Bald Eagle is the right variant start to

Rarely Eagle

, linking into that climb at the fourth bolt. It climbs past three half-inch bolts in the bulge/roof right off the ledge, above a left-facing dihedral.

Clip a low bolt, power to a sidepull, clip again, then engage a "V-Eagle" boulder problem through the pegmatite band to reach the jug rail below the third clip. Hint: think opposition and heel-powered jessery.

Stand up past the rail to mellower terrain, then follow the last four bolts of

Rarely Eagle

, up its crux headwall. Try hard not to fall off

Rarely Eagle

, since you've done a passel o' hard moves to get there.

We plan to move the second bolt about a foot higher and have the hole halfway drilled (drill ran out of juice), so will be back soon to relocate that clip. As it is now, the fall going for the rail might bring you near the bottom ledge, but you should be OK with an attentive belay.

Bald Eagle

Route of All Eagle

Eagle Warrior

The Bat Guano Sightseeing Route

Golden Eagle

Eagle Chick

Great Dihedral

Stoner Homeland

Dharma Punks

Iggle Direct

Iggle

Green Panther

Authentic Battle Damage Stand

Eagle Snacks

To The Sun

Eagle Tricks

Rarely Eagle

Eagle Eyes

Authentic Battle Damage

ABD Warm-up

Davey Jones Footlocker

Finally Eagle

Eagle Hardware

Buddha Belly

Rarely Eagle climbs the bald, slightly overhanging shield along twin seams between the existing 5.11c (

Eagle Hardware

) and 5.11d corner (

Golden Eagle

) out right. It starts by climbing past an old ring-angle pin in a horizontal (optional clip; use a long sling), and then past seven stainless-steel bolts up the streaks to double-bolt anchors out of sight over the final roof.

Two bolts get you through the first roof (tough-ish) then easier climbing takes you up and right to a semi-stance below the headwall...The headwall is only four bolts long but very sustained, opening with a hard, crimpy boulder problem to continuous, techy sidepull moves and a surprise (!) finish. We brushed it as well as we could in a day, but it will need some travel and a bit of cleaning, so take a brush along if you do it.

The rating is "Boulder 5.12d" or maybe even "Boulder 5.12c" -- I guess you'll just have to go up there and find out what that means. This is one of the more sustained "Boulder 5.12d's" in the canyon and a hell of a lot of fun.

This is a link-up of a few different routes. However, in our opinion, it's a link-up of most of the best climbing on the wall with some quality new climbing in between. Regarding the grade, it's difficult. For those who have great fitness, it may not seem much more difficult than

Buddha Belly

; however, if recovery is not your strong suit, it may feel 13c...hence the grade.

The project left of Buddha Belly goes free. Climb past awkward outside corners (ignore glued on hold) to a steep handcrack, and up this to a good rest where you join the 11d. Step back right and do a hard boulder problem to a good ledge. Mark enhanced a hold at the end, saying a flake broke off and needed a replacement. It's unlikely that the route will go without it but on a cooler day who knows?

I've looked at this potential route every time I've driven Boulder Canyon, which I've done maybe a thousand times. This route has never appeared in a guidebook, nor has it been listed on MP, until now.

On Aug 6, 2016, I suggested it to David Light, as we were driving toward another objective. After we waded the creek and waited out light rain, David launched up the dirty first pitch, finding occasional pro. The crux was an awkward long reach for a wiggling block (about the size of a cookie jar), then yarding on it to reach high and left for a stable hold (9-). It stayed in place when pulled to the right. After clipping an old, wiggling army angle, David belayed on a ledge below the base of the distinctive short slab, which is visible from the highway.

The second pitch went up the slab, which forms the left wall of a big, left-facing dihedral into which is tucked (you guessed it) the previously unnoticed thick hanging glacier of bat guano. Speed was definitely safety here, but, once safely above it, David felt compelled to attempt a long traverse to the right, past a fixed KB, under an extensive overhang. After retreating from the long traverse, he continued upward in possession of his new, rusty KB, turning the overhang at its left end and belaying on a big ledge, seven meters higher (9-).

One could easily scramble off to the right along this ledge, but David led up the good rock directly above. It looked improbable, but he found occasional placements and belayed on the summit ridge (9-). We third-classed south, along the summit ridge to (you guessed it) the summit of Eagle Rock.

After trying to think of a name for this previously partially ascended route, we kept with the previously established theme around flying objects, such as eagles, big birds, and (you guessed it) flying mammals.

Golden Eagle starts about 20 feet to the right of

Eagle Hardware

after a small scramble up the right angling ramp. The climbing starts off the ramp on a short slab that rapidly steepens.  For me, the most difficult move arose immediately at the end of the slab in hauling over a small overlap on very small, crisp edges. A short transition into the dihedral set up another cruxy move, in the dihedral itself.  This was followed by more moderate climbing to the anchors. Overall, the quality of the rock was superb, often edgy, and typical of the best Boulder Canyon granite. Three stars for the quality of the rock, the climbing moves, and the continuity. Unlike

Eagle Hardware

to the left, Golden Eagle did not seem over bolted. The clips were all from stances and just where I wanted them.

Eagle Chick is another good sport route on the Stars and Stripes Wall. I liked it better than the similarly-graded

Eagle Hardware

. Eagle Chick has better rock and more interesting moves, and is less pumpy, but still steep. A steep, blank-looking face leads to crux moves entering and exiting a tiny, left-facing corner.

I'm rating this 11a by Boulder Canyon sport ratings. It would be about 10c by trad ratings, unless you are short, in which case the last move could be pretty hard. Like several other routes here, the easy ground at the bottom seems overbolted.

Start just right of the "warm up" route,

Eagle Snacks

, which starts just right of the small pine tree. Over an easy ceiling and up easy rock to another ceiling. Climb a steep unlikely looking face between two thin cracks to good holds. Move right a bit and enter a shallow, short left facing corner. This was the crux for me--the obvious way almost worked, but didn't. Good rest here, then another hard move to exit the corner. This last move may be the crux if you are shorter.

This takes the huge left-facing dihedral that splits the whole rock and is very prominent from the road.  The start of the climb is reached by hiking up and right and getting onto large ramp system that brings you to the start of the route.

Climb slabby rock with little pro as it steepens and gets polished... you will see a fixed pin under a large roof, don't go that high but traverse left on scary moderate ledge to a slab that brings you up and left and into the dihedral (scary moves above tricky pro) and take the steep corner (6-10 inch crack) by climbing face just left of the crack for a long way (just when you think things will ease up they don't) and turning roof high up to a ledge with 2 new bolts.  This pitch is long and protection is thoughtful (unless you haul a bunch of #5 camalots).....5.5 is total sandbag, I'd say sustained 5.7 with a few scary sections.

Pitch 2 continues up the face left of the huge corner and is much easier but fun and steep with big holds.  Not a beginner lead despite the 5.5 rating.

Start as for

Green Panther

, which is the furthest right route on Stars and Stripes Wall on Eagle Rock.  After the first three clips of

Green Panther

, clip a bolt about two feet right of

Green Panther's

fourth bolt.  From the slot, make a surprisingly hard clip out left and climb left via a sharp finger jam/underclings to a tiny left-facing corner and then up to the belay. Finger tape strongly recommended.

Dharma Punks is a 4 pitch adventure climb (using the previously bolted first pitch “

Eagle Hardware

”)  on a continuous swath of stone up the middle of the Eagle Rock buttress. It has a little bit of everything, with varied pitches of changing styles. Each pitch ends at a two bolt anchor and rappel station, so it’s easily escapable. The more traffic this sees, the more clean it will get. The quality of the pitches get better as you go up.

Pitch 1. Start up “

Eagle Hardware

” if you want the most direct line into the 3 new pitches, but you can also start from “

Eagle Eyes

” as a harder variation if you don’t mind a small traverse to the bolt above the anchors for pitch 2, 11b/c, 13-14 bolts, 80 feet. (You can also link pitch 1 and 2 for a long single pitch without much drag.)

Pitch 2. Go straight up from belay to the bolt under the roof, continue up trending right following 5 bolts to a two bolt rap station, 5.9, 5 bolts, 50 feet.

Pitch 3. Climb straight off belay following the line of bolts through the steep headwall with a crux coming in after the 4th bolt. This is really fun face climbing on good incuts culminating with a few thin moves, then the difficulties back off at a mantel onto the slab above. Trend up and left below a large ledge we’re calling the “Bardo Ledge” where you’ll find the anchor. The last 15 feet of this pitch is on subpar stone, 11c/d 10 bolts, 80 feet.

Pitch 4. Do an easy mantel over onto the “Bardo Ledge”, stem across the wall to a rock on the ledge, and clip the first bolt. Pull up and over on easy rock to get into the mini-roof feature with diagonal rails, and trend up and right on immaculate stone. Follow the line of bolts up the best stone on the wall to the summit, bump fists, check your phone...or not (service up here), revel in your enlightenment beyond the Bardo, and decide if you want to go back to the material realm, 10b/c, 11 bolts, 75 feet.

For descent: rap the route, this can be done in 3 rappels with a 70 meter rope (if you skip the 2nd pitch rap anchor and go directly to

Eagle Hardware's

rap station) or 4 raps with a 60 meter rope.

This climb takes a direct line out an overhanging crack/corner to an anchor just right of the finishing anchors on Iggle.

Description from

vainokodas.com/climbing/cor…

used with permission.

On the left side of Eagle Rock, look for an obvious right-slanting corner system about midway up the rock. Belay at a pine tree, and pass one bolt to get to a two-bolt belay at the start of the corner. Move up into the corner, and then begin a series of interesting moves out right.

Description from

vainokodas.com/climbing/cor…

used with permission.

This is the rightmost sport route on the Stars and Stripes Wall. It is steep, complicated, and fun. The rock is a little crumbly, but it should clean up.

Start at the midpoint of the

ABD

prow from a sit/squat and matched on the good undercling, then climb the 2nd half of

ABD

.

The route just right of the low pine tree (right of the 12a). Plod up an easy slab to an overlap, continue up easy rock to a steep wall. Climb a thin corner on the left or traverse in from the right. Finish up a shallow corner and a last bulge. This is a great line with fun moves. It is the best warm-up route.

A buddy of mine and I headed up to do the Dihedral Route on Eagle Rock, since someone was already on their way up we figured first come first serve and headed towards this route.

Scramble up another 30-50 feet from the base of the Great Dihedral and set a belay when it becomes obvious that the climbing is 5th class.  From here you can either traverse right for 20 or so feet to a tree and then head up the obvious buttress (5.5) or head straight up through some roofs (5.6-5.7) before gaining the obvious buttress on Eagle Rock.

Climb up 150-200 feet and set a belay on any of a number of large ledges when you feel like it.  From here, head to the top of Eagle Rock.

You can scramble 100 or so feet to climbers left and do a series of rappels from bolts on the Dihedral route to escape.

Start just left of the tree at the left end of the wall.

It is best to traverse in from the right below the tree to the first bolt, or climb dirty, loose rock directly to the bolt.

The climbing gets entertaining below the roof, which is not as straightforward as it looks. Then climb easily to the anchors.

Perhaps it is not as good as some of the other routes on the wall, but it is still a fun, physical crux.

This high quality route is located between

Eagle Chick

(left) and

Eagle Hardware

(right) and starts from a ledge with bolts.  Fire up the steep wall with nice jugs (5.9 and 5.10 climbing), then work through the cruxy bulge with thin cracks.  More thin cracks and interesting face climbing leads to the next crux. Both cruxes seemed about 5.11 or 5.11+.  The final roof is easier than it looks, and is a nice finish to a good climb.

This problem is on a riverside block that looks like a shark coming out of the mountainside. Sit start with a poor right hand pinch/sloper, and a poor left hand diagonal crimp, a right heel and left toehook, and continue out the horizontal pillar via more of the same. Slopey, physical, and awesome.

Start on the farthest left side of the

Authentic Battle Damage

prow, do a few campus-y moves and top out

ABD

.  The grade is a total guess, Chris thought it was easy and I thought it was hard.

Cool climbing on worsening holds to a crux sideways heel-toe cam section and a very committing stab to a sloping crimp. Falling from the crux would be super lame, as one is likely to bounce off a slab and tumble into raging waters with your spotter.

This is a very fun, "v-eagle" boulder problem. Then it heads right into

Golden Eagle

on more fun and easier climbing. As Matt says, it is good if you want to climb a 13 and don't like getting pumped.

Eagle Hardware sits squarely in the middle of the Stars and Stripes Wall just where a steep ramp system takes off to the right. The route starts on an obvious block that has both a belay anchor and the first climbing bolt. A couple of minor overlaps can be quickly disposed of using good incut edges. This will deposit the climber at a system of parallel grooves or seams in very blackish rock. These unusual features reminded me more of limestone runnels than cracks. They can be lay-backed or directly jammed as one of the 5.11 cruxes.  A small corner system and another crux at 5.10+ takes you to the anchor. This route gets three stars for quality, the climbing moves, and the continuity. However, I almost knocked off a star for the over-bolting.  I found myself being annoyed by the bolts that came up too frequently, and even skipped a couple in the early part of the climb. I first climbed this route with the stupendous Henry Lester, and he too complained of the excess bolting. As I recall, he clipped perhaps no more than  8 of the bolts. Nonetheless, this route is a classic Boulder Canyon climb and a must do at Eagle Rock.

A burly overhang 20 feet right of Golden Eagle, not the route just right. Work up to a big hollow overlap, then battle through flared cracks and sidepulls to a final layback up a smooth crack/groove. Strenuous, insecure, and complicated. Stays in the shade until 1 pm. Don't even think about it in the sun unless it's pretty cold. A real classic.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Eagle Rock