Climbing Updates For The Highway 50 Corridor and Along Highway 88

 

 

Due north of and slightly uphill from Lizard Head are three tiers of walls. As of mid-November of 2011, 33 new routes have been established, or some perhaps re-established. With the two pre-existing routes on the Goblet Wall, and one on Chimp Rock, there are 36 total. The Goblet Wall is 15 - 20 m tall. Middle Ground is a blocky area most to the southwest, its southwest corner characterized by a prominent overhanging block. The Button Tower, so named by the obvious button-block on top, has two older bolts on top of the button, perhaps from an abandoned route project or some top roping; no sign of previous route work (piton scars, bolts, etc) could be found. They are not useful for TR'ing, as they are set too far back. Nonetheless, one can "daisy-chain" the old anchors to safely reach the east and northeast anchor sets. The anchor set for "Button Tower Terror" is accessed by a short chimney move off the southwest block down into the notch, seen just left of the Button in the photo above. Among these three formations are multiple trad and sport routes. Approach the formations by heading up the Lizard Head trail, and where that trail bears sharply left out of the "ravine", continue up the steep ravine for an additional three minutes. See detail map below for trails. 

 

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By mid-December 2011, trails were cleared all the way around the north end of Button Tower and West Rock.

 

Yellow route = unk. name, 11b, well bolted. Starts around on the NE face. Top anchors serve for two routes, are set too far back to be of good use. Same as red route in photo above.

 

Black route = "Snapp Happy", 11b, FA Duane Lyons, 7/10. Looks deceivingly easy, but is hard right from the start. If you're a purist, you could walk a large cam up the major crack on the left.

 

Red route = "Vmax". See description in a photo below.

 

Blue route = "White Knuckle Ride"; see "F" in a photo below. The top of the route, over the horizontals, is actually to the left of the blue line shown here. The photo below shows it better in its correct line.

 

A: Wants to be, but the upper section blanks out. Still, looks do-able at hard 11, or 12.

 

B: "Wasps Up, Doc". 5.8+. FA Jerry Klatt, 9/2011. See the white patch about halfway up? Yep, a wasps' nest, and they get pretty cantankerous. Small to medium trad gear except last move, the crux, which is bolted. The top of the rib on the left, for a foot, is considered poor style, though you can use it to decrease the difficulty.

 

C: "Are You A Flake?". 5.11a/b. FA Duane Lyons, 9/2011. Route uses the face at bottom, and everything in and to the right of the flaring groove are on. The platform on top of the left rib is OFF. 4 bolts/hangers, and one small piece of gear in the upper groove. The "flake" is the sharp edge to the right of the groove, offering thin fingers. That being said, one can use the crack to the left, and make the whole thing 5.10a. Please use great caution with the horn/flake that makes the 2nd & 3rd moves; an outward pull could break it off and destroy this fine climb.

 

D: "Pillar Of Pucker". 5.10c. FA Duane Lyons, 9/2011. The pillar is composed of 4 or 5 pieces of detached block. It is probably safe to put your first piece of gear high on the right side of the lowest pillar only. The remainder is safely bolted. Editor believes you are asking for trouble by placing gear behind any of the upper blocks, as you would probably pull out your gear and a block if you fell. Upper face is the crux.

 

E: "Folly Bergere". 5.10b. FA Duane Lyons, 10/2011, 2nd Superman Steve. 2 pieces of large gear in the slot, the other four are bolts/hangers. Scramble up the base blocks and make the clip before putting any weight on the "block" out to your left. Make sure the belayer and rope are well down to the right. It's entirely possible that the several-hundred-pound hollow block could detach as you put your weight on it and mantle up. Then the wide high folly bergere step. The platform breaks up the route a little, but the upper face is also challenging.

 

F: "White Knuckle Ride". 5.11b. FA Duane Lyons, 10/2011. Start from the ground, making easy moves up to the base platform. Then start up the obvious flaring and thin crack (takes small gear) from atop the boulder sitting on the ledge (start could be 5.11d or 12a without using the boulder). Above, move left out onto the face divided by horizontal ledges, and top out via two bolts/hangers.

 

G: "V-Max". 10b, FA Duane Lyons, 7/10. Medium gear at bottom, then all smaller gear the rest of the way, in good slots and in the back of the upper crack. Also, see one of the photos above for direct view.

 

H: Snapp Happy". Shown and described in one of the above photos.  

 

Approach these routes from Lizard Head or from the Goblet Wall. Either way, start up the rockfall at Chimp Rock and at the level of the upper side of Chimp, a trail goes right, through oak trees, to the base of these climbs. Start from the ground; the first move is 4th class on to the top of the first block - routes diverge from there. To get to the top anchors, continue up the rockfall, following ducks, up and right, then as you pass to the left of a shady oak tree, turn to the right and scramble out to the top of the rock. Getting to any of the sets of top anchors requires moving around on ledge systems, the upper one much more secure than the lower.

 

A. Shake And Bake, 5.10c/d. Clip first bolt from the block, step out right onto a thin foothold that's about 2m below the first bolt/hanger. Figure out (without using edge system to the left) how to step up to the sloping ledge, move right on it, then mantle up to the platform just below the most prominent knob. Clip and make a balance move onto the knob, then continue up from there. 20m. FA Duane Lyons, July 2011.

 

B. By Gully Right, 5.7. Climb up the right crack/slot of the open book. A #5 cam is helpful in upper section, but other pro can be gotten in the  left crack. All trad. 20m. FKA Jerry Klatt, July 2011.

 

C. By Gully Left, 5.7. The left crack/slot, with good footholds on the outside, if you don't get wedged in too far. Many good gear placements. The very top move uses the interesting thin flake. 25+m. FKA Jerry Klatt,

July 2011.

 

D. Baked Alaska, 5.10d. Clip first bolt on a low angle face (the lowest red X is shown incorrectly, it's lower down. It's there because the move is thin and a fall would send you 5m to the ground into nasty brush, and the belayer wouldn't be able to spot the leader well enough). This start, rather than starting in the corner is more in keeping with the nature of this climb. The crux is between the 3rd and 4th bolt. 25+m.

FA Duane Lyons July 2011.

 

E. "Grind 'Em To The Quik", 5.11b/c. FA Duane Lyons, Dec. 2011. From a platform, make a difficult starting move protected by a bolt/hanger. Then step right and start up the left-curving finger-eating dihedral with orange lichens. Difficult fingers in the horizontal, then climb straight up the notch (gear) to the anchors. The bolt/hanger just at the horizontal allows you to clip at your waist, so that a fall here would prevent a decking on the platform below.

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A. Love Rodent, 5.11. FA Duane Lyons, Aug. 2011. Struggle up the lower chimney, then figure out how to get around the roof. Small - Med gear down low and up high. One bolt/hanger.

 

B. Duckbill Platypus, 5.11. FA Duane Lyons, Aug. 2011. Use mostly face holds as the crack doesn't offer much but small fingers. Sustained climbing. Using backwall (fin of Greyfin Tuna) is poor style. 4 bolt/hangers.

 

C. Wrigley's Left, 5.9 squeeze chimney. Can be led using bolt on Greyfin Tuna and gear. Use a little caution in passing chockstone up high. Mainly TR.

 

D. Greyfin Tuna, 5.8. FA Jerry Klatt, Aug. 2011. Make an awkward move at bottom onto a ledge, clip the bolt/hanger, then climb up the nose of the fin to the blocks above. Gear if needed for bottom move, then gear in crack on right wall to make last move.

 

E. Wrigley's Right, 5.9 squeeze chimney. Probably a little harder than Wrigley's Left. Can lead using bolt on Greyfin Tuna and gear. Mainly TR.

 

F. A TR wants-to-be: a beautiful hand/finger crack leading to a horizontal ledge. Probably 5.11+ to stand up at the horizontal and make the top move. Try it on TR.

 

G. Noser, 5.10a/b. FA Duane Lyons, Aug. 2011. A gorgeous straight-up finger-jam crack w/ perfect gear placements. Then the awkward move to the horizontal crack (a moveable but tight wedgestone and/or a moveable but tight small horn); move a little left and mantle over the top via one bolt/hanger.

 

H - J. Jam It, Hug It, Squeeze It. Do the left crack purely as a jam without using the face features to the right. All three can be done trad and in quick succession, and all are 5.8+/-. Short 10m routes.

 

K. A Line And Three Kilo-blocks. 5.10d, FA Daune Lyons, Sept. 2011. A thin sharp lieback finger crack takes small nuts only. Then bigger gear in the slots above while climbing the blocks.

 

Around to the right of the above photo, and still on the same level, are: "Tres Mesas", and "Squeeze And Pucker". See in descriptions below, under the photo titled "Button Tower And Alcove: Southeast Face".

 

 

 

A. "Button Tower Northeast Face", 5.10c. FKA Duane Lyons, 10/2011. This is the farthest route, around to the northeast, on the Button Tower. Start at the base of this pillow-looking block, just left of the oak tree, or start at a large flake just left of this block. A combination of small gear and bolts/hangers gets you 25m - 30m up an outstanding route. Sustained 5.8+ climbing brings you to the crux horizontal and then the improbable stand-up, with the "Button" overhanging your stance. We believe this and the next two routes are as good as any at the Spires.

Hike around east & northeast, and start in the obvious curving crack by the large tree stump.

 

B. "Button Tower East Arete", 5.11a. FA Duane Lyons, 10/2011. Starts around on the northeast corner of the Button Tower. Climb the steep thin crack to a short lower-angle portion, then right up the arete. Small gear and draws gets you up this outstanding 30m route.

 

 

From the top of Middle Ground, go up then right around an improbable corner, by a small manzanita bush, to get to the base of these climbs. All the detritus at the base of this area was cleared after the photo was taken. Although the platform is adequate and very nice, with great views, it is pertinent for the belayer to plug a piece of gear into the slot at the base of "C", so that if the leader comes off while doing the very lowest part of "B", you don't both take a death tumble off the platform.

 

A: "Button Tower East Arete". See description in a photo above.

 

B: "Button Tower Terror" (aka Breaker, Breaker, Crasher), 5.11d. FA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Access the top anchors by climbing up a ledge system out on the west side of the Tower massif. The base of the climb is obvious at a short vertical crack or groove. 6 bolts/hangers. Several difficult cruxes; the hardest is passing the 5th bolt. NOTE: the "Button Tower East Arete" is out on the edge, to the right of "Button Tower Terror".

 

C: "Southeast Chimney". FKA (maybe it's been done before?) Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Right exit makes the thing 5.9 overall, the left exit is overhanging and about 5.11a. Mostly gear, big and small, except it shares the second bolt of "Dangling Participle".

 

D: "Dangling Participle". 5.10c. FA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Starts at corner out to the left of the chimney. 

4 bolts/hangers.

 

E: "Two Face Character". Left variation is 5.9 and uses the left edge in the upper portion; FA Jerry Klatt, Nov. 2011. Center of the face variation is 10c, and needs a 00 or 0 cam (a little difficult to place) in the uppermost horizontal. FA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Start in a grassy wide 5.6 groove at the bottom, which needs a #6 cam, or a Big Bro', to protect, if desired. Move up to the overhang - medium gear is a little awkward here because the crack flares out in its back. Step onto the face and figure it out from there. Left variation shares the last move with "Division Fissure". The harder variation steps out on one of the horizontal grooves and finishes on very small knobs.

 

F:  "Division Fissure". 5.7. FKA (maybe it's been done before?) Jerry Klatt, Nov. 2011. More or less divides the left East face from the Southeast face. Start below a bit of a bulge and gain the fine finger crack. Climb up and enter the fissure, making a few awkward moves here and there. Shares the last move with "Two Face Character". All gear, medium and small.

 

G: "V _ _ _  ger". 5.7 or 5.8, depending on how you do it. Balance up the sloping ramp to start. Large piece of gear at bottom, then one bolt/hanger (avoids having to put gear in the slot with the hollow flake, it's unlikely that the brittle nature of the flake would hold if you fell on gear placed there), then small/med. gear to top anchors.

 

H: "The Slick Slashes Right". 5.10b. FA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Go about 2+ meters up the sloping ramp, and start on a small flake/ledge. Gear and two bolts/hangers. Balance moves with greasy rounded ledges for holds.

 

I: "The Slick Slashes Left". 5.11a. FA Duane Lyons, Nove. 2011. Starts down low on the very nose of the wall. Gear and one bolt/hanger.

 

J: "Coming From The Shadows, Baby". FKA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Starts way back inside the dark slot and goes up blocks, exits to face climbing without using the big open platform on the left. All gear.

 

K:  "Tres Mesas". 5.9. FA Duane Lyons, Nov. 2011. Find the start by entering a major slot in the rock, accessed from a trail atop the Goblet Wall. A bit runout to first bolt, but it didn't make sense to put in a lower one. The shiny bolt/hanger just out left from atop the second platform is not for pro, but is clipped to keep your rope from hanging up in the thin slot just below the bolt/hanger.

 

L: "Squeeze And Pucker". 5.11b/c. FA Duane Lyons, Jan. 2012. Starts immediately at the entrance to the slot which leads back into "Tres Mesas". The face portion is the corner to the right of "K", and just left of the arrow, above. Very difficult chimneying for 4m, then move onto the face from the platform, with increasingly difficulty as you climb. Bolted on the face. One can do the chimney much more easily by climbing farther inside the slot.

 

See descriptions in photo above

G: "V _ _ _ ger"

H: "Slick Slashes Right"

I: "Slick Slashes Left"

J: "Coming From The Shadows, Baby"

 

Developers acknowledge that many years ago, somebody did some <probable> toproping here, as there is a single anchor on top (use it to safely reach the anchors, photo right, or top-of-rock left). The base of the rock was hugely overgrown and as of mid-December, is reasonably clear and open. The access directly to the base, goes to the rock from where this photo was taken. One can get to the top either around the left side, or via a trail from the west side of the Button Tower.

A. "Montar Las Olas", 5.9 or 5.10a. Thin start via two bolts/hangers. then smaller gear. FKA Jerry Klatt, Dec. 2011. Start up the seam, then climb up via both Cretaceous waves.

B. "Raisins In The Cream Of Wheat", 5.10c or d. FA Duane Lyons, Dec. 2011. The left-hand start, right at the base of the nose, is 10d. The right-hand start is 5.8, and can either go by clipping the bolt or by placing a piece of gear in the hand crack. Two cruxes above midpoint. Using the right rail helps pass the lower crux, but must be considered off-route, as that rail is part of Montar Las Olas. There are two high steps above the third bolt/hanger. The top bolt/hanger is shared with "Pull My Ear, Knobby", however, stay to the left of the bolt to finish this climb.

C. "Pull My Ear, Knobby", 5.9 or 10a. Climbed Dec. 2011 by Duane Lyons. Place gear as high as possible from a stance just below the crack/flake. The lidback is very strenuous above, and it's difficult to reach around and place gear. From the platform, step out right onto a knob, clip, and finish on enjoyable knobs and a pocket.

D. "Dreaming Of Bygone Bushes", 5.9 or 5.11+, depending on how you do it. Climbed Dec. 2011 by Duane Lyons, after the bush was <mostly> cleaned out. After going up the ramp system, make a step up onto a knob to enable placing the first piece of gear, then gear the rest of the way.