This installment of Cragies and Snackies brings us to the celebrated Colorado destination, Shelf Road! Shelf Rd Climbing has it all, great routes, beautiful hikes, wild animals, and plenty of camping within a short walking distance from world class rock on vertical limestone. There are nearly 1,300 routes at the Shelf, so it’s important to isolate a goal. If not, you risk getting lost in the abundance. For this recommendation we’re headed straight to Cactus Cliff, which is home to 160 routes. For a day of climbing, you can’t go wrong anywhere along Shelf Rd, but for this day of climbing you’ll want to restrict yourself to Cactus Cliff Left, home to 34 routes of varying degrees of difficulty.
The highest rated routes at Cactus Cliff Left are in the 5.11 and 5.12 range, but there are plenty 5.8’s and 5.9’s to warm up on as well, including Sweet Sam and Kalahari Sidewinder. The most popular routes include Muscle Beach, a 5.11a with over 600 reviews, Dihedrus (theDIHEDRAL is a fan of the name), a 5.10d with nearly 600 reviews. Two of the most noted routes on the wall include the idyllic line Lats Don’t Have Feelings(5.11d) and the ever pumpy route The French Are Here (5.12c). All of these routes are fun, but what brings us to Shelf Rd. this time is the underappreciated and oft forgotten 2.5-Star 5.10c Christmas Tree.
Christmas Tree is an 80’ 8-bolt sport route highlighted by a unique feature relevant to this time of year. About 55’ and 6 bolts above the ground is a small ledge housing a small pine tree, aptly referred to as the Christmas Tree. Once you make it to the ledge you can get a whiff of this fresh pine and take a rest. Moving around and beyond the Christmas Tree can be an interesting encounter and shorties may not appreciate clipping the next bolt, but it’s manageable, and a fun way to celebrate the holiday season.
So, have fun with the ho ho ho homies, and climb this mistletoe-tally rad route as soon as possible. There is noel time like climb time, and at Cactus Cliff, yule be sleighing sends and pine-ing for more! (I’m so sorry for that last one)
Once you wrap things up at Shelf Rd, it’s time for some snackies.
This was a pretty tough choice, because there are quite a few really good-looking restaurants in Canon City Colorado. It came down to one of my most frequent cravings which happens to be Indian Food.
Just 14 minutes from the Shelf Rd climbing area is Nirvana, i.e. Nirvana Culinary Paradise! Strong name to live up to, but this family-owned eatery is up to the task.
I am a sucker for Mattar Paneer and Kofta, both of which are on the menu. They offer a wide array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to appeal to guests of all backgrounds and diets.
Using fresh authentic ingredients, guests are treated to genuine Indian cuisine that will have you thinking you just finished climbing in Ramanagara.
One should never eat Indian food alone, there are too many delicious options, and so sharing becomes essential! That being said, let’s traverse the menu and peep a few options for the table!
We’ll start off with an order of Naan and Veggie Samosa. We’ll go with the Butter Chicken for the carnivores, some Mattar Paneer for the veg heads, and a Chana Masala for everyone. Let’s get some Mango Chutney and Raita on the side. And for dessert how could we pass up on the Kheer and Mango Kulfi. Once bellies have been stuffed, and smiles put on our faces, it’s time to sit around and exchange stories of our sends, with a final salute to Christmas Tree, Nirvana, and another amazing year of Cragies and Snackies!
Location: Cañon City Colorado “The Centennial State”
Crag: Shelf Road
Restaurant: Nirvana Culinary Paradise
Distance: 14 Minutes
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