Grab your rope, harness, and friends and head on down to the crag! Amongst Southwest Colorado’s many outdoor activities, rock climbing is a popular sport with great spots and easy access from Durango. Climbing is a great full body workout and with free access to the rocks, the natural terrain becomes your personal gym!
Durango Area Rock Climbing
Durango offers a range of sandstone, quartzite, limestone, and granite to climb on. With a full range of difficulties, you can solo boulders, do multi-pitch routes, and even ice climb in the winter months. For the less experienced climber, local trails lead you to popular areas such as Sailing Hawks, Turtle Lake, East Animas, and X Rock - all about 10 minutes from downtown. While climbing is primarily a spring to fall activity, some walls get enough sun to venture out in the winter. Ice climbing is another great winter option, with more opportunities throughout the region, including an annual ice fest in Ouray! Rock climbing in Durango is popular and has a great community, with groups on Facebook to help you get connected.
Climbing Equipment
Different types of climbing require different types of equipment. Bouldering uses with minimal equipment: climbing shoes, chalk, and a crash pad (a portable pad that helps dampen the impact of a fall). These climbing routes - known as “problems” - are typically shorter and stay within 15 feet from the ground due to the simple equipment. Similarly, free soloing is a much more extreme version of this and defines unprotected (no harness) climbing of large pitches. A popular example of this is Alex Honnold’s “Free Solo” movie of climbing El Capitan, a 900 meter vertical climb without a harness - safe to say this is left to the professionals!
Top-rope climbing and sport lead or traditional lead climbing includes much more equipment including climbing shoes, a harness, rope, chalk (and chalk bag), belay devices, and a helmet. Additional devices such as cams, carabiners, quickdraws, and gloves become necessary on harder and longer climbs. Ice climbing requires specialized gear like crampons, ice picks, and ice screws, along with proper clothing that’s warm, water-repellant, and flexible enough for movement. Many of these items can be found at Durango’s local gear stores.
Gravity Lab
The Gravity Lab climbing gym is a great local amenity, offering a hub for climbers across the greater Southwest Colorado region. Located approximately 10 minutes east of downtown on County Road 233, this gym offers about 6,200 square feet (4,000 SF of climbing area) of space to learn and practice the art of climbing. They offer bouldering problems, a top rope/auto belay wall, instructional/beginners wall, a Kilter Board, campus board, and Spray wall for a variety of options. The transformed warehouse also features a yoga studio, cardio machines, and free weights for full workouts. Promoting community education, fitness, health, and wellness for all ages, they offer private and group courses, classes, clinics, and training sessions. Daily and month/annual passes are available.
If you’re looking for another fun reason to get outdoors or you are already an experienced climber, Durango has got the rock for you! Please let The Durango Team at The Wells Group know if you have any questions about more things to do in Durango.
