Routes in North America for selected grade

The right set of bolts up this face. If climbed directly over the bolts, goes about 5.7 -- but can be climbed at about 5.5 by drifting a bit off line either right or left into larger holds.

This now (fall 2012) has a chunk of rock at the bottom labelling it as "Stage Right 5.8 S".

An exceptionally popular easy route up the central buttress between the two arch features. For such a popular route the climbing isn't actually that great, with lots of rambly 4th class pitches to start, an unavoidable aid move, and some mungy bits as well. The climb is also quite linear, especially up high, so passing slower parties or climbing parallel to them isn't particularly easy.

1. 5.6 100ft Chimney. There are several variant starts, most of which are better than this pitch.

2. 5.4 200ft Walk right along ledge to short crack (5.4).

3. 4th 200ft Continue right along ledge.

4. 5.6 100ft Crack on face.

5. 3rd 200ft Continue right along ledge until it ends.

6. 5.6 or 5.7 100ft Up cracks (5.7), or the exposed corner further right (5.6) to dead pine tree (lots of belay options).

7. 5.6 150ft Up cracks and blocks (optional belay) then up sandy pin-scarred groove.

8. 5.6 100ft Sustained jamming to tree.

9. 5.6 100ft Easy offwidth trench to lovely cracks.

10. 5.4 100ft Blocks to A0 pendulum (goes free at 5.10c - slick water polished slab). Move left along ledge system to base of next corner.

11. 5.7 100ft Flake and tree, then step left around major arete.

12. 5.6 165ft 2 corners to belay at tree.

13. 5.5 100ft Angle up and left with tricky pro.

14. 4th 100ft Continue angling up and left on slab to rappel bolts. The rappel route starts here.

15. 5.4 150ft Exposed horizontal slabbing left to trees. Rim is 300ft above here.

Now (spring 2017) cleaned & bolted as a sport route, with a label stone as "Too Many Puppies 5.8S" - was graded 5.4 in the 80s as a trad route.

Start 5m to the right of a small cairn (yeah, right, like it's still there) and at the base of a steep slab facing right, 75m past the start of "First Flight". A short face leads to the base of the slab. Follow the slab to the top, generally keeping to its left edge, bypassing a cedar. The crux move involves stepping left onto a bulge (6m above the base of the slab) while using a horizontal break for a hand jam.

Bolts replaced in 1992.

220m. A generally easy and un-sustained, but sometimes run-out climb across and up the Apron.

1. (5.4, 20-30m) Climb easy but unprotected slab to a horizontal break, then traverse right until a pair of birch trees.

2. (5.easy, 30m) Continue right along the horizontal break, slightly up then curving back down until a stand of trees.

3. (5.5 R, 15m) Stem up a tree, then step onto a slab. Friction up the unprotected slab to more trees.

4. (5.7, 30m) Climb unprotected slab above the trees towards trending leftwards, then step right to a bolt. Pull a couple 5.7 moves past the bolt, then more unprotected slab left to a corner. Surmount the corner and bulge above, then traverse up and left to trees.

5. (5.4, 15m) Move left to an obvious flake then up into a groove. Make a gear belay.

6. (5.7, 30m) Pull up onto the slab right of the belay and angle up and right on un-protected slab to into a corner, follow this for a bit, then left and up to trees.

7. (5.4 50m) Climb up into a water runnel; follow this and obvious cracks until you find a stance with small gear behind a flake and belay.

8. (5.4 50m) Continue up the flake above past a detached piece of slab, then up the easier slab to the trees.

Start up a blocky corner with big holds. After clipping the first bolt, step left onto a right-facing slab. At the top of the slab, climb a steeper face on good holds, them move right to the anchor.

Good climbing throughout.

This classic route is short but sweet. It offers great hand crack action while still having plenty of face holds for the non-crack-initiated (great learning spot!). Bolted anchors easily accessed via the Dirty Chimney.

Warning: The first 20 feet of this climb offers tricky protection and have sent many an unprepared climber to hospital.

From 'Flaky Flake', walk left along the cliff face, up and over a pile of scree then down again. There will be a slab with a wide zig-zagging crack going up to a ledge about 3m off the ground, with a small overhang about 1.5m above the ledge and a first bolt just above the overhang. Crux is pulling over the overhang, much harder if you are shorter than about 5'8". Then nice climbing up past 3 more bolts to a 2-bolt anchor.

The obvious twisting off-width crack to the right of the cave. Anchors.

The grade has inspired much debate.

This newly bolted slab climb could top out onto Eagles Nest lookout. Hike up the slope past 'Coward's Way Out' and find the slab with glue in bolts on the left just where the trail levels off. The first 18 meters of this climb goes at about 5.5, maybe easier if you stay closer to the corner with one committing move to get to the anchor.

Not 100% sure who set this, so a few more assents to confirm the grade would be appreciated. Also to add a name by the FA.

Well deservedly popular route. Crack starts as fingers, grows to fists by the end. Footholds at the bottom are very polished, and the opening moves bouldery. The gear placement is great, the moves are nice, it's easy enough for newbies to try and hard enough for experienced folk to enjoy. Short, but hits the sweet spot. Bolted anchors can be easily accessed via the dirty chimney.

About 20m past Shanti, glue-in bolts up a slab with a small tree at the base.

Plaque labelling it as "Aint No Wifey 5.8 S", but grade is no harder than 5.6.

A few meters right of "Ain't no wifey", another line of glue-in bolts run up the cliff.

Plaque labelling as "Cheat Stick 5.8 S" at the base, but climb is no harder than 5.7.

1. 130ft (5.7) Jam up the right-facing dihedral with insecure footholds on slick, polished rock. Belay at the tree.

2. 50ft (3rd class) Scramble up 3rd class to a large manzanita at the base of a wide crack.

3. 80ft (5.6) Wide crack climbing leads to face climbing. Continue up and right to belay at an alcove on a ledge.

4. 130ft (5.5) Easy slab climbing leads to a large ledge.

5. 80ft (5.6) Easy slab climbing on knobs leads to crux liebacking up a flake. Continue up to another large ledge and belay at the tree.

6. 90ft (5.6) Follow the crack up and right. Belay from cracks atop the buttress. A fun 5.8 alternate finish follows the thin flakes and broken cracks up left before traversing back right across the steepest rock directly below the summit.

Walk off descent with short 3rd and 4th class exposure. Retreat earlier by rappelling with 2 ropes or escaping left atop pitch 4.

Pro to 2".

One of the most climbed routes in North America: Almost no approach, 350 feet of moderate crack climbing and all day shade.

Short route at the far right end of the cliff. Nice warm-up for the fairly stiff 5.8 routes on the rest of the cliff.

Up, step over the gap, up trending right, then traverse left along the edge, up left of the anchors, then reach right to clip the anchors.

The left-most bolt line on Spindrift wall. Opening moves to first bolt are a bit intimidating (consider a stick-clip), but real crux is when the route gets thin between bolts 2 and 3.

Start between a pair of trees, just left of Little Flo. Short vertical start, to obtain the slab, then slab the rest of the way.

Located in the leftmost dihedral of the five open books area, this route begins with a 4th class scramble up to a bush. Then it's two or three pitches of varied climbing with corners, cracks, friction slab, and a bulge. Be careful of loose rock at the top, and consider belaying from the trees to the right instead of the left. Walk off left to descend with an optional single rope rappel.

About 2m left of Main Corner is a thin crack that leads up to a ledge and a continuation of the crack above the ledge. 2 Bolts as anchors.

Seemingly intimidating from afar, the Southeast Buttress of Cathedral Peak is a beautiful 5 pitch route filled with lovely moderate climbing.

A must do when in Tuolumne, Cathedral Peak can become quite crowded, fortunately the climbing offers many ways to navigate around other parties, at least down low (up high the face narrows, and parties tend to get bottlenecked).

A prominent left facing corner 10m to the right of Arete and Ramp. Climb up to a square block. Pass it on the right, then continue up the corner, using the arete as desired. Finish up a short wall.

Opening move onto the initial ramp is unusually difficult, then rest of the climb goes at a comfortable 5.5.

One of the most popular multi-pitch routes at Red Rocks due, at least in part, to large comfortable belay ledges the whole way. Can be rappelled on one 70m rope with a bit of 4th class down-climbing, or with two ropes.

Starts below an obvious left-slanting crack.

1. 150' 5.5 - Climb the left slanting crack, skip the optional belay at 90', up a wider crack to a ledge, then continue up the crack to another ledge. Bolted anchors are a few yards out to the right.

2. 50' 5.5. Hike right along the ledge, boulder up to the next ledge, and up gentle slabs to a steeper wall. Re-belay from here, then up steepish black wall to a small overhang, the up a left-facing corner to a ledge with trees. End on a belay off a small group of trees.

3. 120' 5.6. Start up 4th class terrain about 15' to a small ledge, climb a thin crack in the varnished face left of a small corner to a small roof, traverse left under the roof to another crack that continues upwards, and up this to a ledge with a large block on it. Belay off slings around the large block.

4. 50' 5.3. Traverse right and a bit down to a ledge with a crack above it and anchors.

5. 110' 5.6. Climb the crack, past a bolt to run-out 5.5 terrain to the anchors. Most people end here at the anchor and rappel.

Well protected finger crack. You could probably climb it with just nuts.

Start directly behind a cedar tree at the base of the cliff. There is a distinctive curving crack around a bulge 7m up the face. Climb straight up to this crack, continue up to a small roof, then traverse left 2m under the roof. Either continue traversing left to an easy exit, or climb straight up through the a notch in the roof ( a bit harder, maybe 5.6). Anchors.

Left side of a short slab, just north (climber's left) of the easy way down. Base is a bit exposed.

Start 5m to the right of the "2nd Easy Way Down".

Really low first bolt, climb past one roof, up a slab, then pull another steep section on big holds.

Probably more like 5.8 in modern grades.

Starts where the ledge turns into a ramp up to the right.

Start just left of the big boulder. Up the face to the corner system, pass it mostly on the left, then go right again to the anchors.

Start 3m right of 'First Flight', underneath a small overhang 5m above the ground. Climb up and to the right on small holds, bypassing the overhang on its right side. Continue more or less straight to the top.

There is one bolt below the bulge and a 2nd bolt just over the lip of the bulge. The route has 3 bolts, takes some gear as well, and finishes with bolted anchors.

1. From a small clearing with slopping blocky section which includes a small semi-detached pillar, aim for the fixed 3x bong anchor.

2. Traverse right to the bolted belay/rap anchor, the bigger horizontal crack holds gear, but it's also the best thing to use as a ramp for your feet... can be very spooky/exposed/run-out.

3. Head straight up the face, pulling the large flakes, up the corner with the tree, belay with natural pro on the ledge.

4. Go straight up from the little cave and do a balancy move to the left flake, head up the easiest path, past a 2 tree doulble ledge and up a ramp to the left up to the base of aireation buttress.

For a safer second traverse: trail a second rope or use doubles and merge pitch 2 and 3 together, only using a single rope after passing the last piece of pro at the beginning of the traverse, run this rope on the left side of the tree when climbing the chimney on pitch 3, this way, you can better protect your second across the traverse.

Climbing the obvious left-facing corner near the left end of the crag; reaching right, sometimes far right, for the a couple of the clips.

The line just a few meters right of Zoomba. Rings at the top

Goes up 3 bolts to anchors beside trees.

The bolts that continue above the anchor are "Rubicon".

First bolted line on the ledge to the left of the ground-level belay station. Starts to the left of the bolt line and moves up and right. Can be started from the crack with the tree to the right but makes the start much harder. Shares the 5th bolt and anchors with 'Just a 5.6'.

Start as "Hump Day". At the roof, head straight though on undercling and good sidepulls. Once on the slab above traverse left to anchors.

Located on the same ledge as, but to the climbers left of, 'Called Out'. Shares the 5th bolt and anchors with 'Called Out'.

Climb three sections of slab past a small then a big ledge.

Climb the blunt corner below the railway ties, easier if you go around the corner to the left at times, more difficult (maybe 5.8) straight up the bolts.

The right-most bolted route, about half-way up the ramp.

At the base below the left side of the the left tit are a pair of parallel right-leaning grooves. The climb starts up the right-side one, then up passing a gnarled tree to the right and up past the left side of the left tit.

This climb does not easily top-out.

An easy classic up the slab with gigantic holes.

Immediately right of An Easy Stroll. Stay out of the dihedrals on both sides. Good sidepulls and good but thin crimps to the third bolt. Head right on balancy moves to easier interesting climbing. Top is a bit run out but takes cams. 5.6 if you use the dihedrals.

Easy climbing up the bolted face just to the right of the corner.

Located on the left side of the arete to the climbers right of the ground-level belay station. Shares an anchor with 'Don't Look, Just Climb'.

Right side of a short slab, just left of the easy way down. Climb the scoops.

dangerous traverse P1- difficult to protect, polished- source: Falcon Guide

Pro to 2".

Nice climbing up a short face, then groove. After the last bolt go up and left to find the anchors.

P1: start on scrubby vertical arête with lots of features and a crack for pro. Follow crack past small roof to ledge. P2: Move right to steep corner crack and continue to top. Rap station is on the backside, to the right.

The easiest route up Devils Tower and likely the most climbed route up the tower. Newer crack climbers often struggle, frequently insisting it's severely sandbagged.

This climb is best recognized by the right-leaning pillar on the left flank of the south face.

Approach: from the parking lot, go up the paved trail and take the branch that goes counter-clockwise around the tower. Walk along the path until you encounter a pair of metal viewing tubes. Follow the obvious climbers trail until it reaches the cliff, at the base of the "bowling alley".

There are a number of variations to exactly where the climb starts, and how the pitches are counted. The following seems to be a common choice:

1. 5.5 Climb one of a number of cracks up to a bolted anchor (80 ft), sling this with a long runner, then traverse left on 4th class terrain to a tree below the base of the leaning pillar. Belay off the tree or build a gear anchor on a comfortable ledge below the tree. (Some split the traverse into a seperate pitch.)

2. 5.6 (70ft) Leaning Column -- Climb up to the base of the leaning then up the left side of the pillar to a bolted anchor.

3. 5.7 (70ft) Durrance Crack -- Climb up a pair of cracks to another bolted anchor atop a pillar. Often combined with the Leaning Column.

4. 5.6 (30ft) Cussin' Crack -- Climb the off-width to a small ledge, then traverse right and up an easy short crack to the next ledge and another bolted anchor.

5. 5.5 (40ft) Flake Crack -- Climb the flake-filled crack to an off-width finish to another bolted anchor on another bid ledge. Often combined with Cussin' Crack.

6. 5.5 (40ft) Chockstone Crack -- Climb up the chockstone-filled chimney to a steep finish over a chockstone boulder. And, guess what, another bolted belay on another good ledge.

7. There are two popular finishing options:

   1. Jump Traverse to Meadows Finish
      1. 5.8 or 5.6 A0. Climb down and right from the ledge, then traverse rightwards on a thin horizontal crack, until you can step down across a large gap to a flat ledge. Continue along the huge ledge and build a belay. (Grab the piton to make the step-across easier.)
      2. 3rd class. Hike pretty far rightwards along the Meadows, occasionally climbing downwards to a lower section of trail. A pair of pillars -- the right of which is taller than the left -- sit just right of the bottom of the Meadows rappel. Do not climb up here unless you love lichen, loose rock, poor pro, and hiding pigeons.
      3. 5.2 (100ft) Climb the chimney then easy slabs to the top.
   2. Bailey Direct 5.8- (150ft) -- There are options up and left of the belay. One is to climb into a chimney past a rotten piton and some moderate face climbing. Whatever you do, keep your eyes open for a two-bolt anchor.

Main left crack. Tricky move off the ground 5.6/7 afterwards

Often just climbed to the rap anchor on the ledge.

Down and right from the ramp that easy street and the other climbs start from, a rib of rock descends an extra few meters into the forest. The climb starts at the base of this rib, and goes mostly directly upwards from there, though it does wander a bit rightwards at a dihedral, then traverse back leftwards at the end of this.

Route is a rope-stretcher on a 70m rope.

Climb/TR/Lower-off anchor is about 2m from actual top-out. Use this one, unless actually topping out, then the higher anchor on the platform works.

After being a TR route, this spent a while as a trad line but, on gear, the route was a bit run-out in places, and gear was often small and/or tricky to place, though generally with decent stances for placing. So, retro-bolted in 2020 with permission of the FA.

When this route was first climbed on TR, there were two large loose stacks of rock near the route, the first (lower down) to the left of the route, and the 2nd farther up to the right of the route. This route was named because it travelled carefully between the two scary monsters.

Bolted Anchors. 70 m rope to rap down.

Good beginner granite crack. Don't take it for granted, requires solid jamming skills to tame the grade down to 5.7 and has some thin feet. If you know what your doing though this is an excellent warmup with a nice chimney as second pitch option which is only done by every second party or so. Chimney protects with midrange cams in a series of horizontal cracks to emerge onto a short face climb to reach the anchors. The crack pitch is ice but this gets stars only if you also do the Chimney pitch.

Starts around the corner from 'Arete, Eh?' and shares an anchor with it.

A superb sustained route at the grade (5.7+). Very popular, due to bolted anchors, ability to be rappelled on single 70m rope, and very good climbing with generally solid protection.

Start below the left-most of 2 obvious long cracks the split the lower part of the varnished buttress left of the corner that Spectrum climbs to the roof 60ft up. This is a few yards above a huge boulder that leans against the cliff creating a tunnel.

1. Climb the left crack to an anchor on a treed ledge. 110ft. 5.5 (Handren says 5.6, but it doesn't climb that hard.)

2. Climb straight up from the anchor, then follow a crack in the wall right of the main chimney to a ledge. Up the steep corner, then right under a block to an anchor at the right end of a big ledge. 110ft 5.7.

3. Go up and right about 10ft of easy ground to a left-leaning corner. At the top, traverse left past a bolt (crux) then up a steep crack to a ledge. Then up and right to the anchor. 85ft, 5.7+.

4. Go up about 20ft to a horizontal crack, then move up and right accross discontinuous cracks to an anchor on the face. This pitch has the most complicated route-finding -- generally, when in doubt, go up or right. On the face there should be a down-arching horizontal curve, and the anchor being aimed for is near the bottom of the curve. Belay at anchors with huecos for your feet. 95ft 5.6.

5. Move up and right to a thin crack, then over a bulge and up a thin (finger crack) on a varnished face with small holds and small gear. Finish on a small triangular, down-sloping ledge (crux). 95ft, 5.7+.

6. Variant, adds an extra 75ft pitch, not usually climbed due to fragile rock and run-out climbing. Climb up passing a small roof on the right, then continue up and right to an anchor in a small right-facing corner. 75ft, 5.7.

Climb though the broken corner then up the slab. First bolt crux, stick clip advised. Bottom and the ledge half way could use a bit more gardening but it is in climbable shape.

Last route before the free-standing boulder. A right-drifting sport route that is very closely bolted (every 2m or so). Has a big pine tree running close to the climb.

Aftonroe is currently the right-most bolt line in the Take It for Granite area. Descent is by rappel.

Start at the crack just to the right of the Sun Worshiper. This is a "slab" route with some decent jugs.

Slab veering right

This is a 5.6 Variation to Bunny, which generally follows the same line except you go through the roof instead of around.

Three pitches of scrambly crack climbing up a slightly positive (20 to 30 degree) slab. Just before reaching the top-out at the end of the third pitch, the crack seam disappears and the climber must make two or three intimidating traverse moves to better holds.

The route finishes on a very large ledge with bolts. There are now 5 rappel anchors (including the final belay station) that let you rap in a direct line to the bottom.

1. 5.6, 110+ft. Climb a left-facing 3rd then 4th-class corner up towards a downward-pointing dagger of rock. Pass this on the right side, pulling a small roof (5.6) then up and right to a small stance for the belay.

2. 5.6, 100ft. Climb the right-curving hand-crack up the slab until there is a stance for belay at a widening in the crack.

3. 5.6, 150ft. Continue up the right-leaning crack until it tapers out, then a few thin (for 5.6) slab moves up to a large ledge to finish.

The easiest line here, but still fun