Boulder Falls approach closed on 3/30/09 MORE INFO >>>
Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks has temporarily closed Boulder Falls due to potentially unsafe conditions in the cliffs above the falls. No date was set for reopening the area.
Boulder Falls was still closed as of 5/19/09.
The only legal access to Lower Dream Canyon during this closure is via Upper Dream Canyon.
BETA PHOTO: Mr. Sandman, Golden Slumber, Sleepless In Boulder.
Description
Sleepless in Boulder starts just left of The Art of Dreaming. Climb up a short corner to an obvious horn. Power up steep rock, laybacking to a good stance. Make nice face moves and continue up the steep face past several bolts to cool moves up and over a bulge to a hard move on a small arete. Climb past the arete using a thin crack on the left and arete on the right. Float to the anchor.
This a great route but needs a thorough cleaning. Lots of friable flaky rock and also a questionable fairly large flake near the top. I'm thinking that's going to come out soon with someone holding onto it.
On May 31, my partner and I counted 11 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor. And there is indeed a slightly loose flake near the top of the route. At first glance, it is an inviting hold, which you reach right for, just below a clip (at the 10th bolt, I believe). When I grabbed it, it groaned in a sickening way. Also, at the beginning of the route, be wary of a large slabby block (about 3 feet by 4 feet by 8 inches) between bolts 1 and 2. The top of the block is a very sharp juggy rail that you use for your hands and later your feet. This block seemed solid, but there doesn't seem to be much keeping it attached to the wall; it is undercut below, and there are cracks on all the other sides, including underneath.
Climbed this a couple of weeks ago. Good jugs on steep rock down low. Upper headwall moves are pretty cool. Agree with the comment about the huge flake between bolts 1 and 2, although it *sounds* completely solid. Didn't notice the loose flake up high though so maybe its gone now. Check for loose nuts on the bolts -- two bolts (one at the anchor and one a couple of bolts from the top) had extremely loose nuts.
By Tony B From: Boulder, CO Jul 11, 2003 rating: 5.11a
Good route, one of the better ones I did at the cliff. It had a little of everything, jug-fest section, power section, balance, crimp, mantle.
I'm not a big fan of one-move wonders with a pile of 5.9 aside... and this was not one of those- it kept my attention. Good route.
Seems a little easy for mid 5.11, but it's good at any grade.
Hard and strenuous at the bottom. Easy in the middle. Perplexing moves right and up at the top. I moved right onto the "arete" for the last moves to the anchors. Is that what people do? There was a bit of chalk going straight up the thin crack using small sloping footholds. But you'd have to reach right anyway to clip the anchors.
I didn't notice anything loose, but I see the big yellow question mark on the big flake in the photo. I, and presumably everyone else, hung on this flake with full body weight.
I rate climbs by Eldo and Boulder Canyon trad standards, so I'm calling this 11a. Could be 10d by those standards. I typically struggle (ie, hang once or twice) on 10c trad, but onsighted this.
Variety is the spice of life. Overhanging laybacks, moderate face, and some interesting moves to reach the arete. Didn't see any loose rock on the route -- but reaching the bolt that protects the hard move right to the arete is a stretch.
I repeated this route about two weeks ago. It is an excellent route, but a huge flake has broken off between the first and second bolt changing the difficulty of the climb the ease of clipping the second bolt. It is still a good route but be prepared for a rating that is a letter grade or two above the current rating, especially if you are short!
I did this route on Saturday and it felt a bit harder than 11a to me and it appears that the missing block may have assisted in the feet situation between the second and third bolts. I am also comparing the grade to other grades in the canyon which can obviously change things. All in all, I think Sleepless in Boulder is a great route.
By Kevin Neilson From: Boulder Jul 7, 2005 rating: 5.11c
I finally got this yesterday and I give it 5.11c. I never climbed it before the flake was removed and I think it has probably become significantly harder. Instead of standing on top of the now-defunct flake, you have to lie back and get your left foot high on a flaring crack that is above where the flake used to be. This entire bottom section is fairly burly and leaves you tired when you finally pull it.
I think another tough section is at about the 7th bolt as seen in the photo. At this point there is an edge on which to layback, but it's difficult to get into. The layback is left-facing, and you start to the left of it, so there is an awkward swing into the layback position. Once you clip and mantel onto the holds over the clip, there are few holds on the face and I had to reach right for the arete. I think this is on-route. You also have to reach right for the arete before achieving the anchors, unless I'm a wuss and there is some way to stay on the face without using the arete.
By Leo Paik Administrator From: Westminster, Colorado Jan 15, 2006 rating: 5.11a
Nice variety, fun route. From the perspective of a TR watching someone suss out the moves, I'd agree with Bob, this felt 5.11a/b. Around 7th bolt, there is a foothold R to make the move easier. Seemed the crux was around the 9th bolt moving R to the lieback.
I tried this route on Saturday, and right after you clip the first bolt, there is an obvious horn out left with a ton of chalk on it that is now pretty loose. Does anyone know if it's always been that loose or is this a recent development?
The loose horn is now X'ed. I didn't tempt fate and avoided it throughout. Tough bottom section in the 11d range, upper section is a breeze with a considerably easier upper crux. Fun route, little blah in the middle. This is not an 11a/b, c if not d for the lower crux. Sandbaggers abound!
By Jeremy From: Boulder, CO Apr 20, 2008 rating: 5.11c
Maybe I'm just weak these days, but this felt pretty solid 11c to me. No loose rock that I found that I needed.