Weekend weather looks great for the Black Cliffs! Friendly reminder that the following areas are CLOSED for raptor nesting:
❌ Steep Wall ❌ The Far Side ❌ Nixon Head ❌ Scary Canyon ❌ Highway Face ❌ Face Canyon
Please do not hike to the top of the cliffs to set up topropes. This is a critical winter wildlife area. The area is monitored by Fish & Game and hiking up there could result in fines for you and denied access to Carbody Canyon for all.
Please alert us if you see any raptor activity so that we can notify volunteer raptor monitors to assess.
Give nests, and the closed areas, plenty of space.
Educate your friends about these closures.
SHARE this information amongst your community.
Explore some of the other walls the Black Cliffs offer.
Enjoy a Fair Dig Irish Red Ale during the month of June and $1 of the proceeds goes towards the Boise Climbers Alliance!
In addition, the Boise Climbers Alliance Board will be hanging out at Boise Brewing from 4 – 10 PM on June 23rd. There will be fun, games, and great conversation! We hope to see you there!
Happy Derby Day! TLDR: Scary is now open! And save the date May 20th for a trail day.
❌ Nixon Head – CLOSED ✅ Scary Canyon – OPEN ✅ East Car Body – OPEN ✅ Highway Face – OPEN ✅ Face Canyon – OPEN
Scary Canyon is now open!
Our awesome raptor intern alerted us today that Scary can now safely open, but Nixon is to remain closed. We really appreciate all the active monitoring this season, and all the climbers who have helped educate and chose to climb elsewhere.
Black Cliffs Trail Day
This wet winter is showing on the trails. May 20th , earlier in the day, come with your own snacks, water, gloves, and tools if you have them. This is not an official adopt-a-crag, and with more hands the work can get done faster. Exact time to be determined closer to the date, because weather depending.
❌ Scary Canyon – CLOSED ❌ Nixon Head – CLOSED ✅ East Car Body – OPEN ✅ Highway Face – OPEN ✅ Face Canyon – OPEN
The good news! For the first time in many years we can say there were no closure violations that we know of. Thank you very much! Thank you for educating your friends and being part of this community.
The not great news: Some nests did fail. However, failures this year were probably due to the weather and not climbers.
Note for Mountain Project Users
If you are using Mountain Project, we have noticed the closures only update when you update the app.
General Reminder
Please be aware that while the areas are open, there are still active raptors in the area and we want to respect their homes by keeping pets under control and noise to a minimum. If you see bird activity, please alert us.
And again, we had an interesting winter so please be aware of the dangers of rock fall during spring thaws. Climb on!
❌ Highway Face – CLOSED ❌ Face Canyon – CLOSED ❌ Scary Canyon – CLOSED ❌ Nixon Head – CLOSED ❌ East Car Body – CLOSED
Immediate closure update! Face Canyon and Highway Face are now closed! Raptor intern Mackey spotted nests today. Thanks to you all for educating your friends and respecting closures. With the weather and winter thaw, there has also been reports of loose rock, so be aware when climbing.
Above the Black Cliffs
This is a critical winter wildlife area. Do not set up top ropes or access from above. This area is monitored by Fish and Game and could result in fines for you, as well as denied access to Car Body for all.
What you can do to help us!
Please alert us if see any raptor activity and we will send volunteer raptor monitors to assess it.
Give nests, and these areas, space.
Educate your friends and share the information.
Climb in all the other areas, the Black Cliffs has a lot to offer!
❌ Scary Canyon closed ❌ East Car Body Canyon closed ❌ Nixon Head closed
Thank you to the consistent monitoring from the raptor intern, we received word that we need to give nesting raptors their space in Scary. With the weather and winter thaw, there has also been reports of loose rock, so be aware when climbing.
Reminder about East Car Body
The Face is currently open, and with the access trail being so close to the closures in East Car Body, please be cognizant of signs and not disturbing the area (ex: dogs and music). When accessing, veer right at the trail junction and do not disturb East Car Body.
Above the Black Cliffs
This is a critical winter wildlife area. Do not set up top ropes or access from above. This area is monitored by Fish and Game and could result in fines for you, as well as denied access to Car Body for all.
What you can do to help us!
Please alert us if see any raptor activity and we will send volunteer raptor monitors to assess it.
Give nests, and these areas, space.
Educate your friends and share the information.
Climb in all the other areas, the Black Cliffs has a lot to offer!
Hello climbers! Nesting season is upon us! There is a lot of info packed into this, so please take a few moments. Respecting closures and being aware of land issues is the most important component of maintaining access to our local crag.
Regarding East Car Body
Face is currently open, and with the access trail being so close to the closures in East Car Body, please be cognizant of signs and not disturbing the area (ex: dogs and music). When accessing, veer right at the trail junction and do not disturb East Car Body.
About above the Black Cliffs
This is a critical winter wildlife area. Do not set up top ropes or access from above. This area is monitored by Fish and Game and could result in fines for you, as well as denied access to Car Body for all.
What you can do to help us
Please alert us if see any raptor activity and we will send volunteer raptor monitors to assess it.
Give nests, and these areas, space.
Educate your friends and share the information.
Climb in all the other areas, the Black Cliffs has quite a lot to offer!
With the weather and winter thaw, there has also been reports of loose rock, so be aware when climbing.
Giving nests the space they need is one of the single most important things that keeps local climbing accessible. Thank you for your cooperation in this and please help spread the word. Climb on!
When: Thursday Dec. 8, 2022 @ 7PM Where: The Commons Climbing Gym (W West Emerald Street Boise, ID 83706)
This event’s tickets are donation based (suggested donation of $10 per ticket).
Flyer for the event.
The BCA thanks our sponsors Idaho First Bank and The Commons Climbing Gym for bringing Ray Brooks to Boise.
Ray grew up in the Wood River Valley, and after receiving an afternoon of instruction on roped climbing in 1969, eagerly embraced the sport. From 1970 to 1981 he was involved in achieving a bunch of new climbing routes in the Sawtooths (including an AAJ published description of his route Pachydermial Pleasantries on Elephant’s Perch in 1977) and even some first ascents of remote pinnacles.
Tom Lopez, author of Idaho: A Climbing Guide, calls Ray a “climbing force in the Sawtooths in the 1970s” who has “contributed outstanding articles on his climbing experience in the Sawtooths.”
Lopez continues, “Ray ran an outdoor shop in Moscow (ID) from 1973-1983 and, during those years, he climbed a number of new routes on Lightning Dome on the South Fork Clearwater River and at a rarely-visited area near Manning bridge, 13 miles upstream from Riggins.” [Ray] notes: ‘There were various other Idaho climbing adventures during those years, including 3 new, boltless routes on Slickrock near McCall.’”
Ray enjoyed a long climbing career, finally retiring after 50 years of roped climbing in 2020. Although the pace of his climbing had slowed after 1990, he kept visiting the Sawtooths and was part of a 2007 first ascent party on a remote pinnacle above Baron Lakes. In 2010 Ray started climbing more and more difficult routes at The City of Rocks. His old friend, climbing legend Jim Donini, would visit & climb with Ray and his wife Dorita every summer for a week.
