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The Needles and Lumpy Ridge Traverse |
Lumpy Ridge is known as a world-class climbing area, and The Needles are the highest point on Lumpy Ridge. This hike takes you up a long, narrow and steep gully to the summit block, and then an easy 4th class climbs gets you on top. There are sheer drops on 3 sides of the summit, which provide wonderful bird's eye views of Estes Park and surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park. The "traverse" section of the hike takes you along the rocky backbone of Lumpy Ridge. |
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Oldman Mountain |
This beehive-shaped peak is a blast with no long hike to get to its base. A half hour of scrambling, by numerous different possible routes, take you to its summit, where you'll have views of Estes Park and surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park. Go to Lists of John for our trip report. |
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Palisade Mountain |
A climb of this peak can have as much scrambling as you could want, or if you want to practice your route finding, you can make it all the way to the summit block without using your hands. The views from the summit are amazing, and the nearly shear south face of the mountain allows impressive views down into the Big Thompson Canyon below. Go to Lists of John for our trip report. |
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The Gemstones |
Surrounding little Gem Lake are three rock knobs often referred to as the 'Gemstones'. All three summits can be climbed without the aid of ropes, but it takes some route finding to do so. One could spend all day scrambling amidst these awesome rock knobs. For a trip report for the westernmost and highest Gemstone, you can go to our posting at Lists of John. |
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Ranked Peak 8356 |
This is one of several rocky unnamed peaks in the Mount Margaret area, and is a challenging scrambling from nearly its base to its top. For a trip report for this peak, go to Lists of John. |
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Greyrock Mountain |
Climbing to the summit of this local favorite can be an easy scramble on the Greyrock Trail or a serious scramble or rock climb by numerous other routes. The summit provides wonderful views in every direction. We have posted trip reports on Lists of John for scrambles on nearby peaks 'North Greyrock', 'Aiguille de Greyrock' and ranked peak 7180. |
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Dinosaur Mountain |
This minor summit in Boulder Mountain Park is composed of huge tilted rock slabs, and finding your way up to the summit is a great challenge in route finding and scrambling. Be sure to also do the 4th class scramble up to Mallory Cave, during the season that it is open. Go to Lists of John for our trip report for this summit. |
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Ranked Peak 8194 |
This minor, yet ranked peak has a fun class 3+/4 scramble up its west side. It is accessed by an unofficial trail from the '3 Transformers' trailhead. |
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Pawnee Buttes |
These twin buttes are located well out on the plains; both are considered 4th or 5th class to climb, and the east butte was the only one I felt confident enough to climb without protection. The north side of the butte has hand and foot holds carved into its side that allow you to climb much of the way up, and then it's a route-finding scramble up to the tip-top. |
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North Sheep Mountain |
This mountain has several summits requiring easy scrambling, and the most fun about this mountain is that there are scrambles to each of the summits. The south summit is the best, as you look across a deep and narrow gorge to nearby South Sheep Mountain: a summit that will probably be added to this list once we climb it. Go to Lists of John for our trip report for this and a nearby summit. |