Shelf Road Climbing
Dates: 2019(x3 days), 2020(x5 days), 2021(x5 days), 2022(x20 days)Partners: Brad White, Nate Mankovitch, Natalie Huey, Joe Trabucco, Nate Arganbright
List of Climbs I've Done & Some Photos
Shelf Road is a limestone sport cragging destination in south central Colorado, just north of Canon City and about 3 hours drive from Boulder. Most of the cliffs are vertical with pocketed limestone. Quality rock, short approaches, year round climbing, and a beautiful setting make this a popular weekend destination.
The first time I climbed at Shelf Road was in October 2019. I have returned several times in the falls and winters since and have really grown to enjoy the logistical ease of sport climbing and the strength-building nature of the steep limestone pocket-pulling.
On this page, I keep a list of the climbs I've done at Shelf Road. Below the list, I have random photos from cragging at Shelf Road.
list of climbs i've done at SHelf Road
photos
Some random photos from cragging at Shelf Road.
The Bank Cactus Cliff The Dark Side The Gallery The Gym / New Gym The North Gym Sand Gulch Spiney Ridge The Vault
(First Trip to Shelf Road)
Date: October 20, 2019 (Sun) Partner: Brad White Climbed at: Cactus Cliff, Spiney RidgeWeather was looking a bit cold and windy at any location closer to Boulder, so it was a good opportunity to check out Shelf Road. Fellow math enthusiast Brad and I spent the day cragging on moderates in the sun at Cactus Cliff area. I should title this mini trip report "Finding the bolted cracks at Cactus Cliff" since that's what we seemed to climb the most of. I guess I cannot resist a crack when I see one. Overall, I found the climbing quite engaging and I enjoyed the opportunity to climb on limestone. I'll be back!
Thanksgiving 2020 at Shelf Road! I was recovering from knee surgery and I was expecting to attempt to climb one route, have the knee feel kinda tweaky, and spend the rest of the trip belaying. But over the course of 2.5 days I ended up climbing 16 pitches on toprope, mostly 5.9-5.10 with a few of 5.11's. I was definitely far from top form as I was too cautious to do any weird movement or use small footholds with my right foot. Nice to be back on the rock though!
It had been a year since either Nate or I had been to Shelf, so it was time to return. I took off work on Friday and we enjoyed three days of steep limestone sport climbing in the sun and three nights hanging out in Nate's cozy 10x14 Canvas tent hotel and making dinner, reading, watching episodes of Yellowstone, and munching on peanut butter M&Ms. We climbed over 20 pitches from 5.9-5.11. Hard leading by Nate. Having climbed mostly moderate routes this fall (I was recovering from Covid-19), it felt nice to get pumped and challenged. Quite an enjoyable weekend all around!
Another fun weekend sport climbing at Shelf Road. For this trip we did more of a smash-n-grab style, driving down early Saturday morning, sleeping in the back of the truck on Saturday night, and doing a mileage day of climbing Saturday and a shorter day of harder routes on Sunday before driving back to Boulder/Estes Park by mid-afternoon. Daytime highs in the 40's and nighttime lows in the teens kept the crowds away, but it was quite pleasant climbing on the sunny rock.
The forecast at Shelf on Saturday called for highs in the mid 40's, no wind, no clouds, and overnight lows in the teens. The forecast at home (Boulder/Estes Park) called for 55 mph winds and wind chill as low as -22°F. So it sounded like a good weekend for Shelf Road. Due to the low overnight temperatures and a slight laziness on our part, we decided to get a cheap hotel in Canon City. On Saturday we climbed 10 pitches at Cactus Cliff. On Sunday we woke up to unexpected snow falling from the sky so we had to head back home. But it was good to get in one day of climbing in the sun in t-shirts.
It was another weekend where the local crags were cold and dusted in the week's snowfall, but the forecast looked nice at Shelf Road. With the cold overnight temperatures and my need to do some school work in the evening and early morning, Nate and I decided to stay at a cheap hotel in Canon City. We climbed 17 pitches of 5.9-5.11c. The rock was dry and the recent snows cut down the crowds a bit. Another fun weekend of winter cragging!
A totally worth it one-day-10-pitch-have-campground-to-ourselves-because-of-forecasted-snowstorm-enjoy-campfire-and-good-dinner-good-nighs-sleep-coffee-at-Starbucks-drive-home-in-snowstorm trip to Shelf.
Nate and I were on a 1-week climbing trip for Spring Break, and on the way back from four days of sandstone splitters in Paradox Valley we stopped at Shelf Road for 2.5 days of climbing on our way back home. 23 routes and about 30 pitches of climbing.
Blizzard in Estes Park and Boulder, so we headed to Shelf for another fun day of clipping bolts. 13 pitches in one day!
Another fun 2.5 day trip at Shelf. The camping was about as crowded as I've seen it but somehow we managed to avoid the crowds with our area and route selection. It was fun to hang out with Shawn who showed up halfway through our trip when he texted Nate Saturday morning from Estes Park wondering if he was available to climb.
Another spring weekend at Shelf getting strong while waiting for mountain weather to cooperate. We drove down Thursday afternoon, and climbed 30 pitches between Thursday evening and Sunday morning before driving back to Estes Park. Lots of 5.11 pitches. After several weekends at Shelf this spring we are feeling pretty strong for the alpine season ahead!
The first significant snow had hit the Front Range on Thursday night, inspiring our first Shelf Road trip of Fall 2022. We had planned to climb both Saturday and Sunday, but on Sunday we woke up to 36°F and cloudy and our fingers made the call to head home. Instead, I crushed some 5.11 autobelays at the Boulder Rock Club.
Daytime temps in the low 30's but the sun makes all the difference! This weekend trip marked our 17th and 18th days at Shelf Road in 2022. 15 pitches, 5.10b to 5.12b.
Another fun Shelf weekend: leave Estes Park/Boulder Friday after work to drive down to Shelf Road, camp, climb 10 pitches Saturday, camp, climb 5 pitches Sunday, grab lunch at Burger King and snack at gas station, and drive back to Boulder/Estes Park. This weekend trip marked our 19th and 20th days at Shelf Road in 2022.
It had been over a year since Nate and I had climbed at Shelf Road. We had climbed there for 20 days in 2022, and not a single day in 2023. So the first weekend in 2024 and coming off a 2-week trip to Cochise Stronghold, it was time to return to Shelf and try to maintain the climbing fitness we had developed in Cochise.
xxx