A bit of interesting climbing that frankly, my memory of is fading.

What I do recall was pushing myself fairly hard on pretty bad gear- some nuts and tricams half buried in shallow cracks and seams for quite some distance to a ledge with trees from which I was able to bail off on rap and clean my own gear. Casey did not follow the route, she only belayed it. Perhaps the original line will never be certainly found, but I am including it here for reference and maybe someone can find it and repeat it...

There is only a short span of cliff with these shallow "cracks" that give the impression of someone having run their finger shallowly through a soft tub of butter.  My notes say "#5 means alive," referring to a 1/2 burried stopper I fell onto on my first try that held, remarkably.

Fading Memory

This is the dihedral on the upper ledge above Fotress Grunges.

Oozing Couth

One of the nicest moderate trad routes in the Red, and it takes good gear if you have it.  The first pitch takes a few larger cams (perhaps to 4") and the second pitch a standard light rack.  Bolted belay/rap anchors make this climb a good first multi-pitch.

The ledge where the anchors are to end the first pitch is pretty small and can hold 4 people max.

Party Time

As far as I can tell this was indeed a new route, but it’s hard to believe this had not been climbed before at a fairly popular cliff. It starts the same as route 52 and climbs the wide crack up to a small ledge. (Highly recommend a 5 and 6 for the first pitch) From here set an anchor and belay up. I believe the original route 52 follows the big crack veering left and traversing around on to the ledge with cussin crack.

For plenty of sun continue up the big crack for 15ft or so then do a couple face moves up and right to gain a seam. Make a couple horizontal placements and the seam turns into a major dihedral that goes to the top of the main cliff. There is one wide section where a 5 or 6 is helpful (which is needed on the first pitch anyways). At the end of the dihedral make a face move to the right, grab the top of the cliff and make an airy mantle top out.

Pitch 1: 50 ft hands to offwidth belay on small ledge

Pitch 2: 80ft continue up the wide crack then move right to a seam that turns into a big dihedral take the dihedral to its end and top out the cliff.

Descend via tree one 70m gets you back to the ground.

Surprisingly good route, clean rock, good protection the whole way, and it tops out the main big cliff at a moderate grade! Plus a great view!

PLENTY Of Sun

There are two options for the start... The normal way is to scramble up to the crack from the right using an easy ramp to the right of the tree... I enjoyed a direct start a few feet to the left of the tree... The direct start was a little harder than 5.7 and had PG13 protection but i thought it was really fun... Once you get to the crack you just jam and layback your way to the top passing an interesting move to the left... Pull through the steep bulge at the top and stand on the ledge, which has bolted anchors.

Calypso I

Start up a wide crack below a left-facing corner, just southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. This start is probably harder than the traditional grade fo 5.3 it was given. Perhaps it is 5.5 or 5.6. Once through the awkward start, pull up into Central America and grab your way into central Mexico, with a good hold somewhere in the Yucatan. Now that your feet are also on solid ground and no longer in the East Pacific, place some slings on chicken heads and puzzle pieces and head for the border.  Climb up on easy holds up and left to a small ledge, then up lower angle rock to a large ledge. Webbing on trees was once the mode to belay from here, but since, bolts have been placed for a belay and rap.

To make it challenging, skip the crack and pull directly onto the map into Mexico from SE of Texas.  This is height dependent.

American Wall

This is the next dihedral right of American Crack. It is a good alternative if AC is stacked with people waiting. Stem up the dihedral to a cruxy move below a great ledge. Continue up the steeper, but easier dihedral to bolt anchors on the left.

Route 48

Calypso I is typically done by traversing the easy ramp to the right. It is possible to do the route with a direct start on the face below the main route ledge. The direct start is definitely the crux for the whole route, but the holds are good and there are two horizontals for placing pro. Once you get onto the main ledge, follow the flake to the top.

Calypso I (direct variation)

A hard climb when it is dry and ill-advised when it is wet.  In the wetter seasons, it can drip water all day. A challenging route with hand-size dependent difficulty, I find it worthy of the 5.10+ rating, given my smaller paws.

Start up in the left facing corner on smaller gear and do a few stemming moves (5.9?) to get tucked in under the huge roof.  Make your way out the roof on good jams and pull the lip (crux) above a large cam and a large Jam.  The day I did it I ran into Ron Snyder at the top, who commented that he believed that the route may have gotten harder since the FA, perhaps that a finishing hold over the lip was gone.

The Battlement

A great pitch in its own right and adds height to whatever initial climb you use to approach the starting ledge. A Red River Classic.  The standard climb is 5.9+, and a second pitch of aid (reportedly A2/C2) can be done to reach the top of the rock.

Where Lizards Dare

Climb the overhanging dihedral to the left of snake. Starting on the left crack is easier. pull onto a ledge. Continuing on to the second ledge is much harder than 5.4 and kinda scary.

Bonzo's Revenge

Start just to the left of the tree growing against the cliff. Easy moves leads to a short fun hand crack near the top. Slings around a tree at the top to lower off of. You can also continue up to the top via Oozing Couth.

Fortress Grunges

This route ascends a right facing crack around the corner from cussin crack. Not much info on this old route, I’m not really sure where it is supposed to end, maybe traverse off left and descend same as cussin crack? I would recommend a 5 and 6 Camelot to protect this route, it’s got a bit of offwidth.

Route 52

Stem into the corner and discover that the apparent hand crack is not deep enough for good solid jams. The good news is that it does take good gear. And the crux is thankfully short.

Once under the roof you have three options:

1) SECOND BEST OPTION- Place a good nut or cam in the left crack around the roof and sling it long. Climb up, staying left

2) BEST OPTION- Place gear in same place as option one, then climb past the roof slightly left of center on big holds. Solid climbing and fairly well protected.

3) WORST OPTION?- I have not climbed the crack to the right, but it looks harder and less fun than the center route.

After the roof you have a similar choice, but none are good. The standard path is straight up the very friable left facing flake. Be forewarned! In the summer there is usually a wasp nest in the flake just before the top out.

This is a worthy route, it just has a few detracting factors, such as the poor rock quality in topping out and the presence of wasps most of the summer.

Bombs Bursting

The crux is getting off the ground, and I feel that has never been accounted for in the traditional grade of 5.4. The climb is probably more like 5.6.  I have photos of trad newbies getting boosts (standing in cupped hands, on knees and backs, etc...) to get started on it!

Once you do, it is good rock, good gear and good moves up the crack system for 60' to a ledge.

This was my college girlfriend's first ever trad lead. An older pal followed her on it, cleaning. Casey asked time and time again:

"How was my (such and such a piece)?"

Bruce would answer:

"Pretty good" or "You could have placed a bigger hex."

Just before the bulge up top he was hard for her to hear:

"How was that last hex"

"You could hang a cow on it"

"What?"

"You could hang a cow on it"

"I can't hear you."

"You could hang a cow on it"

"Tony, what did he say."

"He said it would hold you."

The crowd below burst out in laughter.

"Oh.  What is so funny?"

I was later in pretty big trouble...

American Crack

A great route normally done as 2 short pitches. Climb a left-angling flake to a big ledge with a huge block on it. Belay here to avoid a bad line with your rope, even though you are not yet more than 50' up. Walk right to a second crack in the wall which ascends up and right on hand jams (crux) and horizontal holds through a steep section headed out right towards an arete. Finish on face moves to reach the top. Belay & rap from bolt anchors.

Bedtime for Bonzo

This is an awesome and fun hand/fist roof crack. It felt hard (or just really physical) for the grade but it is the RRG. Start on a steep jug haul with good gear to gain a small ledge, before entering the roof crack. Rest, then jump into the crack with bomber hand and fist jams and a jesus jug inside the crack. Once you pull onto the small ledge at the roof lip you will want to yell "Brawk!" to any nearby climbers. You are the Thunder Chicken.

Thunder Chicken

Climb the easy looking crack all the way to the bolted anchors... Though it is 5.6 you might find that it makes you think a little... the crux is roughly in the middle and involves jamming an some precise foot work...

Protects well...

Calypso II

This route has a little bit of everything...fingers, off-width, over-hang, face climbing...

Climb through an over-hanging section to a ledge.  Climb the thin fingers dihedral until it widens to OW.  Work your way up this to a ledge with anchors on a large boulder.

I gave this a "PG" rating because of the start and the boulder below it.

Blue Runner

A good climb with mostly good gear, but a few tricky spots getting around bulges. In 1990 my climbing partner managed to fall with his foot tangled in the rope on lead. After I carried him out over my shoulder, we took a trip to the hospital to treat his concussion and to get stitches in his back where a "chunk" had been torn out.  Needless to say, when I later led this route it was with some anticipation and fear, though it turned out to be unwarranted.

To climb this route, scramble up a few moves to reach a bit of a ledge at the base of the main corner. Place good protection and start off on a series of sequences and rests. The key is to go when the going is good and stop to place at the rest stances on jams, stems, and good ledges. Continue up past each ledge encountered to the top of the corner system and then left on the final ledge to the crack on the left side. Belay from a tree on top.

While there are a few ledges with trees (and rap stations with slings), proper use of slings make this good as a single long pitch.

To descend, make a single rap on 2 ropes, or rap the route in reverse, stopping at belays as necessary on the way down.  Unless something has changed, I believe it is 2 raps with a 60M but a 50M rope may require 3.

[Redacted]

Usually done to jump ahead of the queue for Bedtime for Bonzo. From the bolted belay station scramble left and through a crawl space or narrow ledge to the start of the 2nd pitch of Bedtime for Bonzo. If you go all the way through the hallway to the top of the first pitch of Bedtime there exists a trail to scramble to the top or to descend the route.

Get Outta My Way

There are a few variation, but the most straight forward and pure line is to follow the wide crack in the NE dihedral that starts on a ledge partway up the saddle between the Turret proper and the main wall. Climb the wide crack to the face above. Protects better than it looks from below. The crux is the summit move.

You can start anywhere on the slab or short cracks  on the saddle and then step over to the upper face. Popular area for beginners.

The Turret

A great route with the sole flaw of not being longer. This route is pretty good and offers good protection.

Negotiate your way up to the shallow slot above the small tree a body length above the ground, then pass the crux getting out of the wide spot and into the crack above. A set of anchors is at the top to belay and rap from.

Snake

Start up Party Time, belay at p1., traverse right and find the beautiful splitter that leads to a ledge and then up the dihedral to the roof, traverse right to dirty mantel on to the right side of PT Ledge.

After drinking way to much the previous night and  with a bad hangover we managed to get going around 2:00 in the afternoon and snagged the FA of this classic line. 10/22/17

The After Party

This route looks like a wide glaring chimney but actually protects well with a rack up to 4 Camelot. Mostly face climbing in and around a chimney at the bottom and a bit of offwidth towards the top.

Cussin crack

Climb the hand crack through an overhang located on the right facing dihedral about 30 Ft. left of the start of Where Lizards Dare.  Follow the crack to an alcove.  The crux is near the top where the crack thins out a bit and enters the alcove.  This route can easily be combined with Snake to make a nice 80 Ft. climb.

Scratch Your Face

A good climb despite being wide up top. Perhaps the best easy introduction to offwidth around, the top will fit and arm and perhaps your head.  Many a gumby leader has survived learning to lead on this route even before the advent of what we refer to as 'large cams' these days.

The traditional grade of this climb was a sandbag at 5.2.

Calypso III

Did you come to Fortress for The Battlement and Thunder Chicken? Well if you did, don't leave without doing this one.

Climb the first pitch of Bedtime for Bonzo then head about 75 feet to your left and locate a 4 foot hand crack through a roof. If you hit Days of Rage then you've gone too far.

Funky arm bars/chicken wings/fist jams get you to the roof. #3 protects the funk but #4 is probably better. Wiggle up into the roof (#2) and battle over the lip. A #3 or #4 will see you over the lip.

I didn't leave webbing so either top out and rappel BTFB or bring some webbing for a tree.

An Ode to the Battlement

A decent route for anyone, considering that it can be TR'd from the anchors on Snake.  Mostly good climbing, on mostly good rock, but a serious undertaking as a lead.

Serpent

Climb a dihedral to an alcove under a roof, build belay here. Climb under roof and make some awesome moves over the lip. Felt hard for 10b but it was put up in 1977. Rap from tree the may be dying or dead.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Fortress Wall