Now to the good stuff...
Every where you look in Boulder there is climbing, well, climbing and coffee. I started my adventure here by going to an indoor gym called The Spot which I heard about in Utah. There I meet a bunch of people who have since become my climbing partners. So far I have been to the Satellite boulders, Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder Canyon, Eldorado Canyon, and the Flatirons. All these areas are within 15 minutes of Boulder, so needless to say I am in heaven. Even Gradie has been enjoying the climbing!
He has perfected the art of sleeping while I climb. The little kleptomaniac has also gotten quite good at stealing my friend Ben's water bottle.
One of my favorite climbs thus far is the First Flatiron. A gorgeous slab of rock that juts out of the mountainside just above Boulder, the first Flatiron is one of five, which are all about 500 feet tall. While climbing you can look over your shoulder at the scenic landscape that is Boulder and its surroundings.
In each of the areas that I mentioned before there is SO much climbing. Literally the rock just keeps going. Every time I have gone out, which has been almost every single day, I have climbed some where new and yet I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg! One of my favorite things about this area, besides its endless nature, is the variety of climbing within a close vicinity. Bouldering, sport, soloing, and trad. Below is me cleaning a trad climb in Boulder canyon. Notice my ripply arm muscles. Yea, I'm a climber ;)
Gradie goes on all my adventures with me and the lil bugger does great! He is such a champ. Sometimes when the terrain is too rough for his stubby legs he gets a free ride in my pack. I'm thinking about sending this picture into Black Diamond because not only are they my favorite climbing gear company, but also because I think Gradie would make a great mascot.
In Boulder Canyon some of the climbing is on the other side of the creek. Because this winter has been long and intense there is still a ton of snow pack in the mountains, which means that the rivers are wicked high. To get across climbers have set up a series of Tyroleans, which allow climbers to embrace their inner Indian Jones. I got really into it, especially since I had the added challenge of getting Gradie across. This is the solution I came up with:
I still don't like coffee despite the many attempts made by my new friends. I have, however, fallen madly in love with Boulder. Maybe there's something in the water, or maybe it's the friendly people, crazy amounts of climbing, and gorgeous scenery, but either way, Boulder has definitely captured part of my heart and I plan on living here someday.
