On every character I've made I've always CTD because of this place.

Go to it, it's right above Whiterun, and when you get there, go through the inside until you get to the end, past the mammoth skull trap. When you get to the end, you'll go through an exit that leads to a spike trap and a poor guy who fell on them, when you're at this point fast travel to Dragons reach. I CTD every. single. time.

Do you?