Is it worth the trip?
90Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 42 out of 100
- Rock
- Wet
- Rock temp
- 11°C
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 5.2 mm
Tue 3 · 83 out of 100
- Rock
- Wetdry in 6 h
- Rock temp
- 14°C
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Rock
- Dry
- Rock temp
- 13°C
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Rock
- Wetdry in 6 h
- Rock temp
- 12°C
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 96 out of 100
- Rock
- Dry
- Rock temp
- 14°C
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 96 out of 100
- Rock
- Dry
- Rock temp
- 15°C
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 95 out of 100
- Rock
- Dry
- Rock temp
- 16°C
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for rock, its warmth, the air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 148, fair
- Mon 242, poor
- Tue 383, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 696, good
- Sat 796, good
- Sun 895, good
- Mon 994, good
- Tue 1091, good
The spot in two facts
- 21 cragsmapped within 5 km
- Best in Oct6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know loose rock, seepage, access bans or your skill.
| Day | Score | Rock | Rock temp | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov* | 48, fair | Wet | 11°C | 11°C | 1.5 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 42, poor | Wet | 11°C | 8°C | 5.2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 83, good | Wetdry in 6 h | 14°C | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | Dry | 13°C | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | Wetdry in 6 h | 12°C | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 96, good | Dry | 14°C | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 96, good | Dry | 15°C | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 95, good | Dry | 16°C | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 94, good | Dry | 13°C | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 91, good | Dry | 13°C | 16°C | 0 mm |
* Rain before today is not known: the forecast starts today, so these days are scored from a dry start and a wet one.
Rock and air are in °C, the rock's with the sun on it; rain in mm. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Oct
Good climbing days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast.
Map
the area and its town
Dark Side on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Dark Side
21 crags mapped. Best from Feb to Nov. The nearest town to stay in is Colorado Springs.
- Crags 21 crags mapped.
- Rock No source states the rock.
From OpenStreetMap: the crags mapped within 5 km. Check access and bans locally.
Crags: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,160–US$2,100 each
about US$1,160–US$2,100 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, climbing instructor.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to COS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$174–US$362 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Climbing instructor | 1 day with an instructor, shared; leave it out if you climb on your own | about US$141–US$261 |
| Total | about US$1,160–US$2,100 |
Climbers bring their own kit: it is not in the cost. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Colorado Springs
73 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Colorado Springs its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 30m
About 5h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → COS, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → COS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.