Rifle Arch

There’s something noticeably lacking among the climbing options here on the Western Slope of Colorado: easy climbing. And I’m not talking about easy by the standards of the I-hang-out-at-rifle-every-weekend-and-warm-up-on-5.12 crowd, but easy as in, I just started rock climbing, I want to ease into it and I wasn’t born climbing 5.10. For whatever reason, the majority of the climbing around here starts at 5.10, with only a few easier climbs here and there. It probably has something to do with the fact that most of the rock we are surrounded by is choss, and choss just isn’t fun to climb when its low angled and chunky. Tilt past vertical though, and it’s a hoot.

But back to the problem at hand. You’ve got a friend, or some kids, that want to try climbing, but you aren’t sure where to take them. Enter Rifle Arch. This sandstone formation sits to the north of the town of Rifle and features, you guessed it, a natural stone arch. So that’s pretty cool in its own right, but there are also a bunch of bolted routes here, most in the 5.8 to 5.9 range, including a bolted 5.5. Most of the established climbing takes place on good, black varnished stone with crisp flakes and edges. This is slab climbing, so it’s a forgiving angle and great for someone’s first intro to climbing. There are also a couple multipitch offerings, including the Mitten Slab, a 450′ sport climb with one short section of 5.10 and lots of 5.8 and 5.9 climbing. The crag faces south and soaks up sun all day, and as such is a good option during cooler weather. It is a newer area, and the routes are still cleaning up, so you may want to tread lightly on the more fragile looking flakes.

To get here, take I-70 to the town of Rifle, and then head north on Route 13 towards Meeker. Follow this through town for a couple miles and park just past mile marker 7 at a small pullout with a gate. The approach is a beautiful 35 minute hike that will get you a little warmed up for the climbing.

You can find the full beta for Rifle Arch in the Rifle Mountain Park & Western Colorado Rock Climbs guidebook.

(The BLM has asked that no climbing take place in the vicinity of the Arch itself due to the presence of an eagle’s nest.)