Cycling and Climbing in Fort Collins

I took a short trip up to Fort Collins to ride some trails and climb some rocks. I lived in Fort Collins for several years while I was getting my teaching license at Colorado State University. I used to do this route often. I would start at my house on the southwest side of the city. I could ride to "Gopher Gulch" (my name) where I would start with some bouldering (short climbing and traversing) before riding along the foothills to the north side of the city. To my surprise, the long climbing traverse on the north side of Fort Collins had been buried under many tons of rock. The traverse is at the base of one of the dams that makes Horsetooth Reservoir. They reinforced the dam and had to bury the climbing area. How things change yet remain the same.

This is 'Gopher Gulch'. I don't know what the real name of this park is, but there are lots of prairie dogs so I call it 'Gopher Gulch'.

That cliff band is the first climbing area I will bike to. It is called the "Torture Chamber" and is good for top roping and bouldering. Since I am biking and climbing alone I want to find some bouldering which will reduce my chances of getting seriously hurt. Bouldering means climbing short climbs or boulders. It is always good to have a spotter and a pad to fall on, but you can still challenge your skills and never climb more than a few feet off the ground.

 

 At the Torture Chamber you will find the beautiful and clean S-Crack route. This route is a 5.10+ (advanced intermediate) and although it is only 30 feet tall I will not attempt to climb it without a rope. There is an excellent traverse along the bottom that is still challenging.

 My climbing shoes are 12 years old. The soles are starting split off from the shoes.  It's time for some new rock shoes.

 

 After my 30 minutes of climbing at the Torture Chamber I bike 10 miles north along the foothills of Ft. Collins to the next climbing area.

 

 I'm usually shooting pictures while I'm bicycling. I know, it's a little dangerous, but I take it slow.

 The trail goes by the Colorado State University stadium. This is where the CSU Rams play football.

Well, I used to climb in this area but now it is buried under tons on rock. There was a great traverse in this area. Oh well, it is better to make climbers find another place to climb than have the dam break.