Reverse Traverse

Slippery jugs and sidepulls with now-you-see-them-now-you-don't feet to a good rest.

Following the rest comes the crux: A tricky, strenuous roof problem that is all about feet. The bit past the crux is exciting due to lingering crux-pump.

Finally, a bit of nerve-wracking (you don't want to blow it here, now do you?) traverse moves with poor feet to the chains.

Mandela

A burley, steep beginning through three bolts to less-steep, but still pumpy terrain above.

Steel Monkey

This roof route has a nasty boulder problem in the middle. Some bad crimps, a hard to spot pinch and some tricky footwork gets you set up for an improbable feeling right hand toss to a horn. Once you snag the horn easier climbing for two bolts leads to the anchors on a big ledge.

The Membrane Roof

The crux is the overhang near the beginning. If it wasn't for that, it would probably be an .8 or the like.

[Redacted]

A short, pumpy route with some tricky movement.

Start climbing up to the first bolt with a pocket and some small  edges. Clipping the first bolt is balancy, the path over the bulge to the second bolt is not immediately obvious and requires some strenuous positioning.

Following the second bolt are big holds (with occasionally tricky body positioning) through the third and fourth bolts, followed by smaller, less positive holds to the chains.

On There

Just left of License To Thrill is a stiff problem that fires up to the left side of a roof. Route 66 has pumpy, fingery climbing on small pockets and edges. Crux was a bit below the roof and needed good contact strength - seems like you are always on your arms. The roof sequence is described as bizarre in the Ruckman/Ruckman guide. Tricky yes, with an overhead bolt to start, but it runs out once you stand up over the roof. Definitely worth a burn.

Route 66

This route starts off on a smooth low angle slab of sweet-looking white limestone. After a break in between bolts 2 and 3, the route steepens. You can cop a rest in a corner to the right, but from there on it's all business.

There's a small tricky section right before clipping the anchors.

All in all a pretty fun climb with some neat moves on flat jugs and small pockets.

Insane in The Membrane

A high-stepping start on big holds leads to a puzzling, overhanging bulge.

Wide stemming may make it more difficult for the vertically- or elastically-challenged.

Watch out for the wash basin (you'll know it when you find it).

Kitchen Sink

Fairly long and sustained 5.11a climbing on quality rock. Look both left and right of the bolt line for the best holds. Look left of the chains for big clipping holds.

Riptide

This is route #9 on the topo. It pulls the roof to the right of License to Thrill and then connects with it after the roof.

Flight Fright

A near-classic warmup. Worth doing and not overly bolted; the pump factor can make it seem a number grade harder. Just stay on your feet and make the big reaches.

At the third bolt trend right. Directly above (or maybe slightly left of) the third bolt there is a newer bolt that makes a one-bolt linkup with

Drop Zone

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If you find yourself crossing the arete to the left you've gone the wrong way.

Caress of Steel

Steep, broken rock, mostly big holds, less-than-satisfying feet.

Climb up lower-angled rock onto the ledge, clip the bottom bolt, take a deep breath, and start flinging for the holds. A few big moves, and the occasional wish for better feet make this a pumpy, breathless affair.

A brief bit of confusion may ensue at the last bolt until you figure out the best route to the chains.

Mucus

Start the same as for Little Big Wall, but head right.   The line climbs a perfect sequence of positive holds.   The crux is just above the 3rd bolt.   Pumpy!

Unknown

Fun, short route with some good, reachy moves on good holds. Crux is between the 3rd and 4th clip. Chossy, dirty rock between the last clip and anchors (don't fall here!). Worth doing if you're in the area.

Little Big Wall

Take the first 4 bolts of Dad Dick and bust right into a continuous boulder problem to the jug on Membrane roof. Skips both cruxes but still manages to be harder than either of the straight up lines.

Plasma Membrane

This is an alternate start for Mandela. Start on sidepull flakes to a jug pocket. Then the crux begins with 2 fingers pockets and crimps. The 4th bolt joins with Mandela, and adds a bolt for the scary runout on Mandela.

Nelson

Start on pockets then edges up to the obvious hole 20 feet up.  Climb out of the hole and up 15 more feet to the anchors.

Rincon

Start to the left of Caress of Steel. Climb up and right on a slab through a few cruxes and finish on the pillar looking feature.

Drop Zone

Super easy slab to the start of the roof. Then you grab the jug pocket and venture out the roof through a 10 ish move compression boulder problem. Then you reach a slopey jug at the last bolt and pull the easy last moves on the upper slab to the ledge where the 2 bolt anchor is.

Dad Dick

AKA: "High Tide Traverse" Start: Caress of Steel, climb "Between The Lines", end: Riptide anchors.  Really fun route, good addition to an older wall, pretty obvious traverse. crux is the route 66 bottom and mandela crux.

Between The Lines

I'm not sure about adding this as a new route but I just added a 2 bolt start to flight fright so you don't have to start on license to thrill. Makes it a bit more sustained, but the crux is still the mantle out of the roof. Finish on license to thrill.

Flight Fright direct

Low angle at the beginning with lots of big holds. Trend up and left until you reach the base of a corner. Use the crack and some stemming to gain a really good gaston pocket. One or two more tricky moves will get you to big holds and the anchors.

Butterfingers

Classic AF limestone haul - who can forget the hype surrounding the one "big" feature 15 or so feet off the ground of License to Thrill. Since License went in, there have been many good limestone hauls established here and elsewhere, and nowadays it may be less of a thrill than it was a decade ago. Nonetheless, License is probably one of the not-to-miss classics at AF. I thought the crux was high, at or below the roof band where things are a bit spooky (there is a clip just over the roof, so don't give up!). Pumpy throughout.

License To Thrill

Work up the crimpy face with bad feet. The crux is between the 2nd and 3rd bolt. There is an upper bulge that is committing but not to bad. Finish up on easier climbing to the chains.

Reverse Osmosis

Short and sweet with a very distinct crux. This route will have the gym rats lining up to tick their first 12a. The first two bolts will lull you into a false sense of security. Clip the third bolt off of an adequate pocket and get ready for the freak show.  After the pocket you will swear the holds have broken and the route is now impossible but have faith and look for some minuscule pimple like bumps masquerading as holds.

Hang on and dig deep to recruit every fast twitch muscle fiber you have and slap desperately to a decent edge. Two more bolts of easier climbing lead you to an oh so awkward mantle guarding the anchor.

The climb is the first line of bolts to the left of the main area, after the large mossy section.

Awkward climb, bolts don't follow the flow of the rock features; stay left. Cruxy bottom leads to poor anchor placement at the top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Membrane