Fred hanging in there through the final crack at t...
Description
This route is anything but "just another" climb... it is wild and spectacular and ascends the overhanging north face of the Slab.
Just Another Boys Climb is the left-most route on the north face of the Slab. The obscure trail from Fern Canyon leads up to the base of Boys with Power Toys, and Boy's Climb is just a few yards left of that.
Pitch 1: Head up the dark low-angled slab past 3 bolts, 5.9. This pitch would be a little sporty for a 5.9 leader, but the bolts can be supplemented with nuts or small cams if needed. Belay at the two-bolt anchor under a roof.
Pitch 2: From the 2-bolt anchor, move initially left, clip a hard to reach bolt, pull over the roof (awkward 5.10+), then fire up the continuously overhung face past numerous bolts. The climbing is sustained with lots of 10+ or 11- moves, and with distinctly harder moves at the 4th and 6th (crux) bolts. The crux section, just below the roof crack, involves delicate footwork, underclinging, and liebacks. You will then arrive at a big jug at the diagonal crack under a roof, and can clip a pin there. If you are pumped at this point (I sure was), then move as quickly as possible right along the crack to the anchor. This 20 or 25 feet of crack is only 5.10, but it can feel much harder with the pump factor (a friend of mine cruised the whole thing on his second try and fell right at the end before getting the final clip). There are two fixed pins along the way and small cams can also be useful too. I believe a single rappel with a 60 meter rope can get you to the ground but be careful, it's close.
This is one of my favorite climbs in Boulder and one of the pumpiest routes I can think of anywhere at the grade. It ascends a stunning and exposed line up an aesthetic water streak in an awesome setting.... have fun!
Protection
Bring quickdraws (at least 8 needed for the 2nd pitch), plus extra biners or draws to anchor or lower off. Also, one each of #1, #1.5, and #2 Friend-sized pieces are useful for the final crack of the second pitch.
Great route! I don't know about the finishing crack being 5.10... as pumped as I was after the bolted section, it felt like 5.11. After onsighting through the bolted section, I pumped out here. Its definitely not 5.10 in the sense of the finish to a hard sport climb being "just 5.10", so you can run it out to the anchors. The gear is critical, and Steve's gear list is more accurate than the Rossiter guide. It's hard and kind of in-your-face, and you are way pumped after pulling the "crux" at the last bolt.
Great route Fred! What an amazing find! From the ground you can't see any of the jugs, or the crack at the top, and yet this route is sustained and continuous with a very distinct crux at the last bolt. Hand traversing across and up the steep crack was awesome. 3 stars for sure.
I'll agree with the other posters about the pump-factor, but if you get the feet right, you can get a bit of a rest at the bottom of the final crack. Not much rest, but maybe enough to fire on up to the anchors.
The Slab
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