Suggestions for the best easy 11's and 10's in Boulder Canyon...

Hey all,

i'm coming home to colorado from jackson hole, wy, and i need some beta on which crags around boulder canyon are the best. we are brothers, one of whom is looking to lead easy 10's, and the other (me) looking to tackle easy to not-so-easy 11's. maybe dream canyon? we only have two full days to climb in the canyon so we're looking for something relatively close with good sun throughout the day and hopefully a full spectrum of grades!

i'll do my research as best i can, but if any of you know some super killer routes that are not to miss, speak up, and maybe we can meet at the crag and i'll share some of my Wyoming Whiskey with you!

thanks!

mike

Sport, trad or all the above?

mostly sport, but i'm bringing a full rack as well. so: 10a and easier trad, 12a and easier sport...

The sport park is stacked with soft sport climbs.

Do not go to "Sport Park". It would be a real shame to drive all the way to Boulder from Jackson and climb there. Chipped holds, grid bolting and generally unaesthetic lines is what you'll find there.

Dream Canyon is surely a better bet. Divination, a 3 pitch climb, is going to be in your wheelhouse for fun. First pitch goes at 11b, second is 10b, I think, and the third is 10a. Another good climb I would recommend is A Wrinkle in Time. If I remember correctly it is a 9 and takes one small nut before the first bolt.

There are, of course, tons of great climbs in Dream Canyon that will fit your needs. It is also extremely scenic, with great views to the west of The Divide. One caveat though, because it is such beautiful location, it has for years been a nudist hangout. Typically if you don't bother them, they don't bother you though.

Animal World, Plotinus, Avalon would have a decent amount of short, mostly sport climbs both in the easy 10s and harder 11s. Note, some of the areas like Blob, Bitty Buttess, Eagle Rock, Security Risk will be closed until August. Upper Dream Canyon can be challenging for some to find efficiently.

Almost all of the sport climbs are soft and most of the trad routes are stiff to right on.

Castle Rock. Comeback Crack. 10b. Country Club Crack. 11c. (Hey you said 11's). Both trad.

Easter Rock. Elanor. 11b. Sport. Tell Tale Heart. A soft 12b.

Happy Hour. Dementia. 10a. Trad.

Blob Rock. Where Eagles Dare. 10b. 3 pitches. I don't care what these people say, it's an awesome route. I like teeny weenie nut routes.

Hope you are not coming on Tuesday this week. The foothills are supposed to get a foot of snow or more. That said, look for South facing crags such as The Bihedral for sunny variety. If no snow, then Animal World or Avalon for a wide variety to suit almost anyone.

I would divide your time between Avalon and Animal World. Sport Park has a lot of lines but not all are quality.

Avalon - morning sun, afternoon shade. Great 5.10 lines. Recommend the Dominator (10c), Marquis de Sade (10c) and Lust (10d). Strange Science (11c/d) is a classic hard line

Animal World - morning shade, afternoon sun. Great 5.11 lines. A worthy 5.8 Jacene's Animation, a classic 5.11 (Free Willie) and a challenging 11c (Animal Magnetism). Joint Venture's first pitch (11a) is a challenging crimp line close to the 5.8 near the entrance.

if you haven't blocked off time to go to eldo, i'd vote for spending your days there instead. otherwise, animal world is fun and castle rock is great.