Standard Route 

I did this in Oct. of 99 with my Italian friend Matteo, and the rock was so cold I couldn't feel my fingers and hands--good thing I let him lead it. ;-) The crux was pretty tricky for a 5.7, just as the final Cozyhang/Owl roof is.

This is number 1 in the picture.

Rick - Climbed with friend Chris on 5/18/01. Chris led P1 and I led P2. Good pro everywhere, but crux is kind of funky. I just reached high, smeared, and willed myself over.

Did this route on Feb 16 2001 2 days after a snow storm. There was still some snow/ice in the bottoms of the cracks at the begginning which made the already scarybeginning trickier, but it was still doable. I'd recommend parties wait until the sun has definitely cleared it off. Also, Rossiter's guide recommends a belay at the top of the initial ramp which is pretty mis-matched. I think a better spot is to belay after the middle "funky" roof section where there is a sloping flaring crack at your feet and a hand crack that shoots directly left. That breaks the pitches up nicely. If you used long runners in appropriate places you could link it all into one pitch. It's definitely fun, though.

I wasn't aware that people do this in two pitches. The route was pointed out to me from the road and it goes quite naturally in a single pitch with a 50 m rope. Yes, use long slings in the appropriate places, but as a trad leader you already know that, right? Breaking it up seems somewhat pointless.

Morning shade makes this a good climb for a hot day. Doing the climb in two pitches facilitates communication if you've got a less-experienced partner. If the drainage ditch is dry, the quickest descent goes down the backside and angles right to the tunnel between the 3rd and 4th buttresses. Watch out for poison ivy. Grope your way through the cool depths of the tunnel (dry with one wet spot on 8/10/02) and walk the pipe back to the start.

Done yesterday after work. Great climb on cool days as the sun keeps you warm. Wonderful lead as the crux (start of the second pitch) protects well. It looks much more intimidating than it really is. Stem and work your feet up until you find enough to grab and go. Actually, for some odd reason, I tend to struggle mentally more on the start of the first pitch. Maybe this is harder given a fall would be a bit dangerous. It just seems a little bulgy and requires trusting the feet with only a small finger hold/crack with the left hand and slopers for the right hand.

I agree with Ron and I always go through the tunnel even yesterday when the water was six inches above my knees. Its actually is good therapy after your feet have been in hot climbing shoes.

My favorite 5.7 route in Boulder!

The action photo below states the climber is on the P1 belay of Standard Route. This is incorrect, he is actually belaying from the top of P1 on the West Face variation route, which is down to the south of the Standard route on the 3rd Buttress.

I have taken relatively inexperienced climbers on this route and think it's the best climb of its difficulty near Boulder for this kind of outing. Great rock, tricky crux, easy access, nice views, and summer shade.

We did this route this a.m. and went right (15 feet or so ) of the stemming crux out on to an slighty overhanging face with some big vertical cracks and two old fixed pins. Kinda hard but well protected.Is this part of another route?

Take the + in this 5.7 rating seriously. While the crux isn't too tough to pass with lots of stemming, it is pretty steep and stout for a 7.

I don't feel sandbagged at all on this and, in fact, find it only half a grade harder than east slab of Dome across the way and even then only at the crux. But I do it a little to the right of the white line after the crux. Try this and then east slab of dome. If you can send it then maybe the ratings are correct. (After all, it could be just me!)

AC of 6/12/04 - it's just you. The crux alone is at least two number grades harder than anything on the East Slab. That said, the Standard Route is very well protected throughout and is mucho fun! Without any topo we mistakenly traversed left under the second (after crux) roof and up a left facing corner with a crease to the top - felt consistant with the 7 grade.

The crux on the second pitch is definitely easier for taller people. I lead this route with no difficulty (I'm 6'0"), but my partner on a recent trip (5'3") really struggled, and she leads at a higher grade than I do. As with any roof-ish crux, the key is getting your feet high, but to do that, you must stem wide, and I find myself doing pretty acrobatic splits at this crux.

That pipe at the bottom is really leaky. Got my shoes and rope all wet before I even started. [Definitely] get geared up in the flat area to the left below the descent gully.

Also, I got my rope caught on a [piece] of cable hanging out of the pipe when pulling the rope up at the top of the second pitch. This led to me free soloing to the top, walking down, unsnagging the rope at the bottom, climbing back to the top, down climbing back to my anchor, and continuing the climb. Is there a better way to handle this situation or avoid it all together? I need a giant hook to stack my rope when I pull it up or something. Maybe a number 6 Camalot would do the trick..

That being said, I really like taking the cave back to the packs. Even when it's full of water. The down climb in the gully seemed a bit scary, almost rappel worthy (or did I miss the rap anchor as well?)

I felt the crux of the first pitch was less secure and more dangerous than the roof crux on the second pitch. Wide stemming on the roof keeps this climb feeling like 5.7. I'd give it 2.5 stars, but I rounded up.-s

That profound stem on the second pitch, as demonstrated by the photo of Phil Broscovak, is a little rough if you are around 5'6" or so. There are a few decent face holds off to the left that can help the height-challenged climber shimmy up this section.

Fun route. I am 6' even, and found the crux to be full of secure stems that made placing pro easy. It is easy to protect the crux with as much pro as you feel like putting in. Definitely able to do the route in one pitch with one 60 m rope.

My first climb in Boulder Canyon. What a great way to get on some rock after work on a Friday. Cold and drizzle, or not, it was still lots of fun.

Hopped on Standard Route today. It was quite windy but had some sunshine, too. The crux sure seemed like 5.8 or 8+ to me today...maybe it's just getting back into the swing of things after long winters nap?! Snow is all melted off at the water pipe thanks to the warm weather.

It sounds as if Matt Chan did what I did today - that is did the first pitch of Standard Route and then linked this up with the second pitch of Monster Woman. I don't know if it merits it, but I have put this route up as Standard Variation as I am sure that many people have done what both Matt and I have done. It is a nice line, but more consistently 5.8.

We forgot to bring the nut tool today, and I couldn't clean a #7 BD stopper from a horizontal crack on P2. It'll probably come out pretty easy with a tool. Fun climb.

It can be kinda hard to find the start of this route because there are a lot of really fun looking lines along the pipe. Look on the left for a long chain bolted from the rock at eye level and slightly left and then another large bolt directly on the route.

Did this yestarday and it was definitely a lot of fun although I'll admit the crux was somewhat intimidating.

I think I got off route... at the old, beat up fixed pin on the second pitch, I went right on a couple of jugs. What was this, if anything?

Wow, 5.7+? I found this harder than either Classic Finger Crack (5.9) or Zolar Czakl (5.9+) today. And I am tall and was on a top rope!

I found CFK to be a lot harder. The bulge on the "2nd pitch" is tricky until you do it a couple of times, then it is mellow yellow.

Great climb -- but I think the difficulty is height dependent. Not too bad for me (5'10"), but very challenging for my wife (5'2") trying to stem up under the "roof" at the pitch two crux. Also, the river noise was very loud with the high water -- very tough (okay, impossible) to communicate from belay station on top to climber at the crux on the 2nd pitch. Nevertheless, a great climb!

Yeah, my partner led and belayed just above the crux which was helpful because it was tough! Also went to the right of the roof instead...still hard though.

Good climb. Crux at start of p2 is great, but rest of climb is a bit dull. Spice it up by climbing off immediately to the left of the V-ramp that starts p1 - 5.7G as opposed to 5.5 or 5.6. Both pitches have excellent pro across the range to 3". The slightly slabby face at the very end looks wicked fun but clearly run out, so I'm scared -- probably 5.9?

Instead of starting the climb from the left of the small roof, we started from just to the right of the pipe cable and small roof, standing just between the water pipe and the rock. Then traverse left immediately after getting onto the rock.

Best if done as one pitch. There is no reason to take the time to set up a belay.

Yesterday morning I on-sight soloed this route. After warming up on East Slab, I hiked down and approached the Elephant Buttress. Balancing my way down the pipe, I found myself at what I assumed to be the beginning. I booted up and entered the relatively dicey movement into and over the small, initial roof. Once up the thin, fun crack and over the second small roof, I was let loose onto the slab that coincided the crux roof. My first attempt of the roof was thwarted by the lack of vision. My confidence waned under the unknown. I returned to the slab to gather motivation and visualize, despite the assumption I would eventually have to back down. I decided to, at the very least, try the exposed, overhang (topped with a ledge) to right of the route. I hoped it would be a simple powerful move to crank over into freedom. Yet after hand traversing over the void, I found no graceful, safe solution. I quickly traversed back onto the route and de-pumped. In the process of retreating, I had this feeling of an unexplainable pull towards and up the crux. I found the stem. I saw the sequence. I told myself not to fall and to stay on, while I cautiously discovered the way. The rest of the climb went smoothly and was great fun. I believe the only reason I stood on the summit is because I truly imagined myself there and nowhere else. One's mind is everything.