One of Boulder Canyon's best moderate routes, although a new guidebook gives the route 5.10a--watch your definition of moderate. Most people do the first pitch and then rappel (one rope) from 2 new bolts.
Bell Buttress is split by a large chimney. The left half offers several RF corners; Cosmosis is the large RF corner, about 70 ft. high, which overhangs at the top. Shortly right of it, the wall bends inward to the large chimney. The second (or third) pitch finishes in a large LF corner above. The route is further identified by the beautiful bolted arete just to its left - Verve - though there are a lot of bolts on this cliff.
It should be easy to cross the river on a huge tree that lies across it. Cosmosis is directly above, but broken 5th class bars access to the start. Go left on a path, then back right when feasible up a ramp that leads to the ledge going under the base of the route.
The crux is the thin bottom section (site of a small, chalked up flake), solved with interesting stemming. More excellent stemming lead to the beautiful hand crack finale. Belay from bolts just above the corner.
Eds. Do not think of The Route That Dan Missed as a reasonable alternative finish. It does not have bolts!
Rappel, or continue up a crack, left on the face, and then back right into a large LF corner to the top-- a very long pitch, rated 5.7. Descend SW and then go down when feasible.
Protection
Bring a standard rack to a #3 Friend. Maybe a couple RPs for the start.
RPs or tiny wires protect the bottom crux moves of Cosmosis. The upper arete that George mentions ("The Route That Dan Missed") is actually good climbing, but poor gear (RPs, tiny TCU) for the 5.10- climbing at the start. I don't remember any bolts on it, perhaps the topo is wrong. Verve is to the left of Cosmosis, but you know that.
Lest anyone be scared away, you shouldn't have to pull the crux protected only by RPs/small wires--they protect you more just below the crux (also, you can get a decent small cam in). Then, you can place a good, reasonable size cam, from a pumpy stance with good holds. This piece protects what I considered to be the actual crux. It isn't hard to down-climb to a rest before commiting to the crux either, if necessary. Overall, I'd say the dihedral is quite safe (if solid at 5.9) and incredibly worthwhile, varied and interesting climbing with a wonderful jam-crack finish--probably the best pitch I've done in Boulder Canyon, along with P2 of Country Club Crack.
There's a fixed #2 Camalot at the top of the hand crack with black tape on the sling. I used but did not fall on it....
Anyways, that's my excuse to also compliment this route. Great stemming up the steep dihedral up top! The pro at the lower crux: geez, I found three places to put pro, but all three felt pretty sketch. Fortunately as Charles says, you can crank up to the crux, and then reverse the moves easily back down to a rest to check your mind before going for it.
To clarify, as Bob D'Antonio pointed out, not all of the routes going up in the Canyon are chipped or grid bolted, and I did not mean to imply this. I'll nevertheless state my objection, as just another clamoring voice in the chaos of the climbing community, that I don't think the chipping and grid-bolting that have taken place to date are that cool.
Matt, I agree your statement a 100 per-cent. Chipping and grid-bolting should not be encourage in Boulder Canyon. Sport climbing is here to stay and bolts are here to stay. I, like other climbers enjoy a good sport route that has been bolted well and not chipped. There are a number of fine bolted sport routes in Boulder Canyon that have been put up by responsible climbers. Thanks for your input. Bob D.
Wow! The only reason I thought about bolting "The Route That Dan Missed" was that nobody did it (too runout) or cared about it. I've only done it twice, back when I was much braver, and thought it was fun but not too significant in the big world of hard climbing. I will leave the route as is forever. Thanks for your suggestions/objections. By the way, MG and I TR'd the route once first (mainly to check rock quality), and then MG led it.
AMAZING!!! Trad is where it's at. Small RPs protect the first 20 feet well - I put two in low and equalized them and then a number 5 RP in the crack a little higher. Right after the first crux throw in a #1 Camalot...the rest of the climb protects great with some bigger Camalots (I used a 2, 3 and 3.5). Enjoy!
THIN! I got a couple questionable micro stoppers in and then an HB offset up high, none of which I trusted. Some RPs would have changed the flavor of the climb considerably. A good route to do when it rains as it is gently overhanging.
I tried the old "I'll lead the easy pitch" routine, and got scared walking up the easy 5.6 after flailing up the P1 dihedral on TR. Perhaps I was off route, but I went left on the face as noted in this description and shown in Rossiter's photo. I got in a #1 Trango cam (1-1.5cm) about 30'+ above my first placement, which was right off the belay. It felt similar to the First Flatiron P1 run-out.
I took a fall trying to place gear at the crux about 5 years ago (my first trad whip). After getting my head together I realized that if you make 1 or two more moves past the crux, a good dropknee/stem can be found with your left foot on the jug you just passed, which lets you place gear pretty easily. It's nice to know that you can get in gear at the crux, but if 5.9 is your trad limit, it will be very pumpy to place gear there. The piece I fell on was a #3 Black Diamond nut, it held about a 12 foot fall, I weigh about 190, so the gear is pretty bomber!
By Ernie Port From: Boulder, Colorado Oct 3, 2004 rating: 5.9+
Followed this route last year...lead it today for first time...spicey and sustained for the grade IMO. Pumpier than neighbor West Face for sure. The black Alien fits the upper corner before the lower crux. Placed a .75 cam above the crux and down climbed, then went back up for the clip.The move half way up, off the corner, is a high reach, sloping layback, sans pro from above...kinda sketch. That move is equally as hard for me as the lower crux. Got a good #4 BD stopper in a chalked crack near the corner before this move. Bring a #2 and #3 for the last 15'...
Two or three cruxes and sustained hard between them! My pro: three stoppers, a TCU, a #2 and a #3 Camalot in the upper crack and then I ran it out a bit to the anchors. This route made me think more than I'm accustomed to. That may not have come off right.....
By Rob Kepley From: Westminster,CO Jun 4, 2006 rating: 5.10a
Climbed this amazing route again yesterday. One of the best pitches in Boulder Canyon. Too bad it's not longer. Just make sure you protect the crux move before committing to it. A small BD micro nut works well in the lefthand seam and if you climb up high enough you can put in a really good #1 Camalot before executing the crux move. Four star quality!
Love Cosmosis, lots of fun, I used a #4 stopper, after that reach up and squeeze in a #1 Camalot, clip the old angle piton, get up into more vert. climbing, place a yellow Alien, and then gun it to the anchors, (one can also get a solid #2 Camalot placement in the handcrack up top). Yes is very nice. I rate it 5.9**** (super fun).
Small wires protect the crux, however, it can be a bit heady making the move to the good finger jams above. Good gear placements throughout the entire route. Similar to Curving Crack but harder, not as sustained as West Face to the right. Rp's to a #3 camalot, concentrate on small/medium cams. The crux felt 5.10a with sections of 5.9 throughout the climb.
By Christina kalb From: Fort Collins, CO Aug 25, 2008 rating: 5.10a/b
Good route. If you have small hands, watch out...the top section becomes an off-hands, not quite fists crack. Small gear at the bottom.
Bell Buttress - Main Crag
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