We set out to give Dennis and Clare a little climbing introduction and tour of the Estes Park area. I haven’t been to Combat Rock before, but I see there are bolts in the guide and figure it’s a sport crag. Not quite. Clare is thankful for some extra gear on Rambo Santa 5.7, and gets more of a thrill than she bargained for between placements on Battle Fatigue 5.8R. The climbs are slabby to boot, not Clare’s favorite, but the rock is excellent and she seems happy with her leads. We finish with a toprope on the first pitch of Pearl Harbor 5.10b. This is very slabby with a fun roof, and we all enjoy it. Above the roof would be runout 5.8 on lead, but does have opportunities for protection.
We drive up the canyon to Estes Park to have coffee and scope out Lumpy Ridge, hoping to tempt Clare to return someday and sample some of the delectable multipitch there. It makes for a late dinner, despite plans for another outing tomorrow.