Craig Constantine

There’s a great roadside, sport climbing area across the street from Mary’s Lake in Estes Park.

On the Monday that we arrived in Estes Park, we stopped at the local gear shop, and then went here to do some climbing. These are just a couple more beautiful photos that Mike took while we were hanging out.

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On August 23rd, I took a drive up Flagstaff Road. Spectacular views! Here’s a few more photos I selected as I’ve been filing photography.

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Our climb of the third Flatiron was leisurely enough that we took a lot of photographs. As I’ve been going through them, I’ve carved out a second set of must-see shots.

(There’s also my first Flatiron 3 post about the best beginner climb in the solar system.)

The Flatirons are just smack-dab right next to Boulder. Everywhere you go, the “front range” is just looming to the West. Sitting at Einstein Bro’s Bagels, the slabs of rock beckon tantalizingly close. Flatiron 3 is striking because the backside is exposed too, making the tip of the climb into an impressive prominence. (…and it makes for a wickedly fun, triple-rappel off the back too!)

The approach is simply a beautiful, long, hiking trail. (Or as we took to joking, a trail for the “walkers.”) The lower parts of the trail are heavily trafficked, but the further you go, the more interesting the terrain gets. Eventually, Flatiron 3 starts peeking at you through the trees.

A few shots from the top… just taking in the view!

At the very top, there’s a comfy recess just behind the true summit. Mike got excited at the huge slab with the prominent crack system that is hidden behind the Flatiron. (If he’d had his way, we’d have trekked over there immediately after rappelling off the thing.)  There’s also a commemorative plaque set in the rock. Beyond the plaque lie the Rocky Mountains!

After you rappel, you “walk off” down a steep ravine filled with scree, between the 3rd and 2nd Flatirons. If you look closely in the first two photos, you can see “hikers” (or perhaps climbers walking off) on the rock to give you a feel for the scale.

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We were in Eldorado Canyon on three separate days. These photos are from Wednesday the 20th, when we went in to climb the Wind Ridge route on the Wind Tower. As you approach Eldorado Canyon, you’re driving into the “front range”. You leave the Flatirons to your right, and wind your way into the canyon.

Once you get inside the Eldorado Canyon State Park, there’s world class climbing just jammed everywhere. Just inside the park is a foot bridge that leads to the south side climbing, and the Bastile is just a few paces up the road.

Climbers are always on the Bastile. At the bottom, they’re basically standing in the [dirt] road. But, you can see them from various other places in Eldo. Here, I took a pause climbing to get the camera out and snapped these photos across the canyon.

From the Wind Tower you get a better sense of the size and layout of the canyon. This first photo is taken while walking off after the climb. So we’re descending and heading back towards the creek and road. The second photo is from the very top of the Wind Tower, looking across the canyon (the road and creek, in the bottom of the canyon, are not visible.)

Finally, some views of the Wind Tower itself. As you enter the canyon, it is on the right — the lighter colored mass. The slightly darker rock, on the left, is another feature, with a trail snaking up between them into a high ravine. To get a sense of the scale, note the huge flake of stone that has slid off the tower.

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