Northwest Branch- 495 boulders

While many people have heard about Long Wall at Northwest Branch and wondered where it was, most people I talk to don't even realize that there are any boulders further down river from there.  Well there are!  Keep walking until you're close to the I-495 overpass, and you'll find another small collection of boulders.  Although most are too small to really be worth climbing, there are two before the overpass that I like to climb, and one further down that I'll address in a future post.

I haven't been able to find any references to established problems on these boulders, so I've just marked the things that I do when I'm down there.  But hey, it's not like there's any neon tape telling you where to go, so do your thing and have fun.

For the first boulder, start looking across the river as you approach the overpass.

 (explanation of number symbols here)

Problem #1 follows the crack line up to the gap, then moves left across a diagonal to finish.

Problem #2 moves up the face and joins Problem #1 at the gap.  Below is a picture of me on this one.

Me on #2                           Photo by Luke Anderson

The second boulder is on the trail side of the river, just a little further down.  Look left up the hill and you'll see it.  Please be aware that the landings can be awkward due to the boulder being on a hill.

 (explanation of number symbols here)

Problem #1 starts low on good diagonal holds, then moves slightly left and up through opposing sidepull crimps to top out on slopers.  I think we've finally broken off all the loose holds, so the rest should be solid!  Note:  Crashpads slide very easily here, and we've often needed a spotter to keep the pad in place.

Problem #2 moves up the triple slab face, using the crack on the right and/or the arete on the left.  A great easy line.

Problem #3 starts sitting and squeezing both sides, and moves straight up.

Me on Problem #1