Huge route! Power through the hard stuff onto the arete. Stay right of the prow and enjoy the higher tiers. This route is mis-labeled as Tarantella in Kelly's Obed book.

Electric Sky

Climb the left face of the corner (sometimes wet) and clip the first bolt while hanging from a ledge. Clamber up onto the ledge for a nice rest, and clip the second bolt. Now reach down and unclip the first bolt to avoid rope drag later down the road. Wander up the right face of the corner, past another lovely rest ledge on the arete, to anchors near the top.

Tarantella

A bouldery start leads up past the first bolt and onto the nice ledge at 15 feet. Style your way up the face to the right of "Ticks" until you are below the lower roof that Ticks dodges. But you ain't no roof dodger! 

  Clip the bolt on the underside of the roof, and show those kids how it's done. Continue up the steeper face above to big pockets and anchors.

Poison Ivy

Use the flakes toward the left end of the ledge to boulder up and traverse right to clip the low first bolt. Work your way up the face to the corner below the roof. Collect yourself, then swing over the roof and head straight up the face above past more bolts to anchors. 

  Fun moves throughout, and easier than it looks from the ground.

Ticks Are For Kids

Located on the crime wall. Awesome over hanging low crimp sequence leads to easier climbing above.

Gangsta

Climb techy face climbing on the left of an arete and part of the arete to a ledge.  Continue up through the steeper section above with a long move to gain the last bolt.

Aneurism

Classic Obed roof! Start off with a tricky boulder problem that guards the first bolt (stick clip). Climb the face and catch a great rest at the top just before the roof. Climb the roof doing some cool moves. Get passed some small holds and reach the chains.

Wheatward Bound

A great traditional route that requires much more crack skill than it's neighbor- Rolling Coal. 

  Scramble up the same dirty slab that accesses Rolling Coal.  A few intro moves get you below the flaring hand crack in a 7 foot roof.  Jam past good pods until the crack pinches down to fingers at the lip.  Long pulls between perfect fingerlocks with tough feet lead to a strange handjam and some much appreciated face holds.  A few easier moves gain a large horizontal break.  Traverse left to the finish of Rolling Coal. 

  Watch the rope when you are lowering, it tends to go into the crack which might cause issues lowering. 

  Would get extra stars if more sustained.

Rebel Flag

Boulder up a smooth face onto a small ledge (5.10ish), where you can get some gear. Climb up easier terrain into a seam/crack system that veers up and left to a bolt. The crux is after the first bolt. Clip the bolt and smear, hack, curse your way up under the roof where you can double up some large cams (#3 or #4 Camalot size). Pull the roof where a second bolt will greet you. Climb straight up to a 2-bolt anchor.

NC Sport Climber

Starts in a corner next to Aneurism.  

  Often wet.

Mixed Nuts

Somewhat steep with pulls on horizontals off the ground, then a jug at bolt 2 gets you a rest. Crimps above (crux) and for the rest of the climb until an anchor clipping jug at the top. Bad fall potential if you blow clipping bolt 3, so a longer draw is advisable there.

Giggle

Starts with a boulder problem and moves through mostly good holds with good protection. The top is pretty dirty, though.

Last Laugh

I can't tell you how many times I have been told this by the locals.   

  Established ground up, YAFRH climbs the steep face with a crack up high between Whippersnapper and Lounge Lizard.  Ends below the final roof near two small trees in a small cove. 

  Start about 20 feet right of Whippersnapper and scramble up the right side of the scoop to the base of a small overhang.  Place some nice pieces in a solid flake and do a quick lieback move to get over the roof to a good rest below some huge, scary flakes.  Get some great gear in a few horizontal cracks, move left about 6 feet to avoid all the dubious rock and pull gently for about 15 feet until you get to a ledge below the steeper headwall.  Follow uncut jugs heading towards the obvious crack.  Watch out for the occasional hollow sounding block and keep following the crack to a ledge and a three nut anchor below the upper roof.

Y'all Ain't From 'Round Here

A short, stout bolter problem with lots of big moves and a very hard crux in the middle. 

  Big moves between good but awkwardly oriented flakes get you to an obvious lie-back at mid-height.  A devious sequence of small crimps, and slopers gets you to a horizontal crack.  Then make one more very big move to better holds. Don't pump out on the easier steep finish! 

  Good rock, unique moves, this thing deserves more attention.

Temporary Insanity

This is the obvious chimney and roof crack system next to Heresy.  We hadn't heard of anyone climbing this before but perhaps the early developers Cormany and Stannard did this one back in the day.   

  If you're in the mood for some burly trad this is for you.  Probably way dirty and needs a good cleaning before you can enjoy the climbing.

Unga Bunga

Scramble to the first bolt at 20 ft. Continue for another 35 ft. of face climbing. Pull the roof and finish at the anchors.

Electric Chair

Lilly Bluff moderately pumpy sport route. Begin at the blocky flake to a short face below a short gently overhanging headwall. Blast through three or four move and two clips to the final vertical to sloping face to a double ring anchor.

Paraphernalia

A really nice route on very good sandstone. A low sloppy crux at the bottom leads to steeper climbing on jugs. The original grade of 11a from both editions of Watford's guide IMHO seems to be way too liberal. I feel a grade of 10b is much more appropriate since the move involves great feet and a long move to a jug off of a pretty good sloper. Maybe if you're shorter this may feel harder, but long moves is the general nature of Southern sandstone.  

  Whatever you feel the grade is this route is very good and should not be missed while visiting Lilly Bluff.

Ivy League

Similar to Yakuza and Gangsta. Power through the crux at the bottom and keep it together until one final tough move before the anchors.

La Familia

Great holds to a big throw/lock-off. Finishes on roof.

Clyde the Mega Dude

Start in the crack, work up to jugs with moves similar to Dinosaur Jr. It eases off before reaching a roof with some long reaches. Often wet.

Motion Sickness

Climb the face with a sloper crux move. Get a complete no-hands stance before the roof to lose that pump. Now just enjoy heel hooking your way across a long roof (5.10). Another classic Obed roof.

Heresy

"Start in the dirty chimney right of Electric Chair.  Squeal your way our right working the face and crack to the top."   

  Often wet.

Piggy

Climb the vertical brown wall (just left of Crime Wall) through horizontal slots and a few side-pulls. Clip the fifth bolt, then traverse up and right to the anchors. 

  This route does not get a lot of traffic. The ledge just above the fifth bolt had a lot of dirt on it. Traverse over left ~5 feet before reaching up to the ledge to clip the anchors. 

  Shares anchors with Dirty Deeds.

Done Dirt Cheep

Pretty on for the grade the whole way, fun climbing right off the bat. Pcokets, slopers, edges, etc etc great variety on good terrain

Egyptian

Originally done with traditional protection, this crack is now bolted for less bold climbers to enjoy.  Don't shy away from this one if you don't like cracks- it climbs more like a face route. 

  Lie-back a left facing dihedral and make a long reach to some decent holds below the crack.  Then enjoy the surprisingly good pods inside the crack to a no hands rest below the steep upper half.  Easy, but pumpy climbing takes you to the anchors.

Krieg's Crack

Starts on the left side of a large cave. Pull through the crack onto low angle climbing. Finish out the roof.

Whipper Snapper

Hieroglyphics' harder sibling. Bigger dyno, more points. 

 Calculate the precise trajectory to navigate the bottom boulder, and then ride jugs to the top. A little business about 3/4 way up keeps things interesting. 

Trickin the Weasel

a right facing dihedral that overhangs slightly. good feet on the wall to the right of the crack as well as good rest halfway up. Traverse right after the anchors for the 5.11d anchors; however, holds have broken.

Neanderthal

Pull a boulder problem off the ground to scoops and edges toward the top. Almost guaranteed to be dirty as it rarely gets traffic and has no roof coverage. 

Crackin' Up

Stick clip for hard moves right off the ground.  Step up and lay away a short steep crack to a a very positive shelf. Keep with it until you've pulled over the shelf and made the second clip then jug haul the gently overhanging wall into a crack to finish. This is a fun and pumpy route, but don't underestimate the opening moves.

Dinosaur Jr.

Like most routes on the Crime Wall, this has a bouldery start to a technical crux in the middle, followed by a juggy run to the anchors. 

Organized Crime

Climb the left side of the arete which is just left of Rocking Chair. A near-vertical face leads to a slightly overhanging face. Crux your way past some slopers to better holds and the top.

Lounge Lizard

Start in some underclings and move on up through crimps with some nice big holds here and there.

Drive By

Somewhat loose-feeling blocks for the first couple bolts (crux) will get you to iron plates that you can swim up to the chains.

First Laugh

The crux on this one might make you a quitter- unless you can haul on really small crimps. 

  Climb a grungy 5.10 intro up to two fins that stick out of the wall near the first bolt.  Then power into an undercling, make a strenuous clip and bear down on two small crimps.  If you can hold them, huck for a horn and keep moving to much better holds.  Easy but pumpy 5.11- climbing takes you to the top.

Ode to the Quitter

Established ground-up, this seam was very clean at the hardest sections down low but had a fine layer of dust/lichen/moss covers the upper part of the route.  However, it has since been scrubbed and now offers a great traditional challenge. 

  Climb a loose/dirty slab to the base of the large roof.  Place some perfect finger sized pieces then pull onto the roof and traverse left along a nice rail.  Get a nest of good gear, work into a solid undercling flake, and crank past the roof using long reaches, toe hooks and a hidden hold out right.  Place another nest of good gear in a thin horizontal crack and punch it for easier ground.  Enjoy a splitter 5.10a finger/hand crack with lots of face holds to the top.  

  Although this route is protected by trad gear, it climbs like a sport route.  The only place you jam a crack is the much easier top section. 

  Watch the rope when you lower, it tends to get stuck in the crack.

Rolling Coal

Easy climbing to the first bolt. Continue up the face just to the right of the corner, past 5 more bolts to anchors below the roof. Generally regarded as a safe, easy 5.9. 

  The many cracks and horizontals in the corner provide an opportunity to lead the route with gear, if you so desire.

Rocking Chair

A long route with easy climbing to a crux in the middle and another in the roof below the anchors. 

  Step off the ledge, and do some 5.11 moves to reach better holds.  A long section of 5.10 leads to a technical crux that involves some creative movement or a large wingspan to get past a large flake.  More 5.10 climbing on flat ledges ends just below the double tiered roof.  Crank out the first roof on some flat holds, then set up on a crisp, incut edge and a glue reinforced undercling and fire for a jug over the final roof.  Ride good holds up and right to the chains.

Boogie Man

Great movement on a boulder problem down low to a standing rest. Continue up the face past easier moves. Heel hooking action through the roof flake leads to exciting throws to pull over the roof.

Borderline

A bouldery start will get you on the face. Great holds on steep territory will lead you to a second crux before the last bolt.    I think it starts off the ledge to the right and not directly underneath.

Osiris

Start on the crimps, throw to the horizontal. Cruise on up through reachy moves to the second crux about 15 ft beneath the anchor.

Hieroglyphics

Dirty Deeds

Thuggy clumbing, more sustained than Gangsta but damn fun, don't let your guard down until you've clipped the anchor

Yakuza

This pitch begins with moderate (10+/11-), enjoyable climbing up the face, to a boulder problem crux out the roof.

Blasphemy

Dixie Cragger's gives this route two stars, but I think the public disagrees. We found it covered with lovely, green algae. I don't think it sees much traffic. 

  Romp up the steep start with good jams and locks. Locate and admire the ergonomically superior three-finger pocket on the face. Grunt through the slippery, hopeless upper section of crack toward victory.

Blade Loafer

Start on the scrambling to the same ledge as for Beachball. Share a hold and move on up to the little roof. Crimp and balance through the crux, seems like a pretty tough clip. Same anchors as Poison Ivy

Evil Weed

This route sit just below a natural runoff zone so the 5.10- upper half tends to be dirty and the bottom half can be a little slimy.  However, it offers a challenging roof crux that is worth trying if you are looking for a short bouldery route. 

  Easy moves lead to a roof.  Hard moves lead left under the roof to a tough undercling and some angular fins that get you to easier terrain.  Enjoy grungy edges and cracks to the anchors at the right margin of the upper ceiling.

Backer Spit

Great route and should not be overlooked. Includes both great face climbing movement and pumpy finish. Take advantage of the rests.

Alien

Not as thuggy as the name seems to imply. Bouldery and slightly cryptic at the beginning, leading to much easier climbing to the top.

Body Hammer

This a smaller (Obed Standards), shady crag. However, there is a fine collection of routes, and the walk is no more than 5 minutes. Because of the shade, this is one of the more popular places to climb during the summer.

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Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Lilly Bluff