Despite having a broken arm John and I still managed to visit two new climbing areas this year. In September we climbed at Jurassic Park, Colorado. Then last week we made it to the Monastery, Colorado thanks to the unseasonably warm weather. Both places are fairly close to Estas Park. The Monastery is known for lots of climbs and a wide range of difficulty. The rock is granite (potassium feldspar) with sharp crystals (quartz). Routes are very long, so long that you often need to pay attention to rope lengths. It is a beautiful area with amazing views.
Hiking in. The approach is (comparatively) long, about a mile.
Me climbing "No Mystery Here" 5.8
John climbing "No Mystery Here" 5.8
Jeff on "The Steeple" 5.7
A very beautiful day for climbing!
*Photos of John and I climbing courtesy of Jeff Elsner. Thanks Jeff!
