Colorado · Rock climbing · Boulder

North Shelf Block

North Shelf Block in Colorado has 10 bouldering routes across 5 grades.

North Shelf BlockPhoto: micahcraig, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
10 routes
V0 – V6-7
Bouldering

Best time to visit North Shelf Block

Best months: April–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    47° / 21°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    48° / 22°

    7 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 29°

    8 wet

  4. Apr

    63° / 34°

    10 wet

  5. May

    71° / 43°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    83° / 51°

    10 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 57°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 55°

    10 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 48°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    66° / 37°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    54° / 28°

    6 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 21°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Boulder, CO, 2.7 mi away at 5,484 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

North Shelf Block is a climbing area on Boulder Memorial Hospital - Open Space, a city-managed parcel in Boulder, Colorado. It sits among several other climbing spots and trails, so it works well as a stop in a day of exploring the surrounding crags and paths. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Boulder show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 79°F, with July peaking near 88°F. Lower Fin, Mount Sanitas and Ridge Gap Wall all lie about 0.1 mile away, and the Dakota Ridge Trail is just as close. For a longer outing, Boulder Creek offers canoeing about a mile off.

Routes (10)

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Lower FinPhoto: micahcraig, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lower Fin

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Mount SanitasPhoto: micahcraig, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mount Sanitas

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Ridge Gap WallPhoto: micahcraig, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ridge Gap Wall

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Second ButtressPhoto: Mihnea Stanciu, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Third ButtressPhoto: Mihnea Stanciu, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Third Buttress

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Fourth ButtressPhoto: Akos Kokai, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Fourth Buttress

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Little CragPhoto: Mihnea Stanciu, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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