Candelaria's Connection
5.10 YDS 6b French 20 Ewbanks VII- UIAA 19 ZA E2 5b British R
Type: | Trad, 260 ft (79 m), 4 pitches, Grade II |
FA: | Bob Candelaria, 1976 |
Page Views: | 1,964 total · 21/month |
Shared By: | Ken Trout on May 1, 2017 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
FS (3/27/24): Eagle Rock & Security Risk are now open!
2/1/24: W. McCurry: to protect nesting golden eagles, USFS annual area closures in Boulder Canyon beginning 2/1/24 - Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, Eagle Rock, Security Risk.
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 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
Start with Black Crack, a smoke-stained crack a few feet left of the 5.12 Gill Crack. The crux is a big step left to get out of the crack and onto a good foothold. From the taxing foothold rest below the roof, place a big RP/offset nut, then clip the pin off tiptoe, pull the roof to the bolted anchor (5.10, 15 meters). Black Crack seems comparable in difficulty to the Outer Space overhang on The Bastille.
From the first bolt belay, place a small cam, tiptoe up (5.9), and then traverse right on run out and devious, but almost-restful, friction knobs to the thin crack of the South Face's second pitch (5.7 R). The first chance to get protection is blind. If the gear fails, then the very clean looking fall will likely result in hitting the ground (estimated via "thumb survey" from across the creek, not by actual falling). The second bolt belay is just a few meters above this crucial gear (10 meters).
The third pitch is the same as for the South Face/?Jackson's Wall Direct?, 5.10a, PG-13, 20 meters. It has excellent rock and moves... but not the pro so much!
The third pitch ends at a bolt station on a nice ledge. The fourth pitch is not that great, and the rappels are convenient. Alternatively, it is nice to climb 200 feet up Jackson's Wall, 5.5, to the same anchor and then toprope everything while rappelling!
The fourth and final pitch starts with dodging a roof (15 meters, 5.6) and then makes a long traverse left before topping out. The descent off the summit, towards the highway, is harder than 4th Class. A harder direct finish is possible, but I forget how hard.
HISTORY: this bold connection is not described in any of the modern guide books to Boulder Canyon. After researching all the guides at the AAC Library, only Jim Erickson's book briefly tells of Rob Candelaria's bold lead: "...head up to a roof and turn it right (5.9) to rejoin Jackson's Wall Direct..." (Rocky Heights, 1980) Today, most agree that 5.9 for BC is a sandbag, but, in Rocky Heights, the first pitch of the Bastille's West Buttress was rated 5.8+!
Location
In case you took a divergent route to get here on the worldwide web: Castle Rock is in Boulder Canyon, Colorado, a couple miles east of Nederland. In 2017, National Geographic published photo of climbers at Castle Rock to answer the question: where are happiest people in America?
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