Lost Boulder
V3 – V5 · 4 routes · granite · V-scale
- Approach 18 min — cross-country boulder hopping from the valley loop road; no marked trail for the last 300 m
- Best season May to October. The tree cover keeps the rock cooler than the open valley floor in summer.
- Published
- Updated
Lost Boulder is exactly what the name suggests: a single large granite block in the trees with a handful of excellent mid-grade problems and almost nobody on it. It is the antidote to the queues at Camp 4.
The climbing
Four problems on one bloc, all in the V3 to V5 range, all on coarse granite edges with sandy landings. The best line takes a rising traverse across the steep face and finishes on a mantel that requires a genuine commitment.
Because the block is isolated, conditions are usually a grade or two better than the polished roadside problems — the rock has not been worn smooth by traffic.
Finding it
Take the valley loop road to the signed pull-out, then head uphill on a bearing and count the boulders you pass. GPS is unreliable under the tree canopy, so download the offline map before you leave the village. Give yourself 20 minutes each way the first time.
Leave no trace
There is no established trail for the last stretch and the forest floor is fragile. Walk on rock and duff rather than through the fern patches, and carry the pads rather than dragging them.
Routes · 4
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Hold types jug · overhang · heel-hook
Open beta
Short overhang on good holds. Ideal first problem of the day and a good gauge of how the friction is running.
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Hold types crimp · sidepull · slab
Open beta
Vertical face on small edges, with a slab top-out. Precise footwork on the lower half is what saves you for the top.
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Hold types mantle · sloper · smear
Open beta
Awkward mantel out of a scoop. The trick is to get a heel on the lip rather than trying to press out with both hands.
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Hold types traverse · crimp · mantle
Open beta
Rising traverse across the steep face finishing on a committing mantel. The rest position is at the flake two-thirds of the way across.
Crag ethics
Crag ethics
No trail building, no marking. If you brush the problems, brush them back to the original state.
