Luke and Dakota Climbing Camp

Luke and Dakota are both doing a climbing camp. They are learning some climbing theory, technique, knots, top rope belaying, and possibly some simulated lead climbing. Each day, they travel to a local climbing spot and do some climbing and rappelling from about 9 am to 3 pm.

Day 1 - Monday - No pictures from today!

Day 2 - Tuesday - Local spot near to Golden

Luke is in foreground with back to camera. This was the top of the climbing face; they are about to rappel down so they can climb up.

This is the climbing face for Day 2. 

Another shot of the climbing face.

This is the view from the Day 2 climbing spot. The bridge overpass over the big road, visible in the middle of the picture, is the entrance to downtown Golden.

One of the boys' camp-mates climbing the face.

Luke is climbing on the right.

Luke on rock face.

Overall view of climbing site.

Dakota is climbing on the right in the grey shirt.

Day 3 - Wednesday - Evergreen (a bit further away and higher up)

Today, the boys had to hike about a mile and then rappel down in order to get to the start of the climb. There were four different climbs; Luke did two and Dakota did two, and one was an overlap.

Luke climbing. This was the really tough climb, and Luke is trying to get over that knobby bulge. There was only one foothold, and no great handholds. Tough spot - the instructor got over it with some fantastic flexibility. 

Luke climbing on the tough spot again, wider view.

Another climbing face - Dakota climbed the on the rope closest to the picture.

A third spot - both boys ascended this face.

Day 4 - Thursday

Dakota climbing in grey shirt.

Dakota climbing.

Dakota again, same face, different angle. He said this face was hard because he had "zero purchase." This means it was super hard to find good places to put his feet to support weight. He ended up using mostly upper body strength to pull himself up, which is really hard.

This is the face of the rock close to where Dakota and Luke were climbing.

Another face that Dakota and Luke climbed.

Another view of the above face.

Day 5 - Friday - Movement Gym in Denver

This day was a bit colder, and it rained overnight, leaving their proposed climbing site too slippery to climb. Instead, the group went to an indoor gym in Denver called "Movement" in Denver, similar to the Earth Treks gyms we are more familiar with. They didn't take any pictures, but had a good time.