A Mountain to Climb | My Favorite Guided Trips

As a employee of a guiding company offering mountain adventures ranging from rock climbing and instruction to multipitch ice climbing, I always encourage people to hire a guide.

But...that is not what this is about.

If you are looking for an out of this world rock climbing adventure in Colorado, here are a few of my favorite Colorado Climbing Trips offered by Golden Mountain Guides.

1. Outer Space, 5.10b

Eldorado Canyon State Park

This is one of my favorite classic climbs in Eldorado Canyon State Park!

Outer Space is two pitches of stunning Eldorado Canyon climbing, high above South Boulder Creek. The climb starts on the road before rising through the first two pitches of the Bastille Crack and ends on a spectacularly exposed headwall.

Did I mention that this climb has some of the best views in the whole canyon?

The first true pitch of Outer Space is an absolutely classic dihedral with brilliant stemming and steep climbing. As an old school classic route, the moves on the crux pitch feel slippery and the climbing feels tough.

This has gotta be one of my favorite 5.10 routes in all of Eldo!

As with most routes in Eldorado Canyon, this is a trad route so come prepared with an assortment of stoppers and cams, slings/runners, and anchor material. Or, hire a guide to take you up this route.

2. The Bastille Crack, 5.7

Eldorado Canyon State Park

The Bastille Crack is hands down the most sought after rock climb in Colorado!

It's not uncommon for multiple parties to be queued up waiting for their chance at the send. Early starts are your friend here!

This super classic route starts right off the road and is five guidebook pitches of 5.7 climbing. An ascent begins with a one minute walk from your car to the bottom of the route.

Make sure you put your belayer in a safe spot out of the road!

The fun begins as you make your way from the road up to the first crack system with a strange step to the left. This crack is a classic for a reason, the whole route is a combination of cool moves and terrific scenery. The one downside to the Bastille Crack is that the sheer coolness of the climb means that people come from around the world to climb this route. It can be busy.

And, if your crack climbing skills aren't up to par, it can feel much harder than 5.7. Need a refresher on climbing cracks? Check out this course.

I recommend this climb due to the sheer uniqueness of it as there is very little climbing with that combination of interesting moves with such a short approach. Great for small groups with semi experienced climbers.

3. The Maiden

The Boulder Flatirons