The air is cold and the sky threatening, so we decide to head for a lower destination. Castlewood Canyon is southeast of Denver on Cherry Creek. We’re surprised at the amount of snow there, but it’s a pretty place and the sun comes out to warm us up.
The rock cliffs in the canyon are short but interesting, made of a sort of cemented conglomerate of river rocks. We find a couple south-facing routes in the C-Section area to try. I start up a route that I believe is a 5.8, and it’s fun, but I keep getting nervous about the rock and hanging. At one point some other climbers pass and inform me I’m on a 5.10c. Once I gain some trust in the rock, I manage to finish it. The cemented cobblestones and pockets make for interesting climbing, but it takes some time to believe they’re solid. Ann finds the actual 5.8 and gives it a try on lead, but retreats from a scary move over a big hole that could make for an ugly fall. It’s her first lead retreat, but she feels justified after making the move on toprope.
This area was sheltered, sunny, and warm in the afternoon. We return to the car all blissed out.