This route is located in the upper Narrows and is found on the south wall of the pass. I believe it is the third line of bolts from the right (west) end of the wall as you face south.

The Big Smile

An easier start to bypass the heinous thin crux of Alma and still enjoy the upper pods? An independent traversing odyssey through an unlikely line of pockets begging to be climbed? Regardless of how you look at it, Bomb Track is a worthy adventure linking intriguing features into a fun varied pitch.

Enter the Bomb Track by pulling into a right facing dihedral lined with pockets. Crimp, jam, undercling, arm bar your way to the 3rd bolt then bust a hard left, traversing along more pockets to reach the base of the first shell hole. Tackle the first technical crux, figuring out an elaborate sequence to enter this hole and meet with

Alma B

. Clipping that 6th bolt (4th of Alma) with a runner will help control rope drag but add a bit of intimidation to the mix...

Crawl into the next smaller pod by milking amazing pockets and take a nap in there. Once you feel refreshed devise a way to extricate yourself from the pod, go through a tough bulge and slab your way to a giant undercling (and an optional great rest in a crack). Bust left on the slab, executing a thin crux to reach excellent pockets (this may be much harder for shorter climbers and involve some serious friction). A short insecure lieback leads to huge holes in a roof and a final pull over the lip to the chains.

I doubt you could clean this one without taking a monster swing into one of the planks. Better have someone ready to second and take monster swing into thin air if they botch the traversing sequences.

Bomb Track

Similar to the 11c which tackles the big pod to the left, The Eleven (per JG's guidebook) embarks on a journey through a slab, a pod capped by a roof and a thin upper face.

Start in the creek and climb a smooth slab via intricate face moves on small holds, eventually reaching an insecure stance inside a small pod. A bit of trickery gets you out of the pod on bomber underclings, giving you time to contemplate the second half of the route. You will be rewarded by another great resting stance if you survive the crux, a left trending affair of bigger moves on small holds and diminutive feet. Once you've regained your composure, surmount a final bulge on chossier rock to reach the anchor.

The route seems to meets with the 12++ to the right (a route which branches off from Alma) but an independent easier line of holds can be found directly above the last resting stance.

The Eleven

AKA:

The Real Slim Shady,

This route is freestyle’n. A real battle... Start on obvious jugs, get your palms ready, make sure they ain’t sweaty, don’t move up left and touch moms spaghetti. Move up right and be realisticle. Back up left and grab the testicle. Get set up to make a long throw, don’t miss your chance to blow, this opportunity only comes once in a quickdraw yo.

But for real, be a thug and make it to the top.

Slim Shady

First bolt is high but there are jugs that take you to it.  You have to start by crossing the river to the rock.  1/2 way up you move right to think holds before reaching a monster right hand jug.  The top has a bulge and funny holds before getting to the bolts.  Fun climb but there are some loose rocks on this climb so be careful not to pull them down.

Walk the Plank

Moves lead to the bottom of the large pod then on to the arête. A technical crux requiring finesse and precision leads to a committing finish.

Narrow Minded

Quality bouldery start like it’s neighbors to the left

Alabaster

If the style of this route relates in any way to the personality of the namesake lady, she must have been quite a challenging wench to be around!

At time thin and delicate, sometimes thuggy and powerful, often balancy and insecure, this line will do its best to chew you up and spit you off using every trick in the bag.

Start in the creek (or on the plank a few feet higher) and rise out of the watery abyss via technical face moves on small holds and polished feet. The route shoots up and slightly right after the 2nd clip, the left bolt line leading into a stunning-looking 12+ (

The Fat Boys Sipping and Chipping Club

). Ignore this distraction and prepare for a taxing sequence with off balance moves followed by long reaches to small crimps and sidepulls with absolutely worthless feet. A thank-Jeeubs sidepull caps this section and marks a brutal change of style, from thin face to overhanging thuggery though a series of steep pods littered with bomber pockets. As soon as you're getting comfortable with the movement though, Alma changes her mind, taking away the holds and replacing them with a beautiful grey-streaked slab. Get used to feeling off-balance, switch to smearing mode and launch up this friction/lieback/barn-door adventure, eventually latching a couple or monster pockets. One last effort will see you over the roof and to the chains.

Alma B

steep, but short boulder problem into a sensitive rest, leads to pumpy 12b climbing, with a thin but fun finish.

River Runs Through It

Semi-steep at the bottom leads to a curious boulder problem style of climbing about half way up. Commit to finishing this cruxy sequence or take a sketchy whipper. Trends left into scoop.  Top has good holds. One can roll over lip and clip chains of Rivers Edge, but is intended to move up left over a bulge for a final hoo-raw. Has an "old school" feeling to it.

Old School

A little techy on the bottom until you reach the top right side of the pod under the mini roof. Quite "bouldery" to gain the elongated pockets and then committing moves all the way to the chains. Great style of climbing. Incredible rock. A Must Do.

The Fat Boys Sipping and Chipping Club

Walk the plank across the creek and then start off with some relatively juggy climbing for several bolts to about 2/3 height on the route. From here it turns up significantly and foot options get sparse. Moving between the big slippery pods is the crux.

Great stone and an interesting climb! Certainly not easy for 13a.

Nerve Agent

Alternate ending of an old

Jolly Roger

... After climbing through largest pod on this wall, bust out right through lightning bolt cracks. Move up and right of bulge. Explosive sequence takes you to the chains.

Thunder Ball

This fun line climbs in and out of one of the largest pods on the southern side of the upper narrows.

Start by padding up a thin slab past a couple of bolts (somewhat insecure and hard to read, stick clipping is recommended as the holds can get dusty) and establish yourself at the base of the large pod. Stem your way up the pod, avoiding a few loose holds, to reach a clip in the underbelly of the cave (long draw useful). Catch a sweet rest at the apex of the cave, using bomber jams to study the upper section. Clip the first fixed draw, extract yourself form the pod and launch up the lightning bolt crack feature, eventually tackling a final bulging section to reach the chains.

An alternative lines cuts right from the pod (

Thunder Ball

).

Jolly Roger

Start on a plank to the right of Alma B. Head straight up into the beautiful scoop under a streak that looks like a paintball splatter.  Move up slightly left and try to find your way through holds that are hard to read, at the bottom of the huge white water slide. Thus begins the crux. The crux brings you to the biggest deepest hole at the crag. At the top of the hole, you get a good rest before you tackle a short bouldery finish.

Quocs Wok

A good addition to the south side for an alternate warmup.  Fun climbing on positive holds and well bolted.  The crux is probably more about deciding to go left or right around the upper bolts than it is about the moves themselves.

Prince of Squeeze

Rivers Edge is the last route on the south wall of the upper narrows.  Climb past the cracks and finish on the arete to the left.

P.S. Don't bail to the right.

Description

Protection

Routes in South Narrows