The Thumb
The Thumb in Colorado has 24 routes with 21 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
- 24 routes
- 5.3 – 5.13a
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Best time to visit The Thumb
Best months: May–June and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
37° / 16°
7 wet
Feb
38° / 16°
8 wet
Mar
45° / 21°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 26°
10 wet
May
61° / 35°
12 wet
Jun
74° / 43°
10 wet
Jul
80° / 48°
13 wet
Aug
78° / 46°
13 wet
Sep
70° / 39°
9 wet
Oct
57° / 30°
7 wet
Nov
44° / 23°
6 wet
Dec
36° / 16°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 0.6 mi away at 7,812 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Thumb is a climbing area in Colorado, about 1.4 miles from Estes Park. It sits right next to two other climbing areas, The Needle and Prospect Mountain, each about 0.1 mile away, which makes it easy to pair with them on a single visit. The area has 24 routes, with styles ranging from sport to trad to mixed. The YDS grades run from 5.3 up to 5.13a, so there is climbing for a wide range of abilities. Some of the named routes include South Ridge of the Thumb (5.3, trad), Left Center (5.8+, trad), and Konichiwa (5.13a, sport). Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Estes Park show July highs around 80°F with lows near 48°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. For a change from the rock, Deer Mountain Trail and Oldman Mountain Trail are both within about 2 miles. Rocky Mountain National Park's Glacier Basin Campground and Moraine Park Campground are each about 4.5 miles away.
Routes (24)
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