Baja Boulders
established May 2006, G.Cornell
A small but interesting jumble of colorful boulders across the Elbow River. Most landings are fine with a pad but look horrific at first glance. The rusty rock is clean of vegetation and solid but beware of tiny flakes that can bust in your hand. The texture is rough and slabby with very little in the way of features. An array of recreationists came upon the first ascentionist: motorcrossers from Maclean Creek, tubers without lifejackets, and a topless sunbather in thong! Some great looking swimming holes can be found.
From Bragg Creek drive Hwy#66 west to the Elbow Riveer Boat Launch opposite the turnoff for Canyon Creek.Walk east from the parking, cross dry Canyon Creek and go up a grassy slope and follow it down to the river in 5 minutes. The shallowest crossing is usually on the left edge of the jumble, aim for a cairn. By the end of May the river is unpassable. In winter and spring it’s barely knee deep. Autumn? SS means sit-start here.
1)Topless Wall(V3) better if topout didn’t suck. 100m north along river. SS to two pulls, reach over overlaps and jump down.
2)Original Rust(VB) first rock from river crossing. SS underneath, use triangular crest to mantle up.
3)Tyrannasaurus Dandelion(V2) SS overhung face on slopers and dyno up to the small crest and over.
4)Yoga Girl(V3) close to the river, very funky body-wrap start. USe good sidepulls and tiny finger crack, foot under roof, other on brown ledge. Up to crimp and finish ‘er off. It’s the face that faces south.
5)Trivestica(V0) above the water. Lay down and come out traversing using the nice rail to the upper one.
6)Jesus is Alive in San Quentin(V4) cave line behind #5 on small holds from lay down start.
7)The Engine Block(V0-2) wide block with a deep cave. Good warmup. Variations written below….
a)grab left arete, climb it on its’ right. b)not line to fall on! Sit pad on table, go into cave, use crack to dirty jug to slab and rounded jugs to finish. c)climb face left of V-roof. d)climb face aim for that high slot. e)up steep corner, yellow pull on opposite face helps the start. f)climb finger crack to busted out slot-the sides are out. g)on the backside; lay on the right slab and grab the top rail and traverse the small overhung face.
8)Rust Bucket(V2) Near water’s edge, SS left side of roof on brown rock. Good holds to a toss onto a perfect jug, traverse up right and over roof proper.
9)Volcanoes(V0-2) a brown and white-striped rock with jutting roof on left. SS under roof move up right. Or, for a hard start, climb the brown groove directly up.Weird stone crustations.
10)Hell’s Pomeranian(V2) obvious arrowhead and highest of the bunch. Crouch left arete, up rib. 10b)In Like Flint(V0) up blank slab left of tree to good finishing holds. Middle attempted….
11a)Party Slab(V0) backside of the river boulder, follow cracked sunken face. Descend sunlit face in photo. Other marked line is: I Hate Fur Traders. If only I could tell the story of that title! 11b)I Hate Fur Traders(V3) a tricky start with a casual finish. Crouch at water’s edge off two good pulls and crank over the ‘lap to higher ledge and then cruise up the slabby groove. 11c)Alaskan Ridge(V1) highly asthetic but with a horrible landing. Perch the pad in the hole. Grab low end of the ridge and use it to progress up the face topping out on the summit. Lower cracked ramp attempted but pitchin into the Elbow seemed uninteresting.
