The Begoon/Artz climbs the long corner with multiple roofs just left of Lavender Days. In order to avoid rope drag it's best to solo the 5.7 face you use to start Just Another Pretty face and Lavender Days. Once under the corner you can plug a bomber #2 Camalot. Use a mixture of jamming, stemming, laybacking and basic corner funkiness to get you through the multi-tiered roof. Have no fear, this thing is easily succumbed with a few wide stems and a short smeary under cling section.

Begoon/Artz Corner

Another classic route in this area, and a bit more accessible to us gumbies than Greatest Show on Earth or Mango Tango.  Start on a 5.7-ish finger crack a bit to the left o Puppy Chow.  Some finger-sized cams may help if you don't want to solo 30 feet of 5.7 up to the massive ledge.  From here, clip a bolt on the face to your left, and do a crazy crux sequence of heelhooks and a big reach into an undercling.  Once over the lip, it is easier (10b-ish?) but really fun climbing for three more bolts to the anchors.

Just Another Pretty Face

This is a very aesthetic-looking splitter crack, which starts about forty feet up and above a roof.  To start, you can either scramble up easy terrain to the left, or do a direct start through some steep horizontals that adds some 5.11 R climbing.  Easy climbing up to a juggy roof with some suspect rock, clip a couple fixed pieces, and get an almost-no hands rest at the base of the splitter.

I don't want to give too much beta away on the splitter, except to say that there is very little true jamming/crack climbing on this route.

The first ascent continued past where the bolt anchor is at the base of the upper roof and went to the top. This last 25 feet through the juggy roof is amazing. We've all been cheated out of the route's best climbing by lowering from the first anchor. Mikey added a top anchor so now it's easy to continue to the top, lower back to the first anchor, untie, pull the rope, and lower again. It'd be a nightmare to try to clean it from the top. It's definitely worth the extra effort.

Big Top

From a distance this looks like a perfect splitter. Upon closer inspection it's obvious that the lower half of the crack is actually formed by a detached block. Climb up through fun movements and good gear to the top of the block. Plug some gear in and suss out the final tricky moves. Crawl off right to an anchor.

Ziggerknot

Gently overhung climbing on small positive edges.

Scramble up the choss to the first series of crimps on the clean gray wall. Choose your best sequence through this initial bouldery section and rest up at the huge halfway jug.

A tricky sequence involving some more sharp edges gives way to a strange undercling rail. Once established on the black rock headwall, cruise the remaining patina flakes and easy slab moves to the anchor.

A fun addition to the wall. Might want to wait for good, crisp conditions on this one - the edges have some bite to them.

Blackened Tan

Start with the spicy beginning of Greatest Show, with the requisite 'kinda-shouldn't-fall' face. Build your gear nest at the base of the roof, then engage in the dead-horizontal roof crux of the Show.

Instead of tackling the golden dihedral, making a leftwards rising traverse with the use of some thoughtfully placed letterbox slots. Savor the victory lap of the delightfully juggy arete. Mantle it out and stroll right a couple of feet to the Greatest Show anchors.

An excellent outing in its own right, or as an intermediate step for the Greatest Show, particularly for those with more biceps than footwork.

The Ringmaster

There is a lot of fun climbing in this relatively short climb.  Thin hands corner, to a fun rightward traverse, then a final right-leaning, crisp, perfect fingercrack that cuts through a couple horizontal breaks.  There is also a 12+ extension above the anchors, through steep roofs.

Back to Power

Hyper-classic climb, in three parts.  Start up a vertical face with climbing that is just a tiny bit tougher than you want it to be.  Get to good jugs at the roof, and bust out through dead-horizontal, Obed-style flakes and huecos.  Great shake spot just over the roof.  The final headwall is where it all comes together; around 6 bolts of consistant 35 degree overhanging perfect rock, with several v3-4ish boulder problems separated by good jugs.  This climb does not let up until the very end.

Puppy Chow

Upon first inspection this route might look a little silly because it has a 30 foot lip traverse.  Get on the route and you'll see that the route definitely takes the line of least resistance and the traverse is actually quite complex and fun.

Start with three bolts of easy blocky climbing.  The first hard moves involve technical movement around a roof.  Get creative by knee barring or heel hooking around this deceptively tricky roof.

Once established on the lip move right between slopers and good jugs.  Don't be afraid to lead with your feet.  Once you reach the base of the hanging arete you are rewarded with a really good rest.

There are two options for making it through the beginning crux section of the arete.  You can slap directly up the arete for a couple hard moves or you can move further right through a selection of slopers.  The more direct version could be reachy for anyone with a wingspan less than 5'8".  Which ever version you choose, do be careful not to land in the pine tree.

The rest of the overhanging arete contains thoughtful movement between deep pockets.  A few more decent rests diminish the pump heading to the chains.

Overall this is one of the most unique sport routes in the NRG region.  With the recent addition of long fixed cable draws on the traverse the experience has been made much more convenient and enjoyable.

Mighty Dog (aka Lavender Days)

Climb sandy jugs to the first bolt. Technical moves on decent edges with long reaches get increasingly harder to the 4th bolt. A crazy hard crux sequence involving serious lock off strength on horrible edges and the deepest sinker mono ever get you to the 5th bolt. One more lock off move with a small sloping corner and you meet the juggy crack of the 5.10 to the top. Shares Anchors with Back to Power.

Monsterotica

The crux is protected by the bolts down lower, bring nuts for the the top of the route. Probably best left alone, the quality on the rock is poor and the lower section is crumbling quite quickly. If you like to make your own sand the crux will definitely suit you.

Bearded Lady

There are several cruxy sections. The beginning requires some power, but be sure to leave that thuggy mentality at bolt 4. You will be balancing and using some trickery to get through the next two bolts. Keep your head cool with the potential air time mounting. On the FA of this route it went all the way to the top of the cliff and rappelled off a tree. Anchors will be added to finish on the arête.

Pretty Faces Call Me Daddy

This is one of the prettiest pitches of climbing in the southeast as well as one of the most intimidating looking finger cracks just about anywhere.

Start on top of a boulder just down and right of a fixed pin. Climb through a slightly heady but easy opening section up to the base of the roof passing two fixed pins and a gear placement. From a pumpy stance on a slopey jug place several good cams and get your head together for an amazing roof sequence on horizontal finger locks. A few crimps to the left of the crack as well as a good hand jam near the end of the roof make this roof possible. A huge jug just over the lip allows you to place a much appreciated piece of gear. From the jug a couple lock offs on good slots get you into the corner. Place gear from a decent rest stance and gun for a good hand jam before the business of the corner. Slopey laybacks and miserable feet with insecure stems characterize the middle part of the corner and placing gear is pretty strenuous. In the last 15 feet of the corner the crack opens up and allows for great hands but the feet stay pretty bad so its still relatively strenuous to place gear. Its easy enough to where you will almost want to just punch through and not bother with gear. It would be a long fall but very clean, the choice is yours.

youtube.com/watch?v=EBP6iyr…

The Greatest Show On Earth

Uber-classic crimp line up a vertical orange wall just right of Mango Tango. Scramble up to the big ledge 20 feet above the ground (belayer should belay here to keep climber from hitting this should they fall at the crux)and begin to get your crimp and pimp on for 2 bolts. Above this initial sequence lies the crux (V4-5ish) which involves locking down pretty hard on your right fingers. The climbing stays difficult and somewhat similar to the first crux for another bolt. After that the climbing mellows to the relatively manageable grade of 5.11c. Hard, reachy face climbing is the name of the game on this rig.

Ruda Tovar (AKA Porter's 12c)

The climbing is easy and enjoyable for the first 35 feet or so until you realize how detached the block that you are laybacking/chimneying is. Then you might FREAK OUT! When (and it might be next week, next year, or 100 years but freeze thaw cycle will eventually take this feature out) this thing pulls just hope that you or someone else isn't climbing on it.

Eventually you mantle the death block out and breathe an air of relief. Now, only your belayer might die. This is where the crux comes. Pull another mantle move using a thin hold and then be ready for good classic slab moves.

Interpreting Intermission

This route can be found approximately 300 feet climbers right of Greatest Show. Find the bright orange splitter corner leading into an obvious crack.

Do a few face moves, establish into the corner and get ready for meat and potatoes crack climbing for the next 40 feet. Mostly hands (i used 1 fist) and body english will get you to the top.

This thing is pretty pure crack climbing (especially for the NRG region). Really good. Probably only Yosemite 5.8 but who cares.

The only thing that makes this not worth doing is the absence of anchors. Hopefully, I'll get around to fixing this soon. Maybe even add a bolted extension on it. But as of Dec. 3, 2014 there are no anchors. Bail left.

Carny Crack

Mega-classic test piece. Good video, beta, send, etc.

youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4IM6B…

Originally got 13d, but now this is one of the lesser repeated 14a's in the area.

Mango Tango

Climb Puppy Chow to the lip, and instead of traversing left and clipping, plug some gear and head straight up.

Thoughtful moves on sculpted holds eventually lead to a blank section with a perfectly placed pocket. After this crux, trend right towards the Ringmaster arete, and then aim leftwards again to rendezvous with the Puppy Chow anchors.

A beautiful route that climbs the same awesome rock as Puppy. Not to be missed if you have a rack and are in the area.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 3 Greatest Show Area