Although born in the flat plains of Saskatchewan, Canada, Mike Burdon moved to the Front Range of Colorado as a teenager, where he first began his climbing career. Castlewood Canyon was the venue for his first ever sport climb as well his first time bouldering. As a teenager, exploring and scrambling around in Castlewood meant freedom and fun. Even now as a highly accomplished climber and guide, with hundreds of first ascents all over the world and big wall free ascents like Sendero Luminoso, Mike has not forgotten his roots. This magical little canyon will never be a world-class destination but it’s still home, and that’s why Mike feels such love for it and the responsibility to be a good steward of it.
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- Mike on Licorice Stick (5.9). Photo by Jacob Peyton
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- Mike on the first ascent of Fear of the Lord (V4). Photo by Joe Lovin
On top of climbing the majority of the routes here and developing over 60 of his own, Mike has spent a lot of time replacing hardware, working on trails, building belay pads and scrubbing lichen. When you love a place, that’s just what you do. Mike’s love for this canyon has already been contagious and his hope is that this book will inspire a love and appreciation for Castlewood that leads to long-lasting stewardship of this unique and beautiful place that he calls home.