Colorado
> Golden
> Clear Creek Canyon
This compact crag features two distinct walls: the slabby west-face with two enjoyable mixed lines, and a slightly-overhanging north-facing wall with four challenging lines. The north wall is covered in exfoliating dinner-plate flakes that offer intermittent incut jugs. Where flakes are lacking, the wall is virtually blank, resulting in boulder climbing between taxing rest stancing. The west wall is laced with discontinuous crack systems and 1-pad-deep edges that make for fun, entertaining moderates.
Most climbers will want to visit this crag during baseball season (say, early April through late October) to take advantage of the shade. That said, the west wall can be nice and toasty on sunny winter afternoons, and the north wall seems to be relatively sheltered from the wind, making it a viable cold-weather option for those in search of “sending temps.”
NOTE: The proper name for this crag is unknown. "AAA Crag" is used here as a placeholder until the proper name is determined. Routes L -> R: North Face:
1.
Albuquerque Isotopes, 5.13, 40', 4 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.
2.
Unknown 1, 5.11+, 40', 5 bolts, 2 bolt anchor (begins on #1, traverse right, finishes on #3, shares anchor with #3).
3.
Rusty Bridges, 5.13+, 40', 5 bolts, 2 bolt anchor (shares last bolt and anchor with #4).
4.
AAA, 5.11-, 40', 5 bolts, 2 bolt anchor (shares last bolt and anchor with #3).
West Face:
5.
Unknown 2, 5.10, 40', 3 bolts + gear, 2 bolt anchor (shared with #6).
6.
Unknown 3, 5.10, 40', 2 bolts + gear, 2 bolt anchor (shared with #5).
This crag is located directly across the canyon from
New Hipster Rock (just upstream from Tunnel 1, and a few hundred yards downstream from the Ghost Crag). There is no approach trail, so once across the river, follow your nose for about 10 minutes up the steep (and sometimes loose) hillside to the crag.
Boulder, CO