Front Range Climbing Co

Went for a half-​day ice climbing lesson with Dan, We had a fantastic time, and learned all the essentials. Would definitely recommend FRCC to anyone!

I would give more than 5 stars for Front Range Climbing Co. if it were an option. Our guide’s name was Patrick, and he was absolutely wonderful. It was my son’s (age 10) and my first experience with «real» climbing, and it could not have been better. To be honest, I was intimidated at first because Patrick took us to 2 challenging rocks. But he was faithful to guide us, telling us exactly what hand and foot placements to look for moment by moment. He was extremely personable, informative and patient. I will definitely hire this company again!

This place was amazing and so accommodating! Our group of three purchased the 2 hour garden of the gods climbing package via Groupon. I used the online system and called them to confirm our 8am session. Then the day before the actual climb, our guide, Dakota, contacted me to confirm our meeting spot and gave us more details about the trip.
The morning of, we got a flat tire on our way to garden of the gods from Denver, CO. I called/​texted Dakota and the company. Isaac picked up the phone and was very very understanding and willing to reschedule us! (I didn’t expect for them to be so nice about things since we got it through groupon.) we ended up rescheduling to the 330pm session.
The main parking lot that we parked at was very crowded! So get there early and expect to loop around at least 10 times before finding a parking spot. Then we met up with Dakota and walked to find a nice empty climbing spot. Our group of three ended up on our own little «private» climbing trip since we were the only scheduled for that time! Dakota was very professional, calm, and patient with our group since ²⁄₃ were new to climbing. He taught the two guys in my group how to belay as the other climbed. It started raining a little over an hour into our climb, so we had to end early. Dakota suggested we call the company to get a partial refund but we refused since they were so willing to work with us through our car troubles and the rescheduling earlier that day.
Very awesome experience! I would definitely recommend front range climbing and Dakota as your tour guide!

Just finished a 2 hr climb in the Garden of the Gods (beautiful!) with Dakota as our guide. My husband and I had zero climbing experience. Dakota was off the charts awesome as a guide. Patient, encouraging, knowledgable, friendly… and he kept us alive fantastically. We would definitely climb with him again. Thank you for an amazing first climb experience!

We ended up reserving through a Groupon deal and were supposed to show up at 10 am, but unfortunately had a flat tire and had to move it up to 3 PM. Our guide, Dakota, was very accommodating and told us he would meet us up at that time.
We were extremely new to rock climbing, but Dakota was very patient with us and taught us basic fundamentals in rock climbing. It started to rain about hour and a half in and we had to prematurely end our session. Our guide recommended that we get a discount because he had to end the session early, but we declined since he met us up later in the day when he didn’t need to (and still met up with the one person for that 10 am session!). I highly recommend this company, ask for Dakota! And don’t forget to tip!

Garden of the gods was a great climb. Our guide Ryan was very knowledgeable about climbing and would allow you to go at your own pace. I will be returning for another climb soon.

My boyfriend and I had an awesome time refreshing our lead climbing skills. Our guide was Ryan «right foot» Anderson. He was super helpful with showing us how to properly clean the route and other cool tips. «Ryan is da Bomb!»
Your Asian troll,
Jackie

****This part first because I don’t want it get lost at the bottom, then about the company****
Patrick Betts was the best. I mean he really was the best. He really made us feel like we were climbing with a buddy rather than climbing with a tour guide. He was VERY patient with us and helped us get comfortable with climbing. We didn’t feel rushed or like he was looking at the clock. He took the time to teach us and even put his life in our hands, literally. Sometimes I find that when you do tour-​isty things you get a guide who is just going through the motions and not really into what he/​she is doing. You definitely don’t get that feeling from Patrick, it is quite the opposite. I’m even afraid of heights and he really instilled the confidence in me so that I could make each and every climb. Great guy! Thanks for everything Patrick, my two sons and I have picked up a new habit thanks to you!
****Now about the company***
I found FRCC on the Garden of the Gods website and decided to give them a shot. My two sons, ages 16 and 18, had only climbed once before. We are beginners and I wasn’t sure what type of experience we would get with FRCC. I was really worried this was going to be one of those tours where you get to climb some rocks but you’re really not pushing yourself or doing what the «pros» are doing. Let me tell you, you are doing the exact type of climbing that others in the park are doing. You are right there climbing some great climbs.
We picked a four hour private session (which I highly recommend so you get one on one time). Our guide called us the day before and asked us what we were looking for, our experience levels, meeting time and place, shoe sizes, etc.
We met our guide the next morning at Garden of the Gods and we got right to climbing. Our guide showed us how to tie the knots we needed, showed us how to climb without straining our muscles and talked us through the climbs. We started with some easy climbs that showed us how to «trust» our feet. Then we moved on to another climb where we learned about under hangs (not sure if that’s what they’re called). Then on to climbing a ridge and rappelling. Then we finished with a climb we had done earlier on our own and this time we conquered it putting all the things we learned previously to use.
I can’t say enough good things about our guide Patrick and FRCC. If you’re on the fence go ahead and give them a shot, you won’t regret it.
They have a military discount too.

I just returned from a fantastic group hiking/​camping/​white water rafting trip that was coordinated by Front Range Climbing and it was the best trip I have ever been on. Patrick and Ryan did an amazing job taking care of us-​they encouraged us on the hike when some of us didn’t think we could do it, fed us food that was far beyond normal camping fare, organized all the details impeccably, and overall just became a part of our group and really dove into the adventure with us. It felt like they were a part of our group, not just paid guides. There were 13 of us of all different ages and experience levels and somehow Patrick and Ryan managed to challenge us all equally. I would definitely recommend them if you are looking to have a trip completely personalized and customized to fit your needs and interests.

All Stars! Fantastic first time climbing experience. John is too cool for school! Highly recommended guide and company. Thank you John, Isaac and Dan!

Our 9 and 11 yr old girls had a great time with Patrick. He quickly connected with them and took them on a variety of climbs that kept them challenged and interested for the entire 4hrs and now they want to go back. A great way to explore the Garden of the Gods; highly recommended for all ages.

We had a fantastic experience climbing with FRCC! Our guides for two separate four-​hour climbing sessions, Patrick and Ryan, were both very experienced, excellent instructors, and enthusiastic. We learned a lot in our sessions, which included multi-​pitch climbs, practice lead climbing & building tethers, as well as gaining important tips along the way about technique, safety, and equipment. We’re already excited about our next climbing session with FRCC!

My husband and I just took a basic Intro to Climbing session with John. It was such a fun experience! We went to Garden of the Gods and did a series of climbs, each one harder than the last. John was so patient and helpful considering this was my first time. We’re planning to book another session to take our kids.

Patrick was a fantastic guide. We did the 4 hour intermediate class offered by Front Range. The knowledge and techniques that Patrick showed us really improved our climbing and safety. We have climbed with other companies but we keep coming back to Front Range. Thank you guys for all that you do and we will see you soon.

We had a fantastic time with Ryan and John on our climb in North Cheyenne Canyon. I had climbed only once before but by the end of the session I felt like a pro and I accomplished more than I ever thought possible. I brought a friend along that is afraid of heights and through Ryan and John’s encouraging words and coaching he was able to climb over 50 feet. We can’t wait to go again!

Buying a Groupon for a 4 hour Ice Climbing Class through Front Range Climbing was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The company was very easy to get a hold of to book a class and to get information from. Due to a major snowstorm, the first trip was canceled and they were very accommodating with my schedule to rebook since I was only in town for a week. They actually kept in contact with me the whole day prior and the morning of the cancelled trip to track the weather to see if it was possible to climb and re-​booked it when it was decided it was too risky to go. The gear provided was good, you would only need to bring warm clothing (think snowboard/​ski gear) and all the technical gear was provided. They will call you the day prior to get your size and tell you what to bring and where to meet. For the actual trip itself, our guide was Andrew and he is awesome! He was very knowledgable and very passionate about climbing. It ended up being only my sister and I going with Andrew and we were the only ones at the wall. My sister and I had a great day learning how to climb on ice and the 4 hours went by fast. I would definitely book a trip with them again and recommend them to all of my friends.

Patrick and Mollie were our guides for the day and they could not have been more kind, patient or helpful. All five of us (ranging in age from 11 – 44) had a great time, learned a lot, encouraged each other and created GREAT memories. Also, again, Patrick and Mollie are a joy. Tip — DON’T FORGET SUNSCREEN (or snacks)! :)

I’ve had the pleasure of using Front Range Climbing for both rock and ice climbing and I couldn’t be happier.
Both occasions were prompted by my climbing buddy finding them on livingsocial/​groupon. The first was a trip to Garden of the Gods, a sojourn we knew we had to made when we learned those gorgeous rocks aren’t just for lookin‘. It was just the two of and our guide (whose name, alas, escapes me after waiting so many months to write this) was knowledgeable, accommodating, and friendly. He started us on something simple to let us get familiar with the nuances of sandstone before ramping up the difficulty. By the end we had triumphed over our first (terrifying) outdoor 5.10– on a route we would have written off or missed without him.
Our two guides for ice climbing were equally obliging to our climbing levels and goals, starting us off simple and encouraging more challenging routes as the afternoon wore on. A day that began with no ice climbing experience at all ended with us scaling a number of frozen waterfalls of various difficulties (Coors Light is the name of the area, though I didn’t check if that’s owing to the ice wall’s Clean, Crisp Taste™).
The gear they supplied was solid and the prices were right, but the guides themselves are really the treasure of FRC. Every single one we encountered was as passionate about climbing as they were skilled.
Be ye veteran or novice, you will have no qualms about having an FRC guide on the other end of your rope.

My friends got a Living Social deal for beginner for Rock Climbing at the Garden of the Gods. They provided all the gear, including shoes. Our instructors were extremely knowledgeable, and tried their best to explain everything in great detail. We climbed 3 different sets of rocks. I’m not gonna lie, it was thrilling and scary all at the same time. If you like the adventure and are a beginner, these are the guys to go to!

A friend of mine from the East Coast came out to Colorado for winter adventures. In addition to going skiing, she’d picked up a groupon/​livingsocial deal for an FRCC ice-​climbing course in Colorado Springs. The day before the class we realized that there was a possibly major snowstorm heading into the Denver and CO. Springs metro area. We called FRCC to check on their cancelation policy, and were quickly called back by our guide, Josh. Josh talked to us on the phone at length letting us know what they were expecting down there for weather, and told us how they handled potential cancels because of weather. He also left it entirely up to us. In short, he was amazingly helpful as we figured out what we were going to do.
We stuck with the trip, and arrived a tad early at the meeting point. Josh had all our gear, got us set up, and took us for a short (half a mile?) hike into the woods to get to the climbing spot.
Let me just say this: Josh was amazing. Great instruction, funny, helpful, knowledgeable, patient, understanding, and everything you’d want in the guy who’s sort of holding your life in his hands as you’re clawing your way up a 20 meter wall of ice. He could not have been better.
The whole process was smooth, easy, and a ton of fun. I’m not sure I’d do ice climbing again, even though I had a blast, but I’m already 100% committed to coming back to check these guys out for a rock climbing session in the summer! FRCC was fantastic, and I’m already excited to get back with them in the summer! Props to Josh!