PRINT: Rock Climb Beaver Fever, Boulder Canyon

Beaver Fever

5.12a, Sport,

Avg: 1.7 from 6 votes
FA: Chris Alber, 1999
Colorado > Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Sport Park > Clock Tower > Upper Wall

Access Issue: Seasonal Closures 2024 - Bitty Buttress, Blob (Eagle Rock & Security Risk now open!) Details

FS (3/27/24): Eagle Rock & Security Risk are now open!

2/1/24: W. McCurry: to protect nesting golden eagles, U.S. FS annual area closures in Boulder Canyon beginning 2/1/24 - Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, Eagle Rock, Security Risk.

USFS lifted closures 7/26/23.

From W. McCurry: 2/10/23 Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security Risk opened. Eagle Rock stayed closed - info: fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news….

W. McCurry, NFS, Arap./Roo. NF: USFS began annual area closures in BC 2/1/23. The closures were Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security.

Through 7/31/23, the closures protect a long-established golden eagle nesting territory. Happy Hour, Bihedral & Riviera will remain open as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.

The Boulder Ranger District with BCC monitors nesting progress & informs climbers about giving the eagles space to raise young.

Fed. & state laws prohibit disturbing any nesting bird of prey. Visitors help protect wildlife by respecting closures. Signs are posted at key access pts into the closed areas. Closure info: fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/eagles.

K. Armstrong, Public Affairs Specialist, Nat'l Forest Service: as of 6/8/21: BC areas reopen after unsuccessful nesting.

K. Armstrong, NF Ranger 7/29/20:

Following a 5 mo. closure to protect nesting eagles, the Roosevelt NF has reopened Eagle Rock.

“The BC eagles successfully raised 1 strong & healthy eaglet this year,” wildlife biologist Aurelia DeNasha, USDA FS. “2 chicks hatched initially, only 1 survived to fledge, which isn’t uncommon in birds of prey.”

Visits to the nest did not reveal the exact cause of death of the 2nd chick, but climber cooperation with closures are crucial to the eagles.

“Golden eagle pairs are most susceptible to disturbance when choosing a nest. These closures allow the birds to pick the best site for survival without impact of other factors, such as human presence. Once chosen, nest sites stays closed until the eagles fledge in late July,” said DeNasha.

After the eagles’ site selection was made, unused areas opened in Apr.

The annual nesting closures include popular rock climbing spots at Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security.

Effective through 7/31/20, the closures protect a long-established golden eagle nesting territory. Happy Hour, Bihedral & Riviera remain open as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.

The Boulder Ranger District partners with BCC & AF to monitor nesting progress and to inform climbers about the importance of giving the eagles space to raise their young.

It is against federal & state law to disturb any nesting bird of prey. Only employees, volunteers, & wildlife professionals under an agreement with the FS enter nesting areas for monitoring purposes. This is for the integrity of nest & the safety of the eagles, those conducting surveys, & the public. Visitors help protect wildlife by respecting all closures & leaving immediately if you should accidentally enter one.

For the most current closure information, check signs in the areas, call the Boulder Ranger District office @ 303-541-2500, or visit local climbing websites or fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/rec….

As of 4/21/20, Blob Rock, East Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, & Security Risk are open. Eagle Rock stays closed until 7/31/2020 confirmed with Matt Henry, Rec Prog Mgr, FS.

From K. Armstrong, FS Pub Aff, katherine.armstrong@usda.gov, 970-222-7607: 3/20/19, Blob, East Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security are open. Eagle stays closed to climbing & other activities through 7/31/19.

The Boulder Ranger District partners with BCC & AF to monitor nesting progress & to inform climbers.

See - fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/rec….

Perennial notice:
Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security will close 2/1 - 7/31 for nesting. Depending on updated information, the closure time can be shortened/lengthened.

Each year, BC raptor nesting area closures are in effect starting 2/1 through 7/31 at Eagle, Security, Blob, & Bitty Buttress. The area is monitored & closures are periodically lifted early (due to no active nest, nest site failure, or early fledging). This monitoring program is a partnership with the FS Boulder Ranger District, BCC, & Audubon Society. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates. More info at fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/rec…

Description

This route is located on the Upper Wall of the Clock Tower on the left-hand side. It is the three-bolt direct start to Leave It to Beaver. Leave It to Beaver is the third climb from the left on the Upper Wall of the Clock Tower.

Scramble up some easy rock to a ledge, then follow pockets and underclings to a left-facing dihedral/flake. Rolofson's guidebook gives the climb 12c, but this must be a misprint. The climb is closer to 11a than 12c and is not much harder than The Other One.

Protection

6 bolts and 2 bolt anchor.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Anonymous Coward

There seems to be a dispute here to how hard this route is: 12c vs. 11a. Quite a difference. Is one person trying to sandbag or is the other person looking for an ego stroke. So, how hard does this route feel? Is it similar in difficulty to 12c's such as Rifle's "Pretty Hate Machine", or Shelf Road's "Surreal Estate", or Boulder Canyon's "Gyro Captain". The first ascentionists put a grade on the route. Doesn't mean you can't disagree with them. They may even disagree with themselves if they did the route again. Aug 20, 2002

Elijah Flenner
Fort Collins, CO

5.11

I believe that 11a might be a little sandbagged for sport climbing in Boulder Canyon. I have not climbed any of the routes you mentioned above, but the day I did the route, my wife and a friend also did the route. My wife, Michelle, has never climbed a 5.11c, let alone 12c. She fell once, and that was past the crux. My friend, Ryan, did not fall at all, and at the time he had to make 12a projects. We all thought this route was 5.11. I thought it was about the same grade as The Joker at Easter Rock, which I had done the week before I did Beaver Fever. As with any rating, peoples opionion will be different, and it should not be left up to one person. Maybe other people will put in thier two cents and we can get a consensus. I am not trying to sandbag, but it might come naturally. Aug 21, 2002

Elijah Flenner
Fort Collins, CO

5.11

No where close to the difficulty of Gyro Captain. Jan 20, 2003

5.11d

Softest graded climb I've done in BoCan. The "12c" part isn't even as hard as the upper part, which is the 11d crux of Leave it to Beaver. Decent route, nonetheless. Jul 21, 2005

Peter Hunt

5.12b

I also don't believe the people who rated this 5.11 were on route. The first bolt on Leave it to Beaver is a bit right of the easiest line and might look like a direct start. Oct 4, 2008

brain damage

5.12a/b

I think there are 2 variations to this climb. The one that goes out left is pretty easy. Then there's one that is directly under the bolts, I had to use a sloper and lay back to swing to a big jug. This was the hardest part of the climb. Hardest climbing I have done. I give it a 12a/b and 4 stars (my style of climbing). Jul 13, 2010

Charles Cundiff

5.11d

Four weeks out from hand surgery! Yeah it's no 12c, but it probably adds a letter grade to the difficulty of the route overall. 5.11d would be a good grade for this route anywhere. Oct 17, 2010

Mark Rolofson

5.12c

Wow! I never thought I'd see the direct start be rated 5.11 or even .11d. Are you sure you were on the correct route? Leave It To Beaver has a high 1st bolt that must be climbed up to from the left, above the starting ledge. This is followed by a hand traverse right past 2nd bolt to reach a small, left-facing corner. Beaver Fever is the 3 bolt direct start just right of Leave It To Beaver & just left of Mutant Overload (the black streak). It can either be done to start Leave It To Beaver or Mutant Overload. The line Beaver Fever is the 5.12 direct start to the former, but it can be done to make the latter harder for a 12d/13a called Beaver Overload. I usually preclip the 2nd bolt to avoid a ledgefall. There is a jug hueco to start then to poor sloping small edge & a small undercling flake to match on, & then reach to a good jug pocket. At 3rd bolt, the climb moves up left into the corner. One of hardest moves on the Clock Tower with the exception of Salad Shooter. I can't always do it especially when it's warm. Perhaps it is easier for shorter climbers. To say that The Joker at Easter Rock is harder is a joke. I've warmed up on The Joker many times. It's a hard warm-up & certainly has strange, funky moves but nothing as hard as the show stopper Beaver Fever. I first tried this start in 1999. I finally did it in Fall 2001. That was a good year. I had finally redpointed Buddha Belly, then Pump Truck, to mention a couple of the nearly 100 climbs of .12a or harder I sent that year. I redpointed Beaver Overload in 2006, then did Ten Digit Dialing (.12c) in Clear Creek. In 2007, I repeated many hard routes including Ten Digit & Mutant Overload & also did the first redpoint of War On Freedom (.13a/b) at Plotinus Wall but failed to repeat Beaver Fever. To answer the Anonymous Coward, it has been a very long time since I climbed Surreal Estate at Shelf Road, but it seemed harder than any single move on that route. Jul 19, 2015