PRINT: Rock Climb Jackson's Wall, Boulder Canyon

Jackson's Wall

5.6, Trad, 170 ft (52 m), 2 pitches,

Avg: 2.2 from 104 votes
FA: Dallas Jackson and Chuck Merley, 1953
Colorado > Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Castle Rock

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

Despite the poor review this climb gets in the Falcon guide, it is actually a surprisingly fun romp.

Pitch 1 begins as a wide chimney that can be done in a variety of ways. Gear placements are generally good in this section. Climb up and right at the start and negotiate some chockstone boulders in the ramp. Keep climbing once the terrain gets grassy. You will pass the bolts on the left (now chopped) that lead to Cussin' Crack. Eventually a wall will force you to traverse right and out. You'll find a large ledge with a two bolt anchor. This should be practically a full rope length with a 60m. Communication with your belayer will be next to impossible, so have some sort of signaling system worked out ahead of time.

P2 is where the fun starts. Above you will see a crack and a possible way left. Step up, and climb left, stemming over the delightfully airy dropoff. Then, move up the face, and find a slopey ledge. Climb up the ledge, and move left, placing only a small cam perhaps as you go. You'll end up on a large ledge that leads to the walkoff. Belay in any number of places that allows you to be above the traverse. Per Jade Gutierrez: see the photo of the route titled “Looking up at the south west face of Castle Rock, Jackson’s Wall outlined.

The descent is located on the side facing the road. Generally, it trends to the left of the trees you see on the way down. At the short crux downclimbing part, you can elect to rappel from a chain wrapped around a tree.

Protection

Rack up to a #4 Camalot, one set of nuts.

Per Ben Wiz: the anchors have been chopped.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Looking up at the south west face of Castle Rock, Jackson’s Wall outlined.

Looking down from the ledge to the bolted anchor belay at the start of P2.

An alternative start to the chimney.

Really fun route. Super exposed belay station. What a great day! Can't thank you enough, Gustavo, Chris, and Viv!

A ledge about 2 meters above the mouth of the chimney makes for a good belay to break P1 in half.

Working up the chimney that begins P1.

Kay after the crux traverse at the start of pitch 2, 06/21/2018.

The 2 bolt anchor at the top of the 1st pitch.

Looking southwest from the bolted belay.

The crux is located directly above the bolted belay. There is a convenient piton "protecting" the breathtaking traverse (and a 2nd slightly higher up above the crux).

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Cody Munger
Carson City, NV

5.6

A few notes:

I didn't like the looks of the chimney start for my beginner on the first pitch, so I opted for the slab to the right. I was able to place a stopper (which popped out) about 8 feet off the ground, and then I ran it out the rest of the way (about 25 feet from the ground). Good 5.6 s warm up for the 4th class hiking above.

Make sure you don't stop in the gully until you hit the double bolt chain anchor at the base of the crux pitch. Less pitches that way.

Be careful of rope drag on the crux pitch. I found I was zig zagging a lot looking for the easiest line. The 5.8 direct finish would have probably been less draggy (and more fun). But then I'd be hauling my 2nd up manually.

Fun route overall. Though I couldn't really see it, since I was doing an after work sunset race. Oct 5, 2005

Nate Stutzke

Two FEISTY ravens have built a large nest in the ramp just before you exit right at the top of the first pitch. Though it would have added some spice to the route, we opted not to challenge them. Apr 1, 2007

Girasol
Colorado Springs, CO

Only about 10 feet of rope remain (using a 60m) when finished belaying the leader up this fun climb. For my first real chimney, the start of Jackson's Wall was a challenge but fun to try to figure out (though not much rock suitable for pro placement) how to climb (you can also climb the face, but pro is very limited)! For the chimney, first face left, then half way up you have to turn around and face right, then move out on the face for a bit until you catch the crack up to the short traverse right to the rather obvious belay ledge. On P2 there are a couple of exposed moves you have to do, but relatively easy climbing. The second move after the ledge is a bit of a push up onto a ledge about 6" wide at most that is made by a rather sharp flake. You can try to do a foot jam in the flake while you pull yourself up, but I found this to be a bit awkward when trying to get my foot out at a sharp angle while pushing up onto the ledge. If you go left, you will find some footholds that will help you. The next move is a high step right up onto a narrow stone ridge-like flake that gives a lovely view between it and the main rock down to the road and water below. From there up it gets easier and less exposed. Nice variety of moves required. Relatively easy walk off the opposite side down to the left. Enjoy!
Girasol Sep 4, 2007

KeithRD

Weird route. The first pitch (or two as some people do it) is not very aesthetic or fun, at all. Once you reach the bolted belay, the climbing is steep and fun for the grade, but be very mindful of rope drag, unless of course you are fond of climbing one handed with a mouthful of slack just to manage the drag....

If you can, run it out a bit, it's much more enjoyable that way. Sep 20, 2007

Garrett Lodewyck
Edwards, CO

We broke this climb into four short pitches. This significantly reduces rope drag and makes communication a little easier. With a 50m rope stopping above the chimney at the obvious ledge is probably a better option then trying to stretch it all the way to the bolts anyway.

With the exposure above the bolted belay and the high potential for rope drag, I wouldn't recommend this route for beginning leaders. Lots of fun though! Sep 21, 2010

Rodger Raubach
Billings, MT

5.6

One of the easier climbs on Castle Rock; honest at 5.6. Biggest part is getting back down via North Face descent. Did this the 1st time in December 1961 while home from Army on leave. Icy nightmare getting down! Mar 12, 2011

Rogerlarock Mix
Nedsterdam, Colorado

Even though the book says to climb this in two pitches, I usually go in four. I do the slab start R of the chimney, then up to the gully. P2 goes up to the bolted belay. P3 is kinda a guide trick. I do the traverse around the roof, go up the corner to its top and belay right there. It's short but allows great communication between everyone and makes the last pitch a bit more pleasant for the leader.
Really a great route. Aug 29, 2012

Rodger Raubach
Billings, MT

5.6

It definitely makes more sense to break this up into 4 short leads to avoid awful rope drag. Also make communication easier if creek is running strong. May 16, 2013

Scot Hastings
Salt Lake City, UT

We climbed this on 6/20/13, and there was a nasty loose rock on the exposed traverse just above the bolted belay. It's marked with a couple white Xs, but they look to be fading. It's something you will want to grab if you're not paying attention, and there's a good chance it would hit your belayer or folks on the ground below. Be careful!

Other that that, we found this climb better than expected. The chimney start isn't particularly fun, but the rest of the route is quite nice. Jun 21, 2013

Jim6565 Brassell

I thought the chimney was rather straightforward. I have leather patches on my pants and used knee locks until I could stand on the rather comforting inside ledge. There were two places I could get small wires for decent protection. Jul 22, 2013

Ben Wiz
Boulder, Co

Just did this this weekend (actually the 5.9 varaiation that goes up the face to the same first belay spot). Wanted to mention that THE ANCHORS HAVE BEEN CHOPPED. Either that, or I was way way off route, but there is a obvious ledge after the chimney that would be a nice belay station where you can see that 3 anchors/bolts have been chopped. Just so you know. Jul 13, 2015

rien WaNderlust
Nederland

All in all, this climb turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. For sure, it was the final pitch to the top that made it well worth it. Only had to place one cam the entire route as pitons and fixed gear abound. Jul 26, 2015

Quinn Davie
Boulder, Co

5.7+

Just did this route the other day, and there are bolts on top of the first pitch (or second depending on how you climb it). Apr 19, 2018

Mike Soda

5.7+

This route is great fun! Start up a stemmy chimney section. Climb up and over a chockstone (the top of the chockstone is the first great belay area but is only about 40 feet off the deck). Continue up the V-slot, then continue it up some more. After a wide open section, you'll come to another great belay stop (now about 120+ feet from the start). From here, climb through some super fun rock features, including getting squeezed out onto a little exposure, then find bolted anchors (if you're short, they might be challenging as they're about 7+ feet off the ledge).

The description here for this route is a little ambiguous. Climb up and left is obvious, but once you clear that and you're standing on a little ledge, you have three options. The description here says go left along the slopey edge, but I don't think that's right. The book shows going up and right. There's a piton and some fun climbing going up and right. I didn't climb past the piton, but from there, it looks like you have another fork option of going up and right as the book shows, or up and left through a more difficult looking crack.

Overall, a super fun route I would definitely do again, but as with many ratings, 5.6 is definitely more of an average. Many sections go at 5.2-4, but the short crux goes more like 7+ or even 8+. Also, if you like protection and you run the entire first pitch to the bolts, you're going to want a double rack to 4. Aug 12, 2018

Jade Gutierrez
Boulder CO

I would suggest following the guidebook beta (instead of the description above) for P2 -- after the few vertical moves and manteling the ledge out left, trend right, and continue to do so until you see a clear path to the top. Going left was harder and less protected.

I also found the description above to the start of P2 very weird. "Eventually a wall will force you to traverse right and out" doesn't describe it that well. Instead, you have to climb through a little keyhole feature--when you pop out the top, look to your left, and you will see the ledge and anchor. A few easy exposed moves will get you there.

Fun climbing! heartily enjoyed this. My partner and I did the rated R unprotected slab at the start of P1 and did 3 pitches total to reduce rope drag. Jul 1, 2021