Rock climbing
A ROAD TRIP that passes anywhere near Rifle Mountain Park has to include a stop and a go at its 250 bolted sport routes. Just 17 miles off Interstate 70, this climbing mecca is easy to access. The canyon’s campsites ($15 a night) sit within a boggling concentration of routes, all stacked beside one another and reached with virtually no hiking.
That’s where easy ends.
Steep and puzzling, the limestone walls aren’t for beginners, and even pros find plenty of challenge.
“Initially, for most people, the climbing is very insecure, powerful and pumpy. Intimidating to say the least,” says Five
Ten pro Jon Cardwell, who honed his moves at Rifle.
“It was no different for me, but after many years of practice I started to learn and adapted strongly to the style there.” First-timers should pack a 30-meter rope and ascend Beer Run, a 5.13a that epitomizes Rifle’s rigors with an up-high crux that tests mental and physical endurance. Some even tougher classics include Zulu (5.14a) and 7 PM Show (5.14).
Watch It: Not a climber?
There are lots of places to chill with a drink and watch experts scaling rock walls along the easy 0.7-mile Koper’s Trail.