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Seal Rock Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 7,228 ft | 2,203 m |
| GPS: |
39.9683, -105.288 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 158,741 total · 486/month | |
| Shared By: | Orphaned User on Nov 29, 1999 · Updates | |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: 2024 Crag Closures & Temporary Trail and Raptor Closures
Details
See: bouldercolorado.gov/service….
Click here for the trail closures. Some are M-F, some are 24/7. These impact the Bear Canyon/Fern Canyon regions primarily:
flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…
Click here bouldercolorado.gov/service… for the latest in raptor closures.
Description
Seal Rock is one of the most visible Flatirons from Boulder with its distinctive yellow-and-orange north face. High on the south side of Bear Canyon, this rock offers east face slab classics, long, steep sport routes up to 5.14 on its radically overhanging south face and multi-pitch trad and sport climbs on its north face like the three-pitch Sea of Joy and a scary trad proposition, Archaeopteryx.
Per Jonah S: the Boulder Climbing Community (BCC) maintains a WAG Bag station on the approach to Seal Rock to help climbers pack out human waste. You can help fund this work here, contribute specifically to the WAG Bag Fund here, or volunteer with the BCC here.
Getting There
Follow the Mesa Trail south from its junction with the lower Bear Canyon Trail, passing the two sharp switchbacks that enclose the Bongo Boulder en route to the top of Radio Tower hill. Fifty yards past the turnoff for the Bear Canyon Trail, which heads west into the canyon, notice a small trail cutting up and right (west) into the trees. This unsigned trail is the Harmon Cave Trail, which takes you past the gated-up Harmon Cave and switchbacks up a steep hill to the south en route to the base of Seal Rock. At the base of the steep final section, stay left for the south face routes or go right to the north face.
Per Peter Beal with FCC: the best and shortest approach to Seal Rock is from the Devil's Thumb Access trailhead on Bear Mountain Drive. From the access trail, join the NCAR Bear Canyon trail to the Mesa Trail, and then turn off onto to the Harmon Cave Trail to go to Seal Rock. This trail will take you to the fork junction for South Seal or East/North Seal. Approaching via Cragmoor is longer and strongly discouraged by OSMP (apparently this goes through a bird ban area).
Getting Off
Addendum: There are at least 3 ways to get off this crag from the summit. 1) You can downclimb Shortcut, 5.4. 2) You can do a 50m rappel Sea of Joy's anchor bolts (40 feet East of the summit) on the North face. Note, the rope can get stuck on the pull. 3) Supposedly, you can downclimb 40 feet to the West, then go down a ramp to the Southeast, and then rap 135 feet from an eyebolt.
Classic Climbing Routes at Seal Rock
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