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Early Access
Routes in Boulder Slips
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Boulder Slips T,TR 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Brand New Bosch S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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BS One T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Colorado Senior Open T,S 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b |
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Edges and Ledges S 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Family Guy T,S 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c |
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Giggity-Giggity S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Haiku S 5.14a 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a |
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La Loon T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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La Lune S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c |
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Minutia T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Minutia Arete TR 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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My Way T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Party Time! T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Pumpkin Corner T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Ride, The T,S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Same As It Ever Was T,S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Sunlight Arete S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Threshold Variation T,TR 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R |
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Threshold, The T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Throttle, The T,TR 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c R |
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Useless One T,TR 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Where's Bob? T,S 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
| Type: | Trad, 100 ft (30 m) |
| GPS: | 40.0046, -105.4065 |
| FA: | Leavitt, Hare, 1981 |
| Page Views: | 990 total · 4/month |
| Shared By: | Steve Bartlett on Jul 12, 2007 |
| 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….
Access Issue:
From November to early May, the poison ivy is dormant, but watch out for the plants with little light-green berries -- these are poison ivy bushes. Avoid them and you should be OK to climb on the left side of Boulder Slips at those times.
Description
This is a fine route which packs in a burly crux and a thought-provoking upper section. Either struggle through the small-but-scratchy pine tree (which used not to exist) up a small, left-facing dihedral, or start further left and traverse right, above the small tree, until you are situated under the hand-crack. Place gear in the finger crack just left. Muscle up into the crack. Teeter onto easier terrain above, and get established on a rest ledge on the arete itself. From here, work elegantly upwards with discontinuous cracks.
I first led this 20 years ago. I dimly remember the fun struggle over the crux; I don't recall anything of the upper 5.8/5.9 section. I do recall enjoying the route. I followed it again yesterday.
From the arete rest-ledge, the most obvious option (in the trad-gear-only days) would be to step up and very slightly right to an alluring finger crack in black rock that is about one foot long, place fingers and gear in this, then angle up and left (but only about four feet left) into the obvious arete lieback cracks. The description for the upper part of "My Way" follows the same terrain.
Location
This climb basically follows the arete just left of the big roof. The crux is the short left-angling hand crack immediately left of the arete.
Start ten feet from the car, partway up the dirty ramp that goes up and right to the area under the big roof. Descend by rapping or lowering 100 feet from the anchor chains.
Protection
Get a good wire before crux. The crux hand crack takes a perfect hand-size cam or two, but it sure is strenuous to place. Once on the upper section, who knows? I don't remember from 20 years ago, and all I did this time around was unclip bolts. There are wires and small cams to be placed.
Per Charles Vernon: 2025 update: thankfully, there are no longer any bolts on this route. The upper section protects adequately with small to medium gear. Offset cams could be useful in one spot, though I wouldn't call them essential.
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