A powerful start leads to a cruxy balance move. Sustained, delicate climbing leads past several small corners and a small roof to finish on a ledge.

The fact that this route has been flashed by Lynn Hill should be enough to silence any complaints about the reachy climbing. The crux is 100% Index and is more than enough to keep almost any ego in check.

The second clip is powerful and a fall from that point would be a ground fall. Also, my diminutive 5'10" reach was just barely enough to get the first quickdraw on from the ground, so bring a tall friend (AKA a stick clip) along if your arms are shorter. The bolt after the crux is even more reachy unless you are bold.

Spooner

An area classic, possibly the best or second best sport route I've ever done. Vertical climbing with hard cruxes and great rests. Very intriguing climbing!

One can fairly easily set up a TR on this by lowering off the anchor of the extended version of Cunning Stunt.

Fifth Force

Thin, steep laybacking, protected by nuts.

Patrick's Flake

Sport climb on the far right of the Country. Crux is at the first bolt, which should either be stick-clipped or clipped by reaching over from the nearby tree. Also a tricky knob section near the top.

Whipped Cream Over the Clothesline

From the anchors of SS Ultrabrutal, head straight up the bolted line.  There are cruxy moves between the first and second bolts (wide dihedral and thin traverse left) as well as immediately past the second bolt (long reach off a side-pull/undercling).  After the crux, enjoy varied climbing with some moves that still require attention, but are easier.

Tunnel Vision

Follow the bolts leading straight up from the top of Tunnel Vision. A tricky mantle, funky body positioning, and some big moves will bring you to an anchor. The movement on this pitch is excellent!

For full value, finish up and left via the steep bolted flake as per Conditioned Response. This gets you to Angora Grotto's anchors and does not change the grade.

Uptight

This fully bolted climb is a good addition to the rest of the routes at the country.  Probably soft for 5.11c.  It is a one move wonder with a weird mantel move.

Climax Control

A fun, short, steep thin crack near the quarry area.  Distinct cruxes on thin fingerlocks and highsteps with good pro on small cams and nuts makes this fun.  Up until yesterday (3/12/06), this was a 12a.  I pulled off the big jug on the route at the end of the day, though.  What's really scary is everybody has been yarding on the thing for years - it's the best hand and foot on the route, and a great spot to place gear.  It was a 50 lb. block held in by mud.  Wow.

So the crack now awaits a first ascent! Get after it!

Steel Monkey

Pitch starts at the indextasy anchor and goes up and right, following the flakes. You can rappel to the ground with a 70 m rope

Kaboom aka Jesus take the wheel

This fun climb has been retro-bolted and is now a easily protected trad climb.  A boulder problem at the third bolt leads to easy crack climbing and a chain anchor.  Some of the bolts may be hard to clip for shorter people.  Soft for 11d.

Just say no to Frank Sinatra

Another rad pitch that sees almost no traffic. It was given .12a in the original Clint Cumins guide, which I think it definitely earns in relation to other lowertownwall classics. Begin on tenuous knob climbing via Little Jupiter (short version) or Big Science - Both of which end on a ledge 50' up. These are rated .11d or .12b respectively to the 50' ledge/anchors. From the ledge, clip a bolt and climb up and right into a fun and juggy flake (.10) which takes great finger-sized gear. After the flake ends, a few bolts lead past a very tenuous crux crimping on perfect stone, with a few hero jugs over the roof to the chains.

This pitch used to have a huge railroad spike bashed into a pocket up high (a drilled angle piton on steroids) and girth hitched for pro- this has been removed and replaced with a normal bolt. I wonder if the FA team ran out of bolts (or just wanted to save $) and simply walked over to the tracks and robbed the railroad for the final fixed piece.

There is an extension which feature an immediate crux (chipped right hand pocket) rated .12b or .12c in the various books, and which then passes a couple more bolts and a remaining railroad spike "piton" before anchors up and right. The full version to there would be a 45-50m pitch and is almost certainly very dirty.

Scientific Americans

Scramble up some easy ledges to a flake and clip the bolt (on Longlife?) if you want.  Head right up a finger crack that morphs into a chimney.  A little dirty but fun!

Mourning Star

The second bolted line to the right of the tunnel, identifiable by the fixed pin at the start.  Follows a discontinuous line of flakes up a steep face.  The crux comes about  halfway up at a slabby reach move before getting into a juggy flake that leads to easier climbing above.  Sustained, fun, thought provoking climbing.  It is exposed and dries quickly, and is climbable in low temps.

Cunning Stunt

This begins with the start of Fool's Gold. After climbing the large flake at the bottom (either side), face climb up and right past two bolts (includes a fun mantle move) to a large orangish flake with rippled rock texture. Jam and layback the left side to the top of the flake, then do a few power moves left to the shallow corner (perhaps the crux) and go up the corner past two more bolts. Near the top, there is another cruxy move involving a palmy layback. Belay or lower from the chains in the alcove.

D is for Dictory

Yet another Index classic, first pitch follows various features to a slab section(11a), then jugs to the top...excellent climbing. The second pitch goes straight up from the anchors, through a roof/layback (11c) to huge jugs and a fun technical finish. Soft for the grade.

Kite Flying Blind

Crux comes down low, but remains technical with multiple Index levitation moves...just before the first 5.12 crux there are anchors, stop here for the 11d short version...or man up and go for the 5.13.

Little Jupiter- Short Version

A fun route with great rock and varied climbing.

Right of the tunnel is a large flake. To the right of this flake notice the ledge going across to the right, about 20-feet up. (The ledge become a large ramp on the right-most side where it intersects the hillside.) The first pitch starts at the two-bolt anchor about 1/3 of the way across this ledge.

To reach the start, you have a few choices. The easiest is to hike up the trail to the left of the ledge and then walk out the ledge. Some parties may not want a rope to get to the bolted anchor, but if the ledge is wet, it might be nice to have a short belay.

P1: (5.8+) Climb up the corner past a bolt to a long ledge. Traverse to the left end of the ledge, where you will find a bolted belay by the tree. Uses face and layback moves plus the occasional jam. Protects well with nuts and cams.

P2: (5.9) Continue directly up the corner and then up an easier flake section. This pitch can take big gear to protect the easier section, but cams to 3" would be fine for those comfortable at the grade. The moves between the corner and the crack/flake above can be hard.

P3: (5.9)Head left and then up a crack to bolts at the top.

A fun variation is to follow the crack up and right from the belay (Heart of the Country, 10b).

Descent: Rap the route. You can reach the ground from the top of the second pitch with 2 60-m ropes.

GM Route

Is it a face climb? Is it a slab? Its the bolted knob route to the right of zoom.  Boulder up onto a ledge, clip a bolt and make an insecure lieback sequence to jugs.  Trend right and up to a crimp rail.  At the end of this rail is a difficult clip.  Moving off the sidepull at the end of this rail is the crux.  A few more moves off bad knobs lead to the anchors.

Wham

This route is reached best by traversing across the ledge at the base of

Dead Bobcats Travel West.

(Itself a fun route) There should be an anchor at the base of the route. Move left and follow knobs up a steep wall. Typical Index knob climbing. The crux is passing a bulging section around the 3rd bolt. The bolt is close but care needs to be taken in falling due to the slabby undulating nature of the rock. After this two more bolts lead to an easier crack section (~1.5” cam is used here – 1.5 rigid friend was used on the FA) After passing another bolt a traversing crack system leads  left (gear needed here)  to join the

Heart of the Country

route.

The Scoop

A fun three pitch line, unfortunately it seems that only the 3rd pitch gets climbed frequently.

The first pitch starts right of the cunning stunt area, it goes up a large block and climbs to the golden flake(obvious).  Climb the left side of this until you can traverse right to the gm belay. (5.10)

The second pitch climbs a crack to the left of the dihedral, that is the 2nd pitch of gm.  Climb the crack to a stance at the base of the arete.  From here you traverse right to the gm belay via two options.  Shorter folks will want to traverse low protecting this crux traverse with a solid black alien/grey tcu.  Taller folks may want to climb up the arete to a fix pin before traversing right.  Doing the higher traverse maybe wingspan dependent.(5.11-)

The third pitch tackles the classic heart of the country splitter hand crack, reaches a ledge and boulders up another short classic hand/thin hand crack. (5.10)

You can bypass any of the pitches by climbing the gm route since both routes share belays.

Heart of the Country

The right-arching crack/ramp just to the left of the tunnel. The route is short, protects fairly well, and can be a good easy warmup.

SS Ultrabrutal

This the bolt line that leads up and left from the Zoom anchors. After the lower section, pull a roof (5.10) onto a slab (huge hand- and foot-holds that gradually get smaller), crux is the very last move.  Fun moves.

Leave My Face Alone

The route starts as per Big Science. Move up jugs to an undercling to clip the first bolt, then the route trends up and right past 5 bolts to a chain anchor. All the bolts are painted brown.

Indextasy

Index's only multipitch 5.8 that doesn't involve climbing the buttlips chimney!

Pitch 1: Climb

Mourning Star

(5.8) and continue 20 feet up right to the anchor of Zoom.

Pitch 2: Start up Leave My Face Alone, following fun blocky terrain on bolts.  Supplemental gear is available in places.  Move right under the small roof to a triangular belay ledge. (5.7, 70', ~7 bolts)

Pitch 3, The Flake: Tricky and reachy right off the belay.  You may want to just climb on your belayer to reach better holds.  Follow the nice flake system to the top. (5.7, 50')

3 raps to get down with a 60 or 2 raps with a 70.  Toprope the slab of Leave My Face Alone while you're up there!

Originally climbed many years ago as a second pitch variation to Zoom, these two pitches on top of Mourning Star make a fine addition to Index's limited selection of relatively beginner friendly multipitches.  Climbed but never actually cleaned, the third flake pitch is labeled 5.9 in Sky Valley Rock.  Significant excavation there in the spring of 2018 yielded fun and wholely new climbing.  We decided the ledge below the flake was a natural stopping point, allowing for one fully bolted pitch and descent with a 60 meter rope, and more digging and the addition of anchors in spring of 2019 completed our vision of the route.  Though not a classic, this is a worthy route for the budding Index climber.  Enjoy!

Leave My Flake Alone

This is a nice variation to the finish of the first pitch of HOTC.  It adds 20+ ft. of climbing to an already excellent climb.

After clipping the 3rd bolt, continue up to the crack, follow the crack until it peters out. Move up easy ground to GM anchors.  The "crux" is where the crack thins down and is easier if you are under 5'6''.

Right Ventricle

Climb the off-fingers to hand splitter crack up to the roof.  Bolts protect the crux roof and the surprisingly fun climbing to the anchor just below the lone cedar.

Two 70m rappels to the ground, or use two 70 m ropes and set up a BIG Top Rope for the hordes at the base.

Angora Grotto

Climb Phone Calls from the Dead, clip and pull the bolt above the anchor and when you can grab a hold, get back to free climbing.  Climb into the stem box (crux) with powerful stemming and crimping.  This is followed by  less technical but off balance climbing in a shallow corner.  Finish at the Heart of the Country anchor.

This can be easily TR'd from the HOTC anchor.

Phone Calls Full (Long Distance Phone Calls from the Dead)

Starts with a hard, bolt-protected mantel(10d), then follows two more bolts up easier climbing. Go slightly right over the small roof with a few finger jams. Then follow the knob climbing (10b) with natural gear for pro. A slight runout to an overlap near the top, but you can place a finger-sized nut immediately after. At the overlap, look for sidepulls on the left.

It is possible to skip the bottom mantel by climbing up to the right (~10a), then stepping onto the mantel ledge. Be careful of the landing though if you fail.

Zoom

This is a right facing corner with a finger crack. Go up the slab and into the crack in the corner. The crux is near the end.

Cream of the Country

This climb weaves a path up the wall to the right of Total Seawash Calypso. I believe the current interpretation is a combination of the beginning of Savage Gardens and the end of Willing Slave (see below), but I'm not sure. The climbing is exciting and has short cruxes between stances throughout. The climb falls under the 'slab climbing with features' category and has some classic Index moves!

Savage Gardens

Bolted climbing leads to a crux fingerjam in a bulge. More climbing up cracks and corners leads to a two bolt anchor.

Crowbar

This is a somewhat short but very engaging edging problem. A crux right off the ledge surmounting the first bulge is guaranteed to get your attention. The rest of the climb is sustained crimping and edging with another hard section near the top.

Total Seawash Calypso

This route is the middle of the three bolted routes on the left side of the country.  It is definitely a one move wonder with the crux coming around the 2nd or 3rd bolt.

Frank Presley

This is a good alternative to approach the first anchor of the GM route if the bottom is wet. Varied climbing with an athletic finish. Start as for Heart of the Country on either side of the large detached flake (no pro). Sling the top of the flake and step right and up to 1/4" bolt. Runout 5.8 on small ledges to the base of the second detached flaked with rust-colored surface. Finally put in some good gear and shake out. Climb left side of flake with a couple of thin hand jams. Once at the top of flake, hand traverse 20ft right to the large ledge at the anchor for the GM route. Rating is height and lichen dependent.

Fool's Gold

From the top of the first pitch of zoom step right and follow bolts to the top of the wall, 12 or 13 clips.  The crux is a single face move but there are also three unique mantels along the way.  A 60 may or may not get you down, a 70 definitely will.

Hairway to Stephen

Start from the anchors of kite flying blind and break left.  Start with a tricky dynamic move and climb into well protected index trickery around a seam.

Wipe

Fun face climbing capped by a very difficult mantle.

This route is immediately right of the second pitch of GM.  From the anchors, walk right several feet on a ledge to a wide crack.  Climbing this leads to an undercling.  Heading rightward leads to the real business, face climbing on chickenheads, jutting intrusive stones, and tiny edges.  Climb mostly straight up until you reach a sloping, narrow ledge, then hand-traverse right to the anchors.

The final mantle to the chains is rumored to be impossible for humans.

Phone Calls from the Dead

Start by climbing straight up from the ground through knobs and face holds (5.11-) just right of Little Jupiter, or by traversing in from SS Ultrabrutal (easier although unprotected for the first 25 feet or so. Climb the flake system up to the small overlap, clip the bolt and get ready to pull.

Big Science

This route is a laughable sandbag.  I would call it 5.11c, R, A0.  The very first move is the crux and has a bolt clippable at head height...it involves a one armed leap off okay feet and an okay crimp, HUGE move. For getting a PG-13 rating in one book and R in the online guide, it probably isn't too bad on lead, huge jugs to clip from, crux's are very well protected.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Country