Tag: rock climbing
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Draft plan seeks upgrades for popular Colorado state park
A draft management plan outlines enhancements and strategies to meet growing demand at a state park on Colorado’s Front Range. Staunton State Park visitation has grown by more than 130,000 over the past five years, according to the draft plan that was recently posted for public review. Officials have reported average visitation around 240,000 in…
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Rock climbers in Colorado and beyond celebrate shift away from wilderness scrutiny
Rock climbers in Colorado and beyond are marking a victory in what’s been called “a war on wilderness climbing.” That’s how Boulder-based Access Fund described the situation in early 2023, around the time the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service proposed a new policy regarding fixed anchors on crags across federal lands. Fixed anchors —…
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Colorado senators add voice to debate over wilderness climbing
New political muscle is pushing back against land management proposals that rock climbers see as existential threats to the sport in Colorado and around the nation. That’s how Boulder-based Access Fund has described proposals from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Presented last year, the proposals signaled “a new interpretation of the Wilderness…
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Through the ups and downs of life, father and son have climbed on
Craig Richard and his father, Ron Smith, share a deep bond rooted in their love of climbing, starting when Craig was just 5 years old at Garden of the Gods. Ron, an accomplished mountaineer who once summited Colorado’s highest peaks and North America’s Denali, now supports from the ground as Craig continues their legacy, climbing…
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Have fun, make friends, climb better: Meet the Boomers, CityROCK’s senior climbers
It’s Thursday morning at CityRock. Heart’s “Barracuda” echoes throughout the climbing gym, queued alongside other hits from the 1960s and ‘70s. Climbers quickly ascend the towering walls, with belay partners keeping a close watch. While their hair may have some grays, their strength and speed are vibrant. Meet the Boomers. Coached by Arlo Niederer, 69,…
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Meet the Boomers, CityROCK’s senior climbers
The Boomers is a group for climbers over 50 at CityRock, led by 69-year-old Arlo Niederer. The group, made up primarily of retirees, meets weekly to “have fun, make friends, and climb better,” creating a supportive community that emphasizes both the social and physical benefits of climbing.
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Stewart Green, climbing pioneer and prolific Colorado Springs writer, dies at 71
Of all the beautiful places he visited around the world, one of Stewart Green’s favorite places was the porch of his Colorado Springs home. He called it his “outdoor office.” A prolific author, photographer, rock climber and historian of his native city and of the sport he pioneered, Green would sit there at the porch…
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From harsh rituals to hard-earned play, legends grow in this Colorado canyon
SAGUACHE COUNTY • Fields of crops and sage sprawl toward the Sangre de Cristo peaks in one direction, the San Juans in another, their wonders seemingly far away on this lonely, dusty stretch of U.S. 285. But here in the San Luis Valley, wonders tend to appear out of nowhere. There was Bob D’Antonio in…
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Pikes Peak Highway changes underscore tensions in managing for tourists, locals
Heading into the summer, locals are bracing for changes to the way they access adventure off the Pikes Peak Highway. They were alarmed by an initial announcement laying out new day-to-day operations starting in May through September: Those wishing to drive themselves past mile 7 on the mountain would have to secure a timed-entry permit,…
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Pikes Peak Highway changes underscore tensions in managing for tourists, locals
Heading into the summer, Colorado Springs locals are bracing for changes to the way they access adventure off the Pikes Peak Highway. They were alarmed by an initial announcement laying out new day-to-day operations starting in May through September: Those wishing to drive themselves past mile 7 on the mountain would have to secure a…