Scaling the Front Range

Craig Luebben

No one ever said rock climbing was easy, but according to our crag-loving, 30-year veteran, the reward is well worth the challenge.

Walking down a dusty road in Eldorado Canyon State Park "” about 20 miles northwest of downtown Denver "” I overheard a rubbernecking, ill-dressed tourist react to a pair of climbers hanging from the cliffs above. "They must have a death wish," she said, pointing up at chalk-covered ascenders working their way up the rock face. Little did she know that the climbers above, bound by rope, carabiners dangling from their harnesses, actually have a life wish.

Rock climbers get intimate with the earth's most spectacular geology, clinging their way up cracks, edges and pockets in the cliffs and gorges that thrust skyward. Many climbers say they feel the most alive while climbing. When you're climbing well, you feel a beautiful flow moving from hold to hold up the rock, surrounded by nothing but air. The exposure creates a sense of wildness and commitment that demands a hundred percent of your concentration; your mortgage, your job or the fight you had last night with your spouse should be the last things to enter your mind.

Which is exactly why so many people are drawn to the crags. Freeing yourself from the daily grind of networking and traffic jams is incentive enough to strap on a harness. Rock climbing can be an adventure, a physical challenge or a spectacular way to see some of nature's most intricate beauty. It can be social, creating many opportunities to meet new friends, or it can be a path for finding solitude in the mountains. Climbing can be an excuse for traveling to the most exotic nooks of the world or a reason to dig deeply in our own Front Range backyard to find the lesser-known climbing gems. Climbing can be anything you want it to be.

No matter your ability level, climbing is a mental challenge. It can be difficult and frightening as hell. Apprehension will mix with excitement about the challenge to come. Your brain will battle between, "Come on, you can do it," and "Good Lord, get me off of this rock." Sometimes a move puzzles you intellectually, requiring a peculiar body position, a high reach to a hidden handhold or a combination of opposing pressure between body parts. The more you climb, the easier it becomes to read the rock and decipher the moves. With practice comes fitness, technique and confidence, each building on the other.

Thanks to the uplift of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado is a world rock-climbing epicenter. The Front Range hosts thousands of lifers, climbers so committed they've made a lifestyle of climbing, uprooting from friends and family to live near the cliffs. They come from all over the world in search of that next legendary crag. They spend most of their free days climbing at local cliffs and plotting climbing trips to exotic destinations such as Europe, Thailand or Australia. During the winter, they train in rock gyms full of lean, fit, scantily-clad bodies, moving up overhanging artificial walls to thumping techno beats. For many lifers, the biggest cost of climbing isn't all the expensive gear; it's the years of lost income because climbing usurped a career.

As you might expect, Boulder is home to dozens of world-class climbers, including former World Cup champions Lynn Hill and Robyn Erbesfield, and young "rock" stars Emily Harrison and Daniel Wood. From the 1950s on, Boulder climbers have been pushing world climbing standards. Some of the early pioneers are still cranking hard into their fifties and sixties. So much climbing news oozes out of Boulder's climbing scene that Climbing magazine, North America's oldest climbing rag, recently relocated there.

In the early days, men dominated the climbing world, but times have changed. In the modern era, women often out-climb men from the very beginning, taking advantage of their lower body mass and good balance. These days, expect to see many female climbers at the crags, alone or with a mixed group of friends. For the beginner, REI's Denver flagship store offers introductory climbing classes specifically for the ladies with an emphasis on women-specific gear, techniques and safety procedures (visit rei.com for more details).

Climbing may not be for everyone, but those interested in the history and techniques of mountaineering and rock climbing can do so at the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum. The museum "” a partnership of the Colorado Mountain Club and the American Alpine Club "” opened last February at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden. The museum's displays present a visual, living history of the most important events in mountaineering and rock climbing and explain climbing techniques old and new. The nicely refurbished building that once was Golden Junior High School also houses the American Alpine Club library, one of the world's largest repositories of mountaineer literature.

There are several guidebooks to help climbers (both beginning and advanced) navigate the local climbing areas. The best ones pop with dramatic photography. You can find the guidebooks, and enough high-tech gear to suck your wallet dry, at local climbing specialty stores. Three shops with expert sales staffs and cavernous inventory are Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, Bent Gate in Golden and Mountain Shop in Fort Collins.

Getting Started

If you've got some coin, then hire an American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) certified rock guide to get you started. You can find a list of guides by location at amga.com. Some of the local guide services offer scheduled rock climbing classes up some of Colorado's classic routes.

Two services with certified guides are Colorado Mountain School (totalclimbing.com, 303.447.2804) and

Alpine World Ascents (alpineworldascents.com, 303.350.0366). You can also take classes through the Colorado Mountain Club. The instructors are trained volunteers, not professional guides, but the club vibe and low cost make this a good option for many climbers.

Don't ever forget that climbing can be dangerous, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Get professional instruction before you climb, and progress slowly, gaining experience and knowledge before moving on to more serious climbs. Gravity is always present. Remember, the ground comes up fast if you screw up.

Invest in a beginner rock climbing book like my own Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills, which won the National Outdoor Book Award in 2004. It's a comprehensive text that covers all aspects of rock climbing, and most of the 300-plus photographs were shot locally.

GEAR UP!

"For a beginning indoor climber, plan on spending around $200 for gear," says John Bardley, head of the climbing department at the REI Denver flagship store. "Most gyms provide or rent harnesses, ropes, a belaying device and carabiners, but you'll for sure want to buy your own shoes and helmet and have your own chalk bag with chalk."

As for those climbers beginning to head outdoors, Bardley suggests expecting to spend around $400-$500 and selects a few of his favorite items from the REI inventory (rei.com).

Petzl Elios Climbing Helmet A safe and durable helmet is a must for all outdoor climbers "” regardless of experience. A solid rock to the noggin could end your climbing career before it starts.

$65.95, en.petzl.com

Arc'Teryx R320 Harness "Fit is extremely important," says Bardley.

"Most stores that sell harnesses have places where you can hang to test it out. A good harness will have an easy "double-back buckle" system and leg loops for easy adjustments."

$125, arcteryx.com

Five Ten Coyote Rock Shoes

These "board-lasted" beginner shoes have a stiffer sole, which will support your foot as your make your way up those first few pitches.

$79.95, fiveten.com