Your guide to Outdoor Crags for every level!

It’s Send it September! 

Get outside and climb!

Tuesday, August 29th 2023
Solymar Valdez

So, you’ve been climbing at G1 for a while now and want to extend your skills outdoors and try out an outdoor crag, well September is the perfect time to do it! 

Did you know that Fall is actually one of the best times to get outside and explore the best outdoor routes Colorado has to offer? 

Let us be your guide to climbing outdoors during one of the best months of the year to climb! 

 

Before You Climb: 

The gear you didn’t think you’d need

Preparing for an outdoor climb is one of the most important parts of your entire day. You need to know where to go, what to bring, and what to expect on your climb.

Without proper prep, your amazing day out in nature could turn into a raincheck before you know it. 

A great way to prepare for a climb is to purchase a guidebook in the gear shop. You might be thinking to yourself, ‘Why do I need a guide when I have Google?’ 

Well, a guidebook has information that you never would have considered when it comes to a crag. Our in-depth guidebooks have information on what crags are best to climb at certain times of the day, whether they’re in the shade or the sun, what kind of approach is necessary, and so much more! 

Grab all the gear you could need at our gear shop here at G1! 

Know before you go 

If this is your first time climbing at an outdoor crag it’s so important to know what is expected of you as a fellow climber and how to take care of our beautiful outdoor crags!

Crag etiquette 
  • Leave no trace!
  • There might not be bathrooms available so bring a wag bag! 
  • Stay on the trails!!
  • Do not disturb the plant life!
  • Don’t carve into rocks or trees 
  • No loud music 
  • Don’t top rope off fixed gear – this will degrade the gear
  • Be considerate 

Now that we’ve gotten the nitty gritty details out of the way, here are some of our favorite locations and how close they are to G1 Climbing + Fitness: 

Clear Creek Canyon – 45 Minutes from G1

A little bit of a drive, but these outdoor crags are well worth the wait! With tons of routes for every type of climber, you will no doubt find a crag to love! 

Beginners

Speeding Ticket (5.6 Sport)

Don’t let this route fool you, the generous holds at the beginning will lure you into a false sense of security before they thin out at the top! 

Intermediate 

Mr. Mistoffeles (5.9 Sport)

With climbs like Mr. Mistoffeles, you will find a challenging, well-established route that will leave you feeling accomplished and well-worn out! 

Experienced

Reefer Madness (5.11b)

We hope you’ve been working on your finger strength because these crimps are no joke! Luckily you get to rest up before the second pitch! 

El Dorado Canyon – 30 minutes from G1 Climbing + Fitness

Beginners 

The Bastille Crack (5.7 Trad)

According to Mountain Project, The Bastille Crack is one of the most classic climbs in the country, which makes it a must-try for climbers of every level! Since it has been so highly rated, it is also very popular so make sure to go on a weekday if you want to avoid the crowds. 

Intermediate 

The Great Zot (5.8+ Trad)

This crag is an incredible challenge for our intermediate climbers with the necessary utilization of many different techniques such as crack climbing, face climbing, and some liebacking hand jams! 

Experienced

Center Route (5.11a/b Trad)

Outer Space (5.10b/c Trad)

Challenge yourself with these incredible crags that have some incredible payoffs in the form of beautiful views! 

Boulder Canyon – 25 minutes from G1 Climbing + Fitness

Beginner 

Logthorien (5.7 Sport)

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan then you’re going to love the Logthorien crag as it was named after an enchanted forest in the books

Intermediate 

Huston Crack (5.9 Trad) 

This is a great outdoor crag if you are a lover of hand jams and arm bars! Truly a fun and challenging climb for our intermediate climbers! 

Experienced

Vasodilator (5.13a Sport) 

Nevermore (5.13 Sport)

These crags have every type of hold and holds a puzzle at every section that, if you solve, you will conquer!

Now that you have some great crags in mind it’s time to get out there and climb! 

If you find yourself slightly nervous about going out on your own then our Gym To Crag program is the perfect thing for you! 

 

Gym To Crag 

Take those climbing skills to an outdoor crag and learn the skills and inside knowledge of climbing outdoors with world-class instructors and other climbers who are looking to do the same! 

 

Now get out there and CLIMB! 

Sources 

“Top 10 Sport Climbing Areas in Colorado – Skyaboveus.” The Sky Above Us, Eliza Rayner, 4 Aug. 2023, skyaboveus.com/climbing-hiking/Sportclimbingcolorad. 

Admin, Fruition. “Our Top 5 Colorado Climbing Crags.” Native Campervans, 3 Nov. 2022, nativecampervans.com/blog/our-top-5-colorado-climbing-crags/. 

Bliss, Abigail. “Get Outside: Ten Beginner Rock Climbing Areas near Denver.” Westword, Westword, 23 Aug. 2022, www.westword.com/arts/get-outside-beginner-rock-climbing-areas-denver-14821773.

 

 

 

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The Tell All About Your Fall

Woman climbing on a rock wall

Solymar Valdez

August 10th, 2023

If there was one fact that encapsulates the whole of climbing, it is this:

 You will fall, A LOT. 

Falling is an integral part of climbing and more than that, it is an essential part of growing as a climber. If you want to grow your strength and skill as a climber, you should try more challenging and complex routes, and this means you should be prepared to fall on those routes.

Even the most experienced and strong climbers will fall just as much as the next climber because they are always trying something new. 

Since it is such an essential part of climbing, it is more important to know how to fall. 

Here are a few things that are important to consider when falling while you boulder: 

 

Planning your fall

Before you climb anything make sure you inspect your route and visualize where you will be during the entire climb, and where you might be the most likely to fall. 

Is this a straightforward climb, or will you traverse? Are there any large holds that you could fall on or scrape against? Where does the climb start and finish, what are the best holds to use when climbing down? Will any of the holds cause you to spin or tumble?

These questions are crucial and you should ask yourself these every time you climb. 

Additionally, when climbing outside, you might only have a couple of crash pads to use, so these questions might be the difference between falling on a thick cushion or falling on a sharp rock. 

 

Preventing A Fall

To prevent or mitigate a fall risk chalk up your hands really well!

While falling is an unavoidable part of climbing, there are things that you can do to avoid falling in certain situations or at least prevent any injuries. 

Each time you climb, make sure you use enough chalk for your problem or have your chalk bag strapped to your waist. 

One of the easiest ways to fall is to lose your grip or slip on a hold. Having enough chalk can give you enough grip to get to a deeper hold, or give you enough time to fall correctly. 

Being in tune with your body and recognizing when your muscles are getting pumped (full of lactic acid and losing strength) can help you avoid a fall. When your muscles are worn out at the end of your climb and you try to push yourself farther than your muscles can take you, you will lose your grip and you will fall. 

 

Preparing For a Fall 

If you are in the business of pushing yourself to your absolute limit, we absolutely applaud your gumption, but you should know that falling is unavoidable so you should focus on mitigating your risk or focusing on how to prepare for a fall. 

A great way to mitigate your risk is to start downclimbing when you feel yourself losing strength. The higher the fall the higher the risk of injury, so it is always a safe bet to start downclimbing so instead of falling from 10ft, you fall from 6ft.

If you are at the crux of your climb and you feel like you’re about to fall, the first thing to keep in mind is to not brace for your fall. It’s really scary to fall from any height and your comfort with falling will come with time, but it can always be a bit scary!

Even the great climber and free soloist gets scared, here’s how he deals with it when climbing:

“I’ve done a lot of thinking about fear. For me the crucial question is not how to climb without fear―that’s impossible―but how to deal with it when it creeps into your nerve endings.”—Alex Honnold

So even if it is scary to drop from a route, try to remember you’re falling on a thick crash pad that WILL catch you, so try and relax your muscles! 

Next, implement a tried and true fall form. 

Our climbing experts here at G1 Climbing + Fitness recommend dropping from the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. When your feet make contact with the crash pad, continue bending your knees to absorb the impact and roll onto your back or butt. Do not fall with braced knees, or with your hands under yourself. Your hands should be crossed in front of your chest to avoid injury. Remember to keep your chin tucked into your chest to prevent whiplash! 

 

Take a Class 

Perfect your fall by taking a class!

Falling while lead climbing is a whole different ball game than falling while bouldering so the best thing you can do to prepare to fall with grace during a lead climb is to take a class. 

If you are interested in learning how to fall while lead climbing then our ‘The Art of Falling’ course is perfect for you! 

During this course, our private instructor, Jeff Blum, will teach you how to push yourself safely and fall with grace when you do. He will bring mindful attention to the act of falling, give you the space for proper reflection and bring you closer to our community while he does it! 

There is nothing better to prepare you for falling safely than a class taught by climbing, and falling, experts! 

So what are you waiting for? 

Start falling at G1 Climbing + Fitness today!!

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How to crush your climbing plateau

August 4th, 2023

Solymar Valdez

A climbing plateau is definitely one of the more frustrating parts of everyone’s climbing journey and learning to crush your plateau can feel frustrating when you don’t know where to start.

Every single climber has found themselves exploding in strength and skill when they first start climbing regularly and then, like trying to ride a bike through sand, that growth comes to an annoyingly slow grind. Suddenly it becomes impossible to push to the next level and all that climbing confidence you grew has shrunk back to when you first started.

This experience can feel isolating as you watch other climbers crush the climb you couldn’t seem to crack. 

If you’ve ever felt like this and feel like you can’t make it out of your slump, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Every single climber has hit a plateau at least once in their climbing journey and wherever you are in your climbing career, you will no doubt hit yours.

Climbing regularly at your highest difficulty is still a great accomplishment so if you commit to it, you will slowly but surely start to build the strength and coordination to push past your climbing plateau on your own time. But if you want to crush your plateau quickly and push your grade, then we have some amazing classes, such as the Push Your Grade, and easy tips and tricks you can add to your climbing routine!

Warming Up

One of the most important parts of climbing is the warmup. It is so tempting to go straight to climbing and start with your most challenging climbs when you have the most energy, but trust us, it will only burn you out faster, and might even get you injured!

The key to a great climb is to warm up with some gentle stretches. We would recommend stretching your whole body and not just your arms. Climbing is a full-body experience even though it might feel like you are just using your arms. 

Here are the stretches we recommend you start with: 

Thread the Needle

Start on all fours, hands under hips, knees under hips. 

Reach one arm under the opposite shoulder, allowing the upper back to rotate, and follow the movement with your head

Hold for 3-5 seconds and then bring the arm all the way back up toward the ceiling, twisting through your back

Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat each way 10-20x

Tricep  Stretch

Tricep Stretches

Tricep Stretch

Put your arms over your head and with your opposite hand grab your elbow and pull inwards. Hold for 15sec each side.

Alternate 4 times.

This stretch is a great way to stretch your tricep muscles and warm them up to climb

Toe Touches  

Sit with your legs open as wide as is comfortable for you and without bending your

knees start reaching as far as you can toward the center and hold for 15 sec 

Then start reaching for your toes and alternate sides and hold for 15 sec each

Starting Slow 

Once you’ve stretched it’s a great time to warm up your muscles and get them ready to climb.

One of the things that keeps beginners from progressing a grade is grip strength. Your fingers need to get used to holding your weight and you need to build confidence enough to trust them.

Here are a few warm-ups that will help you gain grip strength before you climb 

Dead Hang 

Dead hangs are a great warmup and help get your muscles ready to climb and can help crush your climbing plateau.

Dead Hang

At G1, we have a fantastic warm-up area in which you can find grip boards and bars for dead hangs.

Start by gripping the pull-up bar or grip board and fully extend your arms until you are hanging. Hold for 15 sec for three reps

If you want to increase the challenge start shifting your shoulders up or doing some slow pullups.

You can always add weight to the hold to make it more challenging or a counterweight to make it easier.

The most important thing in a warm-up is to not burn yourself out so take it slow and easy!

Gradually Build in Grade 

You’re finally ready to get on the wall after a great warm-up. But where do you start? 

First, start with the easiest climb you can and take it slow. By doing this you are getting your muscles ready to work and not burning yourself out before you hit that project climb.

According to a peer reviewed article by Medicina Sportiva, another method of climbing has proven effective in increasing strength in climbing,

” Michailov developed an interval method, borrowed from the fartlek and represented by alternating repetitions of easy and “difficult” rotes with short rest intervals (Fig. 3) [21]. This method also significantly increased strength endurance and is expected to equally improve the mixed and the anaerobic energy supply. ”

Whether you alternate hard and easy routes or slowly build in difficulty, make sure you rest in between each climb!

Plan your route

Learning to plan your climbing route is essential when it comes to crushing your climbing plateau and sending your project climbs.

Plan your climbing route

 

When starting out in bouldering, you might be able to start a climb without any planning as low-grade climbs are pretty easy to send.

But as you start building in difficulty, climbs might require more planning to complete. It’s important to plan your route so you aren’t finding yourself stuck at the crux of a climb not knowing where to go.

Start by visualizing where each limb will go and where you will reach next. 


If you’re unsure of where to go it’s always a great idea to watch someone else do the climb!

We have some amazing resources you can use for this if there’s no one at the gym you can watch. 

You can start by visiting our Instagram where you can watch some of our latest boulders and see how other climbers did it, or sitting back and waiting for someone else to attempt that climb. 

Take A Class

Push your grade course photo to demonstrate the skills needed to crush your climbing plateau

Push Your Grade Course

Warming up and building your strength will no doubt aid in your climbing journey and help you push your grade, but the secret to crushing your plateau the quickest is by learning from your fellow climbers! 

As a member at G1 Climbing + Fitness, you have so many resources to use when it comes to climbing (and fitness!) including our Push Your Grade course! 

In this course, you can learn amazing techniques, get in-depth beta on your climbing projects, climb with people who are trying to improve their skills, and have fun doing it!  

Our Push Your Grade courses are four weeks long on Mondays at 6 PM MST at G1 Climbing + Fitness so make sure to check it out if you want to crush your climbing plateau and push yourself to the limit!

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