BETA PHOTO: Map of BC from Cob Rock to Boulder Falls
Description
Hidden in Boulder Canyon is a tall but thin sport climbing crag with a variety of routes, most of which are high quality. Most routes require nothing but draws.
Go about 6.8 miles up Boulder Canyon, and park on the left side of the road about 200 yards after passing Cob Rock on the left side. There is sometimes a tyrolean across the river about 50 yards upstream of this small pullout. Scramble up a steep trail that goes up and right, along the west face of the rock. About 100 yards up, the bolted face climbs appear.
This is a very small area and the seven routes are close together. It gets unpleasantly crowded if more than ten climbers are present. If the parking lot is full (and there's no sign that lots of people are climbing at Happy Hour or the Riviera), you might think about going elsewhere.
Sherwood Forest stays shady and reasonably cool in the middle of summer. It was shaded till almost 2pm in June and was shady all day in September.
Looks like there's a new route up here. Between Tuckered and Fried and Little John's Big Stick there's a new line that heads up through some nice thin slabby moves - then through the easy roof sections. To stay consistent with Sherwood ratings, this thing is probabaly in the 10b-c neighborhood with the crux on the slab (unlike the nearby climbs) around the 3rd / 4th bolt.
It needs a bit more traffic to clean off some of the lichen on the slab and loose pebbles around the roof - but altogether a good line that's worth a go.
This area is amazingly popular. I was there on Saturday and there were 12 people at one time. I assume it to be because it is one of the few areas with great shade during the summer heat. Just be prepared for crowds and mediocre climbing.
Mediocre climbing?!?! I beg to differ Chad. Totally fun climbing, on quality rock, well worth your time. Maybe not for everybody, but definately better than mediocre, and well worth your time...
I would agree that the climbing was fun. I almost always have fun climbing, no matter what. I just thought the climbs that I did where one star, "not bad", with the exception of Prince of Thieves.
Isn't it about time to put this discussion to rest? Sherwood Forest is an okay place to climb on a hot day. It produced a few good routes, but nothing of any real inspiration. I personally enjoyed some of them - Prince of Thieves has a couple of good moves, so do some of the others. Most of the grades have dropped down as we have picked the right sequences, something we usually get wrong when jumping on a new rock for the first time. The discussion over LJBS is far out of proportion to the route or any thought process or comitment in its original ascent. Overall the rock is decent enough, it probably still needs more cleaning, it sits in a nice forest environment. But for heaven's sake, lets keep it in perspective. It's not the Redgarden, it's not the Diamond, it's a spot for a few quarter rope-burns after work or a place grab some shade and run some lines. It serves a purpose much like a lot of the crags in Boulder Canyon, but it certainly is not worth the apparent agnst that has evolved.
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Aug 12, 2004
Even though it was removed from the cb.com database, the climb known as "Tony Bubb's Little Stick" (FA Alan Nelson, 8/9/04) does in fact exist. It climbs the face between Maid Marian on the right and Little John's Big Stick on the left. It climbs a line that is completely independent of either of these routes. Fun thin face moves with a 10d crux between the 4th and 5th bolts. After the 6th bolt, clip the first bolt on LJBS and continue to the anchor on LJBS or Maid Marian. 9 bolts in all.
Note: the bolts on this climb are well to the right of the bolts that were removed from LJBS. LJBS could be climbed clipping these bolts, but you would probably need long runners and have to move out of the LJBS corner to make the clips.
The worn cold shuts on the anchor were replaced today by Alan Nelson. Thanks, Alan!
So don't go there AC. I had not been there in several years and went there last week and it was very pleasant. Perfect temp and shade and friendly people. Did not see any egos with crowbars and sledgehammers.
I agree with the dyspeptic AC about this cliff being a pile: with the exception of Men in Tights and Robbin' the Hood (which is actually quite good) the routes here tended to be compromised by squeezing (oops, I'm on another route) or contrivance (is this hold on?).
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