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E of East Slab East

5.7, Trad, TR,  Avg: 2.4 from 56 votes
FA: some soloist probably
Colorado > Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Dome
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Description

This is an alternative to the oft-crowded East Slab. Also completely independent, unlike East of the Sun and East Slab East, so you won't feel like you are encroaching upon those on the East Slab. It is to the right of East Slab, aim for the black streak.

Start at the upper/easier start to East Slab up easy terrain to a right-angling finger crack. Place pro, perhaps Alien(s) too and move up and right. Pay attention to where the foot holds are or you will have to smear. Move up and left into a groove with a bucket. Then up and left up a ramp. Follow a short crack up. Now, you are near the black streak. Move up under the little overlap/roof. Here you can move left (easier) and pop over the overlap with a jug and easy left foot holds or move up and right (harder) up a hand crack and fire over the overlap/roof. Fire to the top. It is perhaps, 100 feet overall.

Now, you can catch a ride up the East Slab.

Protection

Standard rack to #3 Friend (#2 Camalot).

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Routes on The Dome:
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1. Prelude to King Kong.
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   Left finish: Left Edge.
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   Right finish: Gorilla's Delight.
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2. The Owl.
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3. Cozyhang.
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4. East of the Sun to East Slab.
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5. East Slab East.
[Hide Photo] Routes on The Dome: 1. Prelude to King Kong. Left finish: Left Edge. Right finish: Gorilla's Delight. 2. The Owl. 3. Cozyhang. 4. East of the Sun to East Slab. 5. East Slab East.
Could this be the finger crack?
[Hide Photo] Could this be the finger crack?

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] The finger crack is the 5.7 crux of the route, and you do have to smear a bit. The other 5.7 part is the right hand-jam exit, protected with a 2" cam.

A good variation to this route that greatly reduced rope drag is to get to the ramp and continue straight up via a series of right-facing flakes. This way is more sustained 5.6 (with less pro) but gets you directly to the black streak. The (harder) right exit ends with a sloping 3" crack, so don't be surprised. Great naturals for the top anchor, though. Sep 15, 2002
Scott Edlin
boulder, co
[Hide Comment] I started the direct start of East Slab, but when I pulled onto the upper slab and saw someone trying to toss topropes down the route, I cut right and followed the right leaning crack to the black streak and pulled the easy jug roof. This was 5.6 for the East Slab direct start and felt no harder than 5.5 for the rest. Jul 11, 2006
Sean Haney
  5.7 R
[Hide Comment] Seemed pretty runout through the slab section to me. Probably only 15ft to easy climbing, but then another 6ft to some tiny nut possibilities, then another 6 to a bomber #2 Camalot. Perhaps I was off route, but I went up what I thought was a reasonable line to the black streak. Also, I thought the crux was in the upper half of the slab (the runout section), rather than the finger crack down low, where I didn't feel that I was smearing. Sep 4, 2011
Arlo F Niederer
Colorado Springs, CO
  5.7
[Hide Comment] The crux is the finger crack trending right, with fingers in the crack and smearing on the face, above the drop off for a little excitement. But bomber pro here.

Didn't think the slab was runout...but I've been trad climbing for a long time.... Mar 17, 2012
Rob Baumgartner
Niwot
  5.7
[Hide Comment] I'm with Arlo. The fingercrack is the crux (I'd call it 5.7), and there was plenty of gear on the slab. Fun climb! Mar 20, 2012