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Edge of Reality
5.12b YDS 7b French 26 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 26 ZA E5 6b British R
Avg: 1.5 from 13
votes
Early Access
Routes in The Bihedral (Upper Tier)
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A Fly in the Ointment T,S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Acid Crack T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Acid Rock T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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AHR S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a |
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Backdoor Slider S 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c |
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Bihedral T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Bihedral (Upper Tier) | 9914, The T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a |
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Bihedral Arete T,S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Blood Diamond S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Crack Variation T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Dan's Line S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Daydreaming T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Diamonds and Rust S 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Dihedral Variation T,S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Edge of Reality S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b R |
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Fat Tuesday T,S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b |
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Flags of Our Fathers T,S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Flesh Eating Flies S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Group Therapy S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Hesitantly Decisive T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Heterohedral T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
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High Hard One S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Hold The Line S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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It's Time For Change T,S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Just Putin Around T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
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Left-Handed Tool T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Night Moves T,S 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Oh Boy T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Pariah S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Puff Daddy S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Rhodian Shores S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Rhodian, Naturally T,TR 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c R |
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Sands of Iwo Jima S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Sun Spot T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Thumb Tack T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Tool King T,S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Trick or Treat T,S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Where's Ray? S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
| Type: | Sport, 60 ft (18 m) |
| GPS: | 40.0035, -105.3964 |
| FA: | Dan Hare & Rob Stanley, 1997 |
| Page Views: | 2,703 total · 9/month |
| Shared By: | Tony B on May 17, 2003 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Access Issue: Seasonal raptor closures for 2026 - Bitty Buttress, Blob, East Blob, Security Risk - open. Eagle Rock, Vampire, Black Widow Slab - closed.
Details
The USFS closed Blob, E Blob, Security, Bitty, Vampire, and Black Widow through 7/31/26.
5/19/25 Eagle Rock opened. 3/14/25: Bitty Buttress, Blob, & SR reopened.
2/3/25. Bitty Buttress, Blob, Eagle Rock &, Security Risk closed for raptors.
FS (3/27/24): Eagle Rock & Security Risk are now open!
2/1/24: W. McCurry: USFS annual closures in Boulder Canyon as of 2/1/24 - Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, Eagle Rock, Security Risk.
W. McCurry: 2/10/23 Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security Risk opened. Eagle Rock is closed - info: fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/news….
W. McCurry, NFS, Arap./Roo. NF: USFS began annual closures in BC 2/1/23. The closures: Eagle, Blob, Bitty Buttress, & Security.
Through 7/31/23, the closures protect 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 re: giving 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 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.
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.
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….
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.
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.
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 marked as route #2 in Rossiter's Bihedral section of the Boulder Canyon book. Standing near the base of the Bihedral dihedral or Bihedral Arete, look left past the Heterohedral to a tower-like buttress that creates the vertical horizon. The edge of this is the route at hand. Scoot over to this by walking left on the big ledge, then scrambling up and over on a thin ledge system (4th class, but leave your pack at the base and put on your shoes beforehand if you want to feel good about it) and then to the base of the climb. Belay between a nasty bush and the wall.
The first clip is good, which is misleading. The second clip is nasty -- you have a choice between a huge reach off of a wrist-wrenching, finger-pumping undercling (I'm 5'10" and have ape-like arms and this was really pushing it) or doing a 5.11 move with bad feet to a slick hold to clip from. Either way, the clip sucks and I don't know why it was placed where it was. The next few moves are the crux, on bad hands and feet. Proceeding upwards, you will see more evidence of the botched bolting job including a sleeve with no bolt, two bolts 2 feet apart, etc... All remaining bolts look good though. Some holds were releasing crystals of rock under hand and foot. Up near the top the thank-god hold is covered in reeking bird crap.
I'll finish with the disclaimer that I hung on this route several times, and grabbed a sling to clip up high on it (4th or 5th?) in case that affects your interpretation of my description of this route. In my subjective pont of view, even though I had hung on it, I'd still be able to call it good if it had been -- it just wasn't. Most of the pump came from the second clip, not the moves, and most of the fall potential from a few slippery or crumbling holds, not from difficulty of the moves. My partner (who can climb at that level) declined to even try the route. I do admit that a better climber than I would have flashed it, but after seeing it, probably wouldn't have bothered.
On the way down I cleaned it in so much as possible with my bare hands. Hopefully this will have improved the route.
Protection
A set [6] of draws.
Per Bruce Hildenbrand: Dale Haas and I replaced the coldshut as one of the anchors with a Fixe ring hanger. This now makes two Fixe ring hangers at the anchor.
Per Mark Rolofson: this is only R rated if you don't bring any gear. RPs (BD steel nuts) and/or small Aliens can be placed above the ledge to protect the moderate climbing leading to the anchor.
3 Comments