Start with your left hand on obvious jug just out from under the roof and your right hand out to the right under the roof (the same start as

Toe to Toe

). Begin by working up and right to the sloppy lip of the boulder, and move around the corner and up a few feet to a good hold and a tough mantel. Like a beached whale, pull over for the topout. This is a fun problem with cool movement.

The start has landing that could be dangerous without a spot.

Beached Rail

Blowin' the Hatch

Docking Mechanism

Dark Side of the Moon

Unshaven Slab

Antimatter

Toe to Toe

Docking Port

Hike into main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Twenty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, stop and look up to your right off the trail. Fifteen yards off the trail is an undercut boulder above a low-angle slab.

Begin from a sds on the left side of the undercut on two small crimps, slap up to a good hold and use a pinch, a crimp and a mantel or two to top-out above the slab.

The route's name is a reference to a 5 ft x 3 ft 300+ lb block (much like a hatchcover) that almost killed Justin and I before we even spread our pads out or got our shoes on. At most, three pounds of pressure pulled the whole thing down - almost on our heads. It scared the hell out of us and the other group in the Satellites, but revealed this cool problem.

Hike into the main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Fifty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, look up to your right off the trail for a large boulder. Behind this boulder to the northwest are two 10 foot high boulders standing side-by-side.

Docking Mechanism ascends the south face of the right boulder. Using a high left hand sloping pinch/layaway on the corner and a miserable pebble for your left foot, launch up and connect with a sloping gaston 8 feet up. Anything less than the necessary body tension and you will barn-door off. Anything more and your foot will break free. From here move for several slopers at the top and pull over.

The gaston was buried under lichen. Seeing as there are no other holds, I have assumed this was a FA.

Hike into main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Fifty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, look up to your right off the trail for a tall boulder. Unlike so many other problems in the Satellites, this one is not a lowball.

Dark Side of the Moon starts on the south face next to a relatively blank right-facing dihedral that goes up about 10 or 12 feet to a tiny little roof. Start just right of the dihedral on decent edges and do a long reach to one of several obvious holds in and around around the roof section. From there, pull the roof bulge and go at least 10 more feet to the top using edges and slots.

Unshaven Slab is the dirty slab on the north side of the boulder. The problem begins low and right, at the base of the slab.

The first handholds are about chest level. Tick tack your feet up dirty holds on your eventual way up left. Follow the right headed large dirty crack and continue up to the top.

Did I mention it's dirty?

Walk-off to the right, west side of the boulder.

Hike into the main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Fifty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, look up to your right off the trail for a large boulder.

Left of Dark Corner of Space, which ascends the south-facing dihedral on good edges, ascend the south face right of the tree using underclings and layaway edges out left. Pull up and over the top using a layaway and a deep hidden pocket up top.

Although chalkless and enundated with debris when I got on it, it had probably been cleaned and climbed before in spite of the large block with a good foothold that broke free while trying to work out the finishing moves. If it has another name, feel free to leave a comment and I will submit a correction.

Hike into and through the main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Twenty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, stop and look up to your right off the trail. Fifteen yards off the trail is an undercut boulder above a low-angle slab.

Blowin' the Hatch

starts low in the middle of the boulder.

Toe to Toe starts under the same overhang as

Blowin' the Hatch

, but slightly to the right. Begin from a sds on edges under the roof, slide right and out the almost horizontal roof via multiple really sweet slopers and fancy footwork and heel hooks.

For part of the problem you will be above a small, but sharp talus boulder that could do some damage if you back-flopped on it, so bring at least a couple pads and be judicious with their placement.

It was thought to be harder initially, but with the benefit of beta and clean holds, the problem has settled in around V7. Blah blah blah. Have fun fiddling with the slopers!

Hike into the main area of the Lower Satellites by following the signs to the Third Flatiron. Fifty yards after walking between the A-7 and BBC Boulders, look up to your right off the trail for a large boulder. Behind this boulder to the northwest are two 10 foot high boulders standing side-by-side.

Docking Port ascends the southeast corner of the left boulder. Match on a good head-high edge, get your feet on and reach for a good edge. The hard part's over, so just climb up and over.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Dark Side Boulders/Area