Boulder Falls is open to tourists but the slope and approach to Lower Dream Canyon remains closed until further notice.
This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
Lots of excellent 5.10 and 5.11 sport climbs have been established here over the past few years, mostly by Bob D'Antonio and Vaino Kodas. A few routes require some supplementary gear in addition to the bolts, so be sure to check the route description before you head up a climb with just quickdraws.
Bring a 60m rope; there was a serious lowering accident here in 2004 when a belayer let the end of the rope slip through his belay device, and the leader fell 25' to the ground and suffered serious injuries.
There are also a few trad climbs and runout bolted climbs established many years ago by Jim Erickson, Dan Hare, and others, but these are seldom climbed today.
Getting There
From the intersection of Broadway and Colorado 119 in Boulder, follow Colorado 119 west towards the town of Nederland. About eight miles up the Canyon turn left into a large parking area for Boulder Falls.
From the Boulder Falls "trail" walk in on the 'tourist path' until you nearly come to a park bench. Switchback to the left between some caged rocks and a tree. Switchback again to the right on top of the rocks. Above you is a second set of caged rocks - pass these on the left (south) end, or climb over. From here, angle up and right on a faint path. There were some small cairns leading the way on 7/12/03. You are aiming for a small 'tunnel' near a dead tree that is, again, up and right from the caged rocks.
Pass through the tunnel and hike steeply down the other side, heading to the water's edge, and follow a path upstream to a boulder jumble. The Plotinus Wall should be clearly visible uphill at 11:00, and the Wall of Winter Warmth at about 1:00, across the creek.
Head up through the boulders to the bottom of the wall, just below the bolted slab, "The Scientist".
Routes
Per Greg Hand: beginning with the route farthest up the hill (Left).
My Buddy 10b/c (start with Bedtime Story, then branch left) Bedtime Story 10b Sleepless Child 9 (all gear, 1980) follow crack thru tree Morpheus 11c - Long, right-facing corner Wake Up Call 10b Snooze Button 10b Chore Boy 10b/c (shares 1st bolt with Snooze) Smell the Coffee 10a The Daily Grind 10d Caffeine Buzz 8 (2nd pitch for Smell the Coffee or Daily Grind) Napster 10c (4 bolts along flake) Something Obscure 10- (1975 crack, Erickson) Tooth Fairy 11c Mr. Sandman 10c (behind tree) Golden Slumber 10d Sleepless in Boulder 11a/b The Art of Dreaming 12b/c (rising traverse right) The Bobsled 12a War on Freedom, 13 Lucky Strikes 12b Big, inside corner Old bolt route right of corner - 11a?
The following routes are around to the right on a ledge overlooking the creek:
Boulder Quartz System 12a/b Tooth and Nail 11a/b (same start as Counting Sheep, then left) Counting Sheep 11b Sominex 11a/b (start with crack or scramble to ledge from right) Sleep Deprivation 10c (start with crack or scramble to ledge from right)
Below the ledge is one route:
I Have a Dream 11a 4 bolts
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Plotinus Wall:
This is a three star route that takes a direct line up the beautiful clean slab just left of "Rama" on the Plotinus Wall. Clip the first bolt and make a nice move up to the second bolt. Make a difficult move past the second bolt, then a another dicey move to reach the crack. Place the Aliens and move up over a small roof. Follow the line of bolts up the clean face to a two-bolt anchor. One of the best slab pitches in the canyon. ...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
This place is magnificent,Plotinus and Wall W.W... but whats the deal? Is there any other approach besides the obvious tresspass above Boulder Falls Trail? And what's the status of the rocks themself?
I have a suggestion for the Plotinus wall. If someone could put together a topo showing the routes from left to right with names and grades, they would be a lot easier to locate. The descriptions currently refer to an adjacent route which often refers to another adjacent route, and so on, making it harder to figure out what's what. How about it, Bob?
In response to Peter's request for ordering the routes, I have tried to to that. Thanks to Vaino for some of the info.
Plotinus Wall routes Left to Right Beginning with the route farthest up the hill (Left).
My Buddy 10b/c * (start with Bedtime Story, then branch left) Bedtime Story 10b ** Sleepless Child 9 (all gear, 1980) follow crack thru tree Morpheus 11c ** - Long right-facing corner Wake Up Call 10b ** Snooze Button 10b *** Chore Boy 10b/c ** (shares 1st bolt with Snooze) Smell the Coffee 10a ** The Daily Grind 10d * Caffeine Buzz 8 * (2nd pitch for Smell the Coffee or Daily Grind) Napster 10c * (4 bolts along flake) Something Obscure 10- (1975 crack, Erickson) Tooth Fairy 11c ** Mr. Sandman 10c ** (behind tree) Golden Slumber 10d ** Sleepless in Boulder 11a/b ** The Art of Dreaming 12b/c ** (rising traverse right) The Bobsled 12a ** Project Lucky Strikes 12b ** Big inside corner Old bolt route right of corner - 11a?
The following routes are around to the right on a ledge overlooking the creek:
Boulder Quartz System 12a/b ** Tooth and Nail 11a/b ** (same start as Counting Sheep, then left) Counting Sheep 11b * Sominex 11a/b * (start with crack or scramble to ledge from right) Sleep Deprivation 10c * (start with crack or scramble to ledge from right)
Tried to climb here on 6/28/08, the trail from Boulder Falls is closed citing that it is private property. Any other way in besides hiking all the way down from Upper Dream?
Just hiked to Plotinus from Upper Dream b/c Boulder Falls is still closed. Kind of a 3-hour nightmare tromp through the woods and various wrong gullies, but the following should help the next poor soul.
From the UD parking lot find the emergency phone. 20 feet southwest of that is an 8x8 post about 12 feet high. Line up the emergency phone pole and the post and walk along that line across a field towards a private property sign nailed to a tree. Find a faint trail about 10 or 15 feet into the trees on the right (west) side of the private property sign. Follow that trail skirting on the edge of private property signs (and always within view of houses) down a small gully and then back up the other side. The trail will become undefined as you hike back up out of the gully. Continue walking south/southwest until you hit a 4 foot high wooden slat fence making sure too keep the private property signs to the east. Go right (west) to the end of the fence (presumably the end of the private property). Go around the end and follow a faint trail south into a steep, loose, crappy gully. Scramble down said crappy gully several hundred meters until you hit a series of ledges. If the ledges are wet, you may want to go to climber's left and try downclimbing a corner (low 5th) for about 20 feet. Scramble down more scree to the river, find some logs across, and then hike up to Plotinus. I would expect at least 30-45 minutes for the approach and longer for the return. In my opinion, the trip isn't worth the trouble, but there it is.
Incidentally, I have no idea if any or all of this route is on private property, but judging from the private property signs that are always east of the route I think it is on public property. If it is private, let me know and I will remove this post.
Pants and RI sweatshirt accidentally left at base of Plotinus Wall. Someone took them. You know who you are. Please return them. Email me at robsmithers16@yahoo.com
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