and great movement.
Leaf shadows.
Leaf shadows.
A brilliant sunset.
Zoomed in on all of the layers of clouds. If I still kept my cloud page on my website current, I would certainly add this photo to that page.
The temperatures dipped below freezing overnight.
Sunday was forecasted as a cloudy day. At 10am, it was still hovering around freezing temperatures. Nate and I hung out in the front seat of the truck for 30 minutes, reading books with the engine on for warmth, and waiting for the day to warm up a bit. The thermometer still read 34° when we left to hike up to the base of the crag to at least 'check it out.' We ended up climbing three pitches before hiking out to drive back home. By the time we were driving out it was a pleasant 52°, but both of us wanted to get home by around 5, so it was time to leave.....
Crux finish of Scoop DeVille (5.10b) at Springer Gulch - The Scoop Wall. Nate and I both thought this route seemed more like 5.9 than 5.10b.
Good rock on Springer Gulch - The Scoop Wall.
Pinecones.

More climbing fun!
More climbing fun!
Dates: April 29&30, 2023 (Sat&Sun)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed at: Turret Dome, Teale Tower, Pine Cone Dome
Routes (ordered by grade): 
• Most Toppest 5.7, sport
• Punks and Old Men 5.8, sport
• Car Stud 5.9, sport
• She's a Moaner 5.9+, sport
• The Mexicanist 5.10a, sport
• Sloppy Shoes 5.10a, sport
• Escorndido 5.10a, sport
• Canine Rescue 5.10a, sport
• Junior Jules Doinks a Digit 5.10b, sport
• Smoke Pot...Check Your Knot 5.10b, sport
• Balancing Act 5.10c, sport
• Reality Check 5.10c, 3p, trad
• Stories for Boys 5.11a, mixed
A spring weekend cragging and camping in Elevenmile Canyon.
Bear, fish, and granite country.
Nate leading Escorndido (5.10a, sport) at Turret Dome. One of the more interesting routes we climbed, with a cool dike feature.
Nate leading Sloppy Shoes (5.10a, sport) at Turret Dome. Okay route.
Enjoying a pleasant evening at our free campsite just outside the entrance to Elevenmile Canyon.
Nate's dinner: couscous, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and salami. Yum!
Enjoying a nice morning at our camp.
Nate starting up Reality Check (5.10c, 3p, trad) on Teale Tower.
View up canyon from the top of Teale Tower.
Good rock and fun movement on Punks and Old Men (5.8) at Pine Cone Dome.
Our final route of the day (and perhaps the best route we have climbed at Elevenmile): Stories for Boys (5.11a) at Pine Cone Dome. Nice lead Nate!
This was the first time I had left Newt alone overnight since I got him earlier this spring. He seemed happy to have me back!

List of Climbs I've done in Elevenmile Canyon

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

Previous and Next Adventures

(October 2021: First time cragging at Elevenmile Canyon)

Lumpy Ridge: The Book (Osiris), CO
Lumpy Ridge: The Book (Pear Buttress), CO

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

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