Senators Gulch

Date: January 23, 2026

Location: Camp Bird, Ouray, Colorado, USA

Team: Michael Young

Field Notes: A 70m rope is sufficient and there are bolted anchors at the top. The climbers left flow is steeper at WI4/5, while the right flow goes around WI3. Popular.

Senators Gulch

Although I've spent the majority of my life living in the United States, it wasn't until I came back for a visit after living in New Zealand for the last three years to remember how absolutely epic the climbing is here.

This route is a mere ten-minute walk from the parking lot on Camp Bird Road. Although popular, Mike and I were the only people on the route.

It was a perfect winter morning. There were light snow flurries in the air and the temperature was somewhere around twenty degrees.

Looking down the right-hand flow

The Ribbon! Not fully in condition, but one day I'd love to climb this classic

Scenic views from the climb

Senators Gulch has a few options. The right side flow goes somewhere around WI3 where the left side has much steeper options. I decided to lead out on the right flow so we could set up a top rope anchor to climb the left flows.

It's been a warm spring for Colorado, and the right flow was a bit thin in places, but otherwise the climbing was straightforward and fun.

Happy days...