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Sofa Kingdom

5.9+, Sport, 90 ft (27 m),  Avg: 2.5 from 159 votes
FA: Mark Rolofson and Ray Barrow, July 12, 1998
Colorado > Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Mine Hole Crag
Warning Access Issue: Seasonal raptor closures for 2026 - Bitty Buttress, Blob, East Blob, Security Risk - open. Eagle Rock, Vampire, Black Widow Slab - closed. DetailsDrop down

Description

30 feet to the right of the mine tunnel is a near vertical slab. The slab is fully bolted with a small belay ledge at its base. There's a short scramble to the ledge. With bolts every seven or so feet, the route is fully protected. Fun slab climbing with holds just where you want them. I found the crux to be between the 5th an 6th bolts (I think), requiring a mantle off a small ledge to a blind reach overhead, landing me, thankfully, in a 3-finger sinker pocket. The Rolofson book says the route is a 5.10, but he may not fully recall the route. I thought is was more on the 5.9 side. Either way, it's worth a visit while climbing at Animal World or the Boulderado.

Protection

7 bolts and a 2 bolt anchor with Mussy hooks. You can use an optional #1 Camalot to start.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Easter Sunday, crystal clear sky, late afternoon sun.
[Hide Photo] Easter Sunday, crystal clear sky, late afternoon sun.
Easter Sunday, no one around.
[Hide Photo] Easter Sunday, no one around.
Taken from directly below route on 5/19/02.
[Hide Photo] Taken from directly below route on 5/19/02.
Marga nearing the top of the route.
[Hide Photo] Marga nearing the top of the route.
Andrei Dorembaum, getting ready to rap.
[Hide Photo] Andrei Dorembaum, getting ready to rap.
Wu firing up Sofa Kingdom on a spectacular June Day.
[Hide Photo] Wu firing up Sofa Kingdom on a spectacular June Day.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Michael Walker
Loveland, CO
[Hide Comment] I think if you hesitate you'll find this harder; fiddling around mid-sequence burns energy. If you go with the flow (will the hold to be at your reach) you'll find the crux 9+. Fight it and it will seem 10a.

This is a sunny climb in the afternoon on a surprising slab. One last thing: if you want to make the first clip (which does involve a move over exposure up onto the slab) extra safe, it is possible to throw in some pro in a hand sized crack before the face. I used a red BD hex and felt glad all over. Nov 13, 2001
[Hide Comment] This route is very nice and worth doing, but no way is it 5.10-, even by Boulder Cyn standards. 5.8 at the most, and easier and safer than virtually *any* 5.8 than I can think of in Eldo. Getting started is a bit weird, though, and I agree that a 1-2" piece has a calming effect. May 19, 2002
[Hide Comment] I concur with Ray's comment. Did this route today and it felt like 5.9 for the Canyon - no harder. The bolts might be a bit reachy for the more vertically challenged, but the climbing is not 5.10. Compared to Eldo, this is probably 5.7.

Great route though! Beware of loose rock and the potential for a nasty tumble getting to the first bolt! May 19, 2002
Tonya Clement
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Oh yeah, great climb. It clearly is not 5.10, and I know this because I still struggle on many 5.9 routes, and this was pure joy.! The only reason I would give it a 5.9 is because, like mentioned above, you can get psyched out if you don't just keep moving. I must say, there are places where, being short, I had an intermediate move before the bolt. Those moments made it slightly challenging. Oh, we dabbled with starting left, center and right of the line of the first bolt off the belay ledge...and each start was fun and unique. The route is in the shade most of the morning. Jun 28, 2003
Jake Wyatt
Longmont, CO
[Hide Comment] Pretty solid rock, and fun enough moves, but probably more likely in the 5.7 to 5.8 range. Feb 21, 2004
Ben
  5.8-
[Hide Comment] A couple of things: As others have pointed out, this route is not 5.10. I've taken first time climbers on this, and they've gotten up it fine on TR. 5.8 at the most but still a very fun climb. A couple of saftey precautions: be very mindful of loose rocks both on the approach and around the belay station. Also, if you decide to rap off the route to save wear and tear on your rope from the awful sloping ledge before the last bolt, be sure not to toss your rope anywhere near the nasty pine tree with lots of small dead branches that stands just to the left of the climb. It can really eat up your rope and may reqiure some toproped, licheny, 5.10 fingercracking to untangle said rope from said tree. And the mine hole is not a bathroom! May 19, 2004
George Bell
Boulder, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] This is not 5.10, although it might be a bit height dependent. At the start, it's easier to come in from the right before clipping the first bolt. A 60m is plenty for lowering off, I think a 50m would be fine. Sep 20, 2004
[Hide Comment] I agree that this is not 5.10. More like 5.8 with perhaps one move of 5.9.

I guess if one would limit onself to following the bolt line directly it may be harder than if you reach left and right for the obvious holds. But then, it would be way contrived....

Anyway, fun route to do, particularly if you are lost looking for the Animal Crag and stumble upon it.

WT Sep 20, 2004
[Hide Comment] Bob, funny you should bring that up...

I guess we are so used to 5 mile approaches that we did not bother to look for directions until we noticed that we were running out of climbable rocks as we hiked up the side of the hill.

WT Sep 21, 2004
George Bell
Boulder, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] I like the Gerry Roach Maxim: "One must go the wrong way at least some of the time." Sep 21, 2004
Jason Haas
Broomfield, CO
[Hide Comment] This can easily and safely be lead on gear. Most bolts are placed directly next to gear placements. Apr 25, 2006
Eric Brehm
Boulder, CO
  5.9
[Hide Comment] We ended up at this crag when trying to find Animal World also. The problem is that the approach to Animal World involves an easterly traverse along the sloping terrace just above the Boulderado, with some scrambling and a couple of slightly exposed spots. Since we were expecting more of a 'trail' to Animal World, this didn't seem quite right, so we left the terrace to head further uphill and bumped into Mine Hole Crag before we realized the error. Nov 2, 2007
Eric Brehm
Boulder, CO
  5.9
[Hide Comment] This is a nice route on mostly solid rock (one suspect flake near second bolt). We approached the first bolt on the face from the right, up a wide slot and then along a left-angling, hand-sized crack where protection can be placed. Walking the feet up this crack, with good handholds available above, seems easiest.

Rolofson's original intention for this route may have been to take a direct line right next to the fourth bolt, which looks rather difficult and would explain his 5.10 rating. We bypassed this by stepping right a couple of feet, to reach good handholds near a thin crack with a bush in it, then stepping back left. Just above this is the technical crux, the mantle-shelf maneuver to the Thank God finger pocket mentioned in the route intro (5.9-ish).

With a 60m rope you can lower all the way back to the ground; no need to scramble up to the exposed belay ledge 10 feet off the ground to start the climb. Nov 9, 2007
[Hide Comment] Just did this a couple of hours ago. Very fun face climbing, but I want to highlight there's a loose block precariously at the top to the left of the anchors. I could tell that if someone pulls on it lay-back style they will dislodge it and put the belayer in danger. I put a big chalk X on it, but that won't last long. Sep 6, 2013
Eliot Augusto
Lafayette, CO
[Hide Comment] Chalk X not there. The rock still is. I don't think anyone who looks at where they are climbing is going to use it as a hold. Feb 28, 2014
Emil Briggs
  5.9
[Hide Comment] I suspect that the folks calling this 5.7 or barely 5.8 are either on the tall side or climbed off to the left or right of the bolt line. That being said, I don't think it's 5.10, and my daughter who is 5'1" agrees. Would have been a lot more interesting as a mixed line and quite safe with 1 or 2 bolts. Aug 2, 2014
Andres Fernandez
Boulder, CO
  5.10
[Hide Comment] Direct line on this is 5.10a. Old style ratings then a 5.9 to 5.9+. Very well-protected except the first bolt is a little high. Better to come from the right or use a clip stick.

Gets a lot of sun in February. Feb 21, 2016
[Hide Comment] If you're at all unsure about leading this, bring a #1 Camalot getting to the 1st bolt. Mar 13, 2016
Mike D
Boulder, CO
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] Easily the best route we did on this crag today. Fun moves and pretty much engaging the whole way up.

I'm not sure I can split the hair between .9+ and .10a on this one. There were a couple of moves that felt like .10a the way I did them, but I don't know that I chose the easiest line. I tend to stick the bolt line as close as possible, assuming that this was the first ascensionist's intention. Oct 20, 2018
MikeH
 
[Hide Comment] Definitely just above 5.10 for two moves. This not a classic line so there is no need to maintain sandbagged ratings. Oct 19, 2021
Mark Rolofson
  5.10a/b
[Hide Comment] I originally called this route 5.10 in 1998. In my last guidebook to the area 'Boulder Canyon Sport and Adventure Climber's Guide - Volume 2 - The Upper Canyon' (2005), I rated it .10b. I'm sure it has cleaned up considering over the decades, and there is considerably less lichen. It probably feels much easier now.

We climbed it directly, staying on the bolt line. Feb 22, 2026
[Hide Comment] The BCC's Anchor Replacement Program volunteers updated all bolts with 1/2"x 4" SS "Team-Tough" Crossover bolts on 4/25/26. Hardware for this work was provided by ASCA - safeclimbing.org/. Please consider donating. If you would like to support more of this work or learn about the BCC's Anchor Replacement Program, please visit: boulderclimbers.org/bolt-re…. Apr 28, 2026