We left home around 8 PM Saturday night, hoping to get a good campsite around 3-4 PM in Indian Creek. We found a great dispersed site right near Hamburger Rock Campground!
Monday, Oct 19th – Selfish Wall
We started off the trip at Selfish Wall as per a recommendation from a blog for best beginner walls. The recommendation was spot on! Hand Solo was short but a great intro.
Hand Solo – 5.9, 30′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Lead it clean aside from grabbing one cam while clipping! 3 #1’s and 3 #2’s sewed it up well, I bumped a #3 up in one place. Used one quickdraw. Tricky! Feels plenty long.
Hand Solo 
Hand Solo 
Hand Solo
Bromance – 5.8, 50′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Clean. 1 #0.75 (up top), 1 #3, 2 #4’s. Definitely easier! Fun!
Cousin Luv’n – 5.9+, 60′ – ⭐⭐
After Bromance, I set the top rope on Cousin Luv’n. I had a foot varnish break off while climbing, so not well travelled yet. Pretty fun lean back though!
Rappelling Bromance 
Cousin Luv’n
The Ooze – 5.10-, 60′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Led it clean, easily! 3 #0.5, 4 #0.75, 3 #1, 1 #2 (at start).
The Ooze 
(Unknown) – 5.9, 60′ – ⭐
This one sucked! All #4’s (can use a #0.4 at start and one #2-3 at end). I had 4 and constantly was bumping them up, pulled on several pieces. Crack’s too wide!
Breakfast Social – 5.10-, 55′ – ⭐⭐
1 #0.3, 2 #0.4, 3 #0.75’s. Brought but didn’t place #3 at top, seems tricky to place and easier to just climb above. #4 might fit better there anyways. Fell at the crux near the top. Kinda fun.
Tue, Oct 20th – Way Rambo
This wall had the iconic Blue Sun hand crack! First we started off with a warmup 5.9, although it was still a bit tricky as some 5.9’s are.
Rochambeau – 5.9, 70′ – ⭐⭐
I hung on one piece while getting a better piece in.
Rochambeau
Blue Sun – 5.10-, 70′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So awesome! It was just about the perfect size for me. 2 #1’s, 4 #2’s, 4 #3’s. One additional #2 could have been nice but made it work, make sure to bump your first #2 up till you’re at the start of the actual crack!
About to start 
On lead! 
Way Putter – 5.9, 40′ – ⭐⭐
Meh… weird wide crack, not the worst but also nothing really worth doing. Pulled on one #5. Used 2 #3’s, 3 #4’s, one #5, one #6. The six was definitely needed!
Way Putter 
Way Putter 
Way Putter
Renegades of Funk – 5.10, 65′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Fun climb that starts inside a chimney and then ends with a layback! 1 #0.4, 1 #0.5, didn’t use any #0.75, 2 #1, 2 #2, didn’t use the #3. Would have brought doubles #0.4-0.5, maybe triple #1. First half easy.
Optimator
After taking a lunch break, we headed over to Optimator to try a few more routes, but only ended up doing one, Lady Pillar, which was really fun!
Lady Pillar – 5.10-, 110′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really fun route, nice to get up high on something! Not very sustained, lots of breaks and platforms and variety of climbing. Held onto one piece while clipping, otherwise clean! 2 #0.4, 2#0.5, 1 #0.75-2, 3 #3, 1 #4. Triples of #3 was plenty. Really pretty route!
Wed, Oct 21 – Hike to Druid Arch
A break from climbing!
Thu, Oct 22 – Cliffs of Insanity
Prepare for Disappointment – 5.9, 50′ – ⭐⭐⭐
3 #0.75, 4 #1, 1 #2, 1 #4. No #3’s needed. #1’s are important up top, use your #0.75’s down below (I had to bump up a #1 at top since I used two below). Only one place for a #2, but it saves using another #1 instead. Fun varied! Need 4 alpine draws.
Dread Pirate Roberts – 5.10+, 60′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awesome route! Hung 3x for rests, otherwise clean! 3 #0.5, 4 #0.75, 2 #1, 3 #2’s.
R.O.U.S – 5.10-, 100′ – ⭐⭐⭐
If you like chimneys and some stemming, this is a pretty neat route! It traverses sharply at the end so maybe not best for a follower. However, I took a lean back less protectable way directly to the anchor to avoid that traverse. That route was still about at grade.
Princess Buttercup – 5.10-, 70′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you like stemming plus cracks, you’ll like this one! 1 #0.75, 2 #1’s, 3 #2’s, 2 #3’s, 2 #4’s. Nice to have the second #4 for the top just before anchor. Not very sustained, lots of nice rests and ledges and great stemming! Got it cleanly!
Mini Cave – 5.10-, 45′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Really good lean back to practice on since it’s so short! The walls are steep and smooth and intimidating, but it all protects so well and is short, perfect for boosting your confidence. 3 #0.5’s, 4 #0.75’s, 2 #1 (at the start). Crack is consistently exactly between 0.5 and 0.75. Got it clean!
Campfire and s’mores time!
Fri, Oct 23 – Donnelly Canyon
Donnelly Canyon is one of the many super busy and short approach walls.
Generic Crack – 5.10-, 120′ – ⭐⭐
A super long route, has three awkward and difficult pods, and overall kinda painful on the feet. Not the best crack out there. The hand crack parts were pretty fun, but hung prolly 4x, only had 4 #2’s so also had to lower a couple times and clean pieces. Used 4 #2’s, 3 #3’s, 3 #4’s, 1 #5 (near start). Save a #4 for the very end. I got it cleanly on TR afterwards!
Owl Crack – 5.10, 80′ – ⭐⭐
Hung like 4 times, pulled on like 2 pieces. The buldges are tough. 2 #0.75’s, 4 #1’s, 4 #2’s, 1 #3’s, 1 #4. Maybe could have brought doubles #3-4, wanted a #3 or 4 up at the end. Alexis got it without aiding though, and she really liked this one!
Mr. Peanut – 5.10+, 60′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Got it clean! Fun! Good amount of stemming and chimney. 2 #0.3, 3 #0.4, 3 #0.5, 1 #4 (near top, could use finger crack instead), 2 #5 (one at very start).
Sat, Oct 24 – Sinbad Wall
Another good beginner crag!
Hot Sex – 5.9, 45′ – ⭐⭐⭐
A good warm up before trying Manifesto! Nice that it’s short, it’s sustained. Worth the little scramble up to it. Got it cleanly. 3 #1’s (first half), 3 #2’s (second half), 1 #4 (at top), 1 #5 (at start). Didn’t need my 0.75’s at all. Bring 4x of #1 and #2 to completely sew it up.
Manifesto – 5.10, 70′ – ⭐⭐
Difficult! Hung several times, pulled on two pieces in the top off width buldge. 1 #0.75, 4 #1’s, 3 #2’s, 2 #3’s, 1 #4. Top is really cruxy and awkward. Left anchor bolt is loose, can’t tighten with nut tool though (rock buldges prevent the tool from getting in there).
Fission Quest – 5.10, 45′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really fun finishing move!! Got it clean! 2 #0.75, 3 #1’#s, 2 #3’s (and placed a #4 at the ground, and used a #2 to build anchor). The bolt anchor is far right, need to build a cam anchor to TR.
Unnamed Left Facing Corner – 5.11-, 60′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My first 11-! And I led it a second time and got it cleanly the second time!
The first time, I hung only once right before the buldge. 2 #0.4’s (at start), 2 #0.5’s, 4 #0.75’s. Brought #1’s but never could use them. Pretty easy lean back with one crux at the buldge (but then great rest with feet just above buldge).
The second time, I knew I had to just pull through the buldge. Used doubles of #0.4-0.75, it starts with 0.4, then 0.5, then 0.75. You technically can place a #1 at one spot, but only one spot. Super fun! Alexis got it clean on TR her second try too!
Just below the crux 
Night climbing! Scarface Wall
After dinner, we went up to Scarface to try some more good sounding cracks since rain was coming in the next day.
Black Uhuru – 5.10+, 120′ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
120 feet of super fun lean back! Looks really intimidating, but there’s lots of rests. It’s essentially 7-10 feet of crux lean back climbing followed by a really good break, and then repeat that the entire way up. 3 #0.4, 2 #0.5, 1 #0.75, 2 #1’s, 1 #2 (at start). Fell right at the finishing move! Otherwise clean!
Vienna – 5.11-, 60′ – ⭐⭐⭐
Worth aiding through the early roof crux to get to the AWESOME hand crack above it! 1 #0.75, 4 #1, 4 #2’s. Overall, easier than Scarface.
Scarface – 5.11a/b, 90′? – ⭐⭐
Similar to Vienna, but longer/tougher and without as enjoyable of a hand crack. The crack on Scarface consistently leans to the right, meaning you have one foot in the crack and one foot on the smooth face. Also has a crux start (finger crack). Aided up finger crack and then hung 3x. Mostly #1-2, could use one #3 at the end.
Sun, Oct 25 – Battle of the Bulge
Rain (and snow) was forecasted to come in this afternoon, so we did a quick climb at Battle of the Buldge first.
Pigs in Space – 5.10, 120′ – ⭐⭐⭐
This was one of Alexis’ favorite climbs! It’s pretty great, definitely way better and easier than Generic Crack! I pulled on 2 pieces to climb quickly (it was looking cloudy). Used 1 #0.4 (at top), 2 #0.75’s, 3 #1’s, 3 #2’s, 2 #3’s. There are a couple pods, but they’re way less awful than Generic Crack.
