Test Pilots

Start at thin right facing flake 10' left of Test Pilots.  Move to a large horizontal opening and clip bolt.  Make some bouldery moves to get to the second bolt. Clip a new bolt in the white horizontals.  After third bolt move up and left through bulge placing gear.  Move up and right to the Test Pilots anchor.

Rocket Science

Crux is getting past the one and only bolt. Stem the pillar, clip the bolt, and suction yourself onto the slab. Move left under the bolt and pull thin crimps to the rewarding ledge. take the right hand corner of the flake passing great gear the whole way up to the Weight and Balance Check anchors.

The Crimp and the Crush

P1: very thin, sequential face moves with the trickiest section near the 4th bolt at the top 5.10+. Belay at tree

P2: Great! Undercling to TCU's to 4 bolts and a bolted anchor. Nice hidden crimps and a high reach roof

Weight and Balance Check

Short finger crack below fix gear slung on vegetation. Start on small rock ramp and make a few crack moves.

Z Crack

This mega-classic is another Doug Reed ground-up testpiece.

Climb amazing and crimpy face past 3 bolts and a gear placement to an intermediate anchor and lower off. 5.11 a/b.

Or, continue up and right for the technical and well protected crux move. Move slightly right then fire straight up (5.9 R) to the top. Belay off a very healthy juniper tree.

Focus

This bold, steep route is another memorable Doc Bayne adventure. Savor it.

Crank the creaky flakes to a nice crack section. Follow the crack up to a bolt and a stance. Climb past 2 more bolts(steep)into a right facing arch. Plug in a key cam or nut midway up the arch(hard to place)and blast up to jugs. Finish up the left facing crack/flake to the top.

The climbing is 4 star but the rock is less than perfect.

Backdoor Man

This is an easier companion to Flakes of Wrath.  This area stays shaded all day, so it is a good warm day option.  There are two distinct cruxes, one at the base and one up high (tricky gear).  It is recommended to stick clip the first bolt for the bouldery sequence at the start.

Start below a 4-bolt mixed line.  The climb starts at good edges and moves up to an odd shaped right facing flake.  The line follows additional flakes to the top with some great rests to place gear and contemplate the next series of moves.  Fun route and a great warmup to Flakes.

Watch for expanding flakes and loose holds.  Exiting right after the last bolt would be dangerous as it is full of large loose holds.

Flakes of Bake

OW thrashing. If you like it big and mean then this is the one for you. Climb to the top of the 5.6 flake that is used for the start of Kosmonauts. climb to the back of the cave like feature and then come out the wide crack in the roof. Turn the lip and head up to the anchors for Space Monkey.

Kennedy Space Port

Climb the 5.8 wide crack to a stance behind the pedastel. Move up and left into the wide left leaning crack. A 4 and 4 1/2 camolot will protect the moves out of it. Exit the crack and move up and right to a bolt. Go straight up on sparse gear(tcus) and one more bolt to a run out 5.8 section. Step through this to reach a double bolt anchor. Either top out on the buttress or rap off on 2 ropes.

Kosmonauts

Fun and slightly heady climbing.  There are probably no moves harder than 5.9, but it might be dangerous for a climber who doesn't have 10- climbing and gear skills.  Start in the gully/ramp left of Test Pilots and step off the slab to gain the thin crack/flake.  Get good gear at the top of the feature and in high and right horizontal before moving right ~6'.  Note, the traverse right is protectable, but effort needs to be taken to place the gear properly.  At the end of the traverse pull up onto the slab where it seems most reasonable.  Continue up to the overhanging wall and move right to the left side of the "arete".  This section can be protected, but skill is needed.  Proceed up the face on great gear and trend right to the Test Pilots anchor.  An alternate 5.10  start that follows the flake all the way from the ground can be climbed for a little added spice and pump.  The face climbing at the top is the original finish for Test Pilots, and the more recently added Rocket Science.

Co-Pilots

Steep face climbing thats somewhat spicey.

Space Monkey

Nice crack with jams or a lie back start leads to a set of good horizontals. You can use the last of the horizontals (0.75-1 size) to build a nice anchor for top roping. The route finishes at a tree ledge where you can continue up on Check and Balance or step right to the rap anchors.

***The rap anchors have been moved and are now mossy hooks under a small roof just behind the trees. ~15' right of the climb.

5.8 Crack

An interesting climb with a highly technical start - what I like to call "old school", followed by an excellent headwall finish on amazing holds.  Look for a tricky kneebar at bolt 2.

Climb the ramp feature up and right past 2 bolts (and the crux - 11d/12a) to jugs; protect the second well here for the crux below. Make an easy traverse right to a stance below the short but awesome headwall (11) and 2 final bolts.  Climb past them to a ledge and an anchor.

Gimme three steps...

Climb a line of four or five bolts past steep, incut flakes to a stance above a fixed pin. Climb up the left facing arch past good but hard to place gear and pull the lip (crux) of the arch to a stance below a steep, featured headwall.  Get tricky gear (nuts) and blast up and right for the top of the cliff.  Belay or lower from a cable thread thru. Edge is sharp in spots.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Test Pilots Buttress