Experience Winter On-High In Colorado National Monument

On belay? In ... January?

Thanks to a new winter climbing program available from Grand Junction Adventures, the essential back-and-forth between a rock climber and their faithful rope-holder will now ring out through Colorado National Monument all year round. GJ Adventure’s new line-up of half-day and day-long guided climbing outings cater to both beginners and experts alike.

“To be clear though, this is not ice climbing,” says James Stover, Grand Junction Adventures business development manager and head climbing guide.

After all, the Western Slope boasts relatively mild temperatures throughout the winter; ice isn’t in the forecast.

“In the middle of December, it can be 60 degrees on a sunny wall,” Stover says, noting that, with inversion, it’s common for temperatures in the Monument to be 10 or 20 degrees warmer than lower in the Grand Valley. Though if the weather does look iffy, GJ Adventures allows guests to cancel the day before for a full refund or rebook for another day. “Nobody wants to be out there when it’s snowing,” Stover laughs.

Photo courtesy of Grand Junction Adventures

GJ Adventures’ beginner-focused trips typically begin with a 25-minute hike into the climbing site at Monument Slabs, followed by thorough instruction on how to wear a harness, how to safely belay and proper rope usage. Then, the guides set up top ropes (the safest and easiest form of outdoor rock climbing), and the adventure starts. “We also have the ability to lead some more difficult climbs if people are feeling randy and need more of a challenge,” Stover adds.

For more experienced climbers, GJ Adventures’ advanced trips tackle more challenging routes up the Monument Slabs, as well as climbs up Liberty Cap and Terra Rado. Independence Monument, however, is off the table given the route is completely shaded. (Read: too cold and slick.)

No matter the ability level, all of GJ Adventures’ trips follow famed climber Alex Lowe’s adage that “the best climber is the one having the most fun.” A big contributor to that fun factor is the ability to see Colorado National Monument at a time of year when it’s less busy, but no less beautiful. In fact, with the dusty reds and oranges of the rock complementing the mellow green of the junipers, all offset by the bright white of snow patches, Stover calls the area a “really magical place to be in the wintertime.”

Belay on.

Originally published in the Winter 2021-22 issue of Spoke+Blossom.