cool climbs for hot days - ideas and new routes

[Rad]

OK 5.11 climbers. Where can we go when we don't have time to go to the mountains and don't want to bake on sunny granite at Index, or climb the same old lines at Nevermind and WWI, here are some ideas for new cool (literally) places to explore. Hopefully others will chime in with suggestions too:

 

1 - X38. Yep, it's true. There are a host of high quality 5.11s that stay cool at the Far Side. Jens' bouldery 11c on the left wall under the Block of Doom. There are a host of high quality bona fide 5.11s at Shangri-La. These go into the shade around 2pm. Two fun routes in deep shade all day and very close to Interstate Park lines are Third Stone from the Sun (11c) and Snaggletooth (11b? new last Friday). You can see this cliff in the woods below the S end of Interstate Park cliff band.

 

2 - Other routes at Little Si. WWI is fine, but you've probably been there, done that. Look into the Woods and Midlands areas in the early afternoon or later. Warm up on Goddess (10c), hop on Gold Rush (11b), jug haul on Godflesh (11a), and try Lay of the Land (12-).

 

3 - What else?

 

[mattp]

Try this 5.10- route on the North Face of Big Four, a variation of the Tower Route that offers a nice crag climb outing for the first 5 or 6 pitches and gets no sun at all. If you crawl through the bushes and ferns to get there (bewildering for the first party of the season though others will follow their "trail" and it is not really that far into the jungle) it offers unique climbing on cobbles and it is definitely not 5.11 but I bet you'll find it entertaining. Good fun.

 

Mark rates these pitches 5.8 but I think most climbers will find them 5.9 or 5.10. And it is cool.

Trip Report

Edited July 2, 2013 by mattp

[eric8]

The inner walls at index get all day shade and are good climbing on hot days. Earwax wall is okay too.

 

The no name crag is good on a hot day. Maybe you have to hike or bike if the road is gated?

 

Equinox has one very good 11+ maybe more I was only there once, the 12- routes seem to be more endurance than power so those are good to work.

[LUCKY]

Not tell'n or the crowds will come

Edited July 3, 2013 by LUCKY

[JonNelson]

If you go to Index and head up to Earwax, also check out some other first pitches on the left side, such as Dana's Arch. Drop below to Shady Lane. And head over to the Cheeks and do routes on the lower Cheeks. Just above, on the Black Sea, try the classic P1 of Wilman's Walkabout. Also, the chimney routes to the right might be cool in the afternoon.

 

At Lookout Point area, there is 'Shader' at Private Idaho and a few along the base of Duck Wall.