All Locations > Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons > South > Slab

Undertow

Name: Undertow
Rating: 3.7

5.12b YDS 7b French 26 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 26 ZA E5 6b British

Routes in The Slab

L › R R › L A › Z

	$00pr kr33m S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Anaconda S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Boys with Power Toys S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Bulges T 5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c R
	Diagonal T 5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c R
	Family Man S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a
	Film Noir S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Hippopotamus S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Hunger, The S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Just Another Boy's Climb T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	k00kEEz and krEEm S 5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b
	Keyhole, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Kr33m in the $33m TR 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Left 'N Up T 5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c R
	Low Traverse T 5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c R
	m1n1-kr33m TR V5 6C
	Nasty Boys S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Niblits V7 7A+
	Northeast Arete T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a R
	Pen 15 S 5.13a/b 8a 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c
	Prime the Pump S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Prime the Pump (Pitch 1) S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Return of Dow, The T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c X
	s00kr33m S 5.13a/b 8a 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c
	Shalohsh S 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Sick For Sleeping S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Sump Pump S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Sweet NiBLitz S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Syzygy T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c R
	Trad kr33m T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Undertow S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Up and Right T 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a PG13
	Whipped Cream S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Whipping Post S 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a

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Type:	Sport, 80 ft (24 m)
FA:	Rob Candelaria and Eric Fedor, 1989
Page Views:	17,722 total · 62/month
Shared By:	Orphaned User on Sep 19, 2001
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Explore this route in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Access Issue: 2024 Crag Closures & Temporary Trail and Raptor Closures Details

The usual crags are closed for climbing for raptor nesting:

See: bouldercolorado.gov/service….

Click here for the trail closures. Some are M-F, some are 24/7. These impact the Bear Canyon/Fern Canyon regions primarily:

flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…

Click here bouldercolorado.gov/service… for the latest in raptor closures.

Description

A Flatirons mega-enduro overhanging classic! Long (80 feet), pumpy and just plain fun, this is a must-do for the grade.

Undertow is the third route from the right on the imposing, overhanging west face of The Slab. It is well-shielded from the Fern Canyon trail by a thick, piney forest and climbs a spectacularly colorful wall on (mostly) positive horns, crimps and jugs. Expect some bizz-ness up by the lip.

This route is very-chalked up and quite easy to find.

Protection

Six bolts to double-bolt anchors; you can stick-clip the first bolt. There is a also a single belay/directional bolt on the ledge. Some people use cams between the fifth and six bolts on the flaring crack out right.

Per Will McNeill: WARNING: the 3rd bolt pulled out 12/16/17, leaving the route in an unsafe state. As is, there is a lot of decking potential through the thin moves before bolt 4.

Per Aaron Glasenapp: there has been an ongoing saga about the 3rd bolt, but on 7/11/23, it was replaced with a glue-in bolt and is now safe.

Location

Scramble around to the west side of the Slab from the Fern Canyon Trail and continue uphill (south) past the towering middle section of the wall. Undertow starts from the right side of the large ledge splitting the face and can be reached via a series of 3rd class ramps.