#ColoradoProb no.2: Bouldering on Valentine's

Bouldering is climbing but without ropes or the protection that accompanies climbing with ropes and a harness. While this sounds crazy, it's really not that bad. Bouldering sticks to boulders. Crazy...I know. Safe bouldering includes either one or several crash pads which can be carried as a backpack out to the bouldering area. bouldering is very popular at indoor gyms as well, but has become very different from outdoor bouldering because route setters are able to create whatever type of movement they want.

For Valentine's Day, I asked my boyfriend if we could go bouldering in Colorado Springs. He said yes, of course, and we had a blast.

Climbing this classic Crack route on Graduation Boulder in Cheyenne Canyon, Colo. Springs. 

Graduation Boulder is a great spot to go bouldering because this boulder is HUGE! There are about 10 routes on this one boulder. The 'approach' to the boulder takes 2.7 seconds because it is right off the road. Literally...the road is a foot from the boulder. Since we went bouldering here in February, sure it was a nice day (68 degrees), Graduation boulder is in a canyon and there was still snow around the boulder. The boulder's southern face is along a creek as well, so naturally the boulder is wet on that side and because it was so cool in the canyon that day, the whole boulder felt a little wet and made for a tougher climb.
This boulder also has a long traverse route on the North face that I wasn't able to go too far on because of the snow and wet rock, but I will definitely come back to it when the weather is a lot dryer and the snow is gone.

He's definitely my quirky climber. :)