Multi-Pitch Climbing Seminar in Eldorado, CO

Top three reasons to rock climb in Eldorado

With over 500 multi-pitch routes, Eldorado is ideal to sharpen your skills
Diversity of routes, staggering views, and historic origins
One of America’s ultra-classic climbing locations

Eldorado Canyon State Park is one of the best traditional free climbing areas in the world. For those more experienced on the rocks, it’s a place of adventure, a climbing playground that you’ll never tire of. The place is famous for its intricate sequences and challenging gear placements that require skill and creativity. Since the 60s, Eldorado has been attracting climbers from around the world, offering solid granite-like rock and routes that range from single-pitch moderates up to 7 pitches and 5.13 climbs! Three amazing climbing areas are located about seven miles from downtown Boulder, known for their amazing climbing community, a great diversity of climbs, tons of wildlife, and picturesque scenery. Find out more about some of the best routes in Eldorado Canyon from Jesse Ramos – an AMGA Rock Guide and Colorado local.

Season

April through November

Nearest city

Boulder, CO, is just a short 30-minute drive away

Duration

2-5 days

Skill level

Intermediate

Choose how you spend your days

Because of the area’s abundance of multi-pitch routes, it’s the perfect location to learn to lead and improve your climbing skills. This climbing course is yours to customize — mix and match the length course and lessons that best suits your climbing needs! Be sure to let your guide know if you have specific objectives in mind or want to focus on certain techniques. Explore Eldorado and enjoy climbing routes with two to seven pitches!

Note: The price per person is $250 per day with a 2-day minimum.

Opt for a full 5-day course and immerse yourself in the world of multi-pitch climbing! The focus of each day is different, resulting in various multi-pitch climbs of your own under the watchful eyes of your guide. Some of the skills you’ll work on include route selection, risk management, placing gear and building anchors, and learning to escape the belay. Learn the basics of the complete multi-pitch system and practice them with mock scenarios in safe environments. On your last day, tackle one of Eldo’s classic routes and put some experience under your belt!

Itinerary

After meeting with your guides, reach the climbing site for the day and build strong traditional climbing foundations that will set your climbing up for long-term success. Instruction will be limited to a single-pitch setting on this first day to revise your knowledge and get to know each other.

The focus of your second day will be to add in the complexities of multi-pitch climbing. Set-up a working understanding of the systems, from belaying on a high anchor to expanding possibilities of special situations that you won’t find in a textbook. Learn how to mitigate risk in hard climbing terrain, how to get better visuals on your partner at the anchor, and similar complicated situations. Enjoy the atmosphere and the climbs that Eldo has to offer.

Master the rescue skills every climber needs to know in order to self-rescue on bigger walls. Learn everything there is to know about escaping the belay, ascending and descending a rope, and raising and lowering systems. Having a solid understanding of these skills gives you and your team confidence that when the going gets tough, your climbing party can manage any problem.

Depending on your progression and abilities during the first three days, today you’ll either focus on different live leading scenarios or continue with mock scenarios in the multi-pitch environment on smaller climbing objectives. Your guide will choose a route that fits in a framework of your abilities the best.

On your last day, combine all your skills and put them to a test on a long multi-pitch rock route! It’s your turn to take the lead and explore, and swap leads with your partner for a more traditional climbing partnership. You’ll leave the course completely prepared for an adventure on your own!

Meet your guides

Jeffrey is the director and founder of Smile Mountain Guides. He has extensive expe...

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SMG was built from the vision of blending the power of trust and caring with the gr...

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Things to know

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Eldorado Canyon State Park, please refer to Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

- An experienced, local rock-climbing guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- Full days of rock climbing with a private guide
- All technical climbing gear

What’s not included:

- Transportation
- Accommodations
- Food and snacks
- Parking

This multi-pitch seminar is designed for intermediate climbers that wish to advance their climbing skills. You should be a good climber experienced in single-pitch trad climbing. Being in good shape is always a plus but far from necessary. To ensure you have a fun day, your guide will choose routes that suit your skill and fitness level.

This is a course ideal for intermediate climbers with experience on single-pitch climbs. If you’ve never climbed before, we suggest you try out a half-day or full-day of climbing with a private guide.

All technical climbing equipment will be provided by your guiding service. However, if you have your own gear, feel free to bring it. You’ll need:

- Helmet
- Harness with a locking carabiner, belay device, and chalk bag
- Ropes
- Climbing hardware (quickdraws, cam devices, stoppers, etc.)

Here’s a list of the equipment we suggest you bring:

- Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 40L bag)
- Sticky rubber approach shoes
- Rock shoes
- Bandana or buff
- Hat that will fit under your helmet for colder weather
- Synthetic T-shirt
- Sun hoody
- Fleece
- Hardshell jacket
- Warm belay jacket
- Softshell short or pants
- Water bottle
- Food you can eat on-the-go
- Toiletries (sunscreen, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
- Sunglasses
- Camera — optional

Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Group sizes and prices:

- For this adventure, the usual client to guide ratio is 6:1 and cost is per person.
- Costs are per person and don’t decrease as your group grows.

Climbing days can be arranged for bigger groups. Contact us prior to booking.

Min. age requirements:

- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to climb on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the
- presence of a parent or legal guardian.

If your group has climbers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Eldorado Canyon State Park, most people fly into Denver International Airport (DEN). From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service. Boulder, the closest town to the Eldorado Canyon, is 40 miles from Denver and just a short 30-minute drive away from the climbing site.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet. The exact climbing spot will be discussed after the booking. Guides determine exact locations after considering the skill level of the group and factors such as crag traffic and weather.

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Secure your spot

Multi-Pitch Climbing Course in Eldorado Canyon