Starts w/ a gnarly looking bolted offwidth on the right side of NW.  The OW is pretty fun and doesn't involve much if any pure OW technique.  Some easy face leads to an intimidating roof which succumbs easily thanks to one of the all time great thank god jug holds.  Some easier vertical face leads to the anchors.

The crack and the roof jug make it memorably anomalous in the grade.

Supergroveler

Smokey the Beer

Point of Entry (aka Not for Brucy!)

Nakin

Blower Install

Undertow

Megalomaniac

Not To Code

Varied and interesting and hard -- Caldera for the anemic? -- Smokey the Beer begins with a surprisingly difficult move to pass the first bolt.  Then the fun: up right, out left, make love to the arete, and extend for welcome/necessary jugs.

Not your typical Gorge jug haul. Starts in a crack that leads up and a bit left on great positive holds to a high first bolt. Head out right avoiding the first roof. A short easy section leads to the first crux that can be done direct or by stemming off the wall on your left. Move up into the roof crack and head out under the roof to the second airy crux. Follow the bomber hands crack up to the third roof where great jugs lead you left to an exposed final crux where you can stand and clip the Mussies(to be added).

This old route has been cleaned, rebolted, and retrobolted into a worthy route. No gear needed, all bolts now.

Easily done as a single pitch, there is no longer any mid anchor. Lower to the ground with a single 70m.

Start in the 60 foot long 5.8 crack. Step right onto the very fun face. Great rock and off vertical edging.

Marty, Jeff, and Darrell left the route sporty.  One area in particular felt a bit spicy, small holds a bit out from the bolt, but keep your head screwed on straight and enjoy the quality climbing. PG.

Nice long pitch directly above the river.  Good variety of climbing, starts with a thin finger crack, takes an overhanging arete, followed by fun face, then slab climbing on high quality rock for the last half of the pitch.

Start with the thin crack that takes one into the base of the double overhanging corner.  Move left onto the exposed and undercut arete (crux).  The upper half climbs just right of a faint hanging dihedral.

Descent: Be careful, one rope will NOT get you down.  Perhaps the best strategy is to lead, lower to the Not To Code anchor (comfortable), belay a follower, lower them to NTC, then a 35m rapp (using an NTC chain to prevent the rope going into the water.) Two ropes would obviously work but the ropes would go into the river when pulling.  In spite of the descent issues this is a good route, worth the trouble.

Great rock and movement. Cool perch above the river.

Crux above the sixth bolt.

Glad to see ML gave this one an extra star in the 10th edition.  The leftmost climb on the Narrows West landing, it features crack climbing next to an arete.  If you like "Ya Shoulda' Killed Me Last Year", you'll probably enjoy this climb.

Easy climbing leads to an overhanging bulge with a small right leaning flake feature.  The crux takes the flake for a few moves before going out left on reachy jugs through the steepest part of the bulge.  Good moves that will vary in difficulty depending on the climbers bouldering abilities and/or height. Shorter people will probably find it close to the given grade, it may be a little easier if tall.

After the crux proceed up the fun face on surprisingly good holds.  A final move or two will be encountered at the last angle change.  Proceed past a few more bolts on lower angle high quality rock.

The anchors are on a small ledge at almost exactly 35m from the ground.  If doing this by itself one can lower and reach the ground.  This anchor can also be utilized if doing Nakin on a < 70m rope, or as the best strategy for getting off Blower Install.

There are two chain draws at the overhanging crux due to: 1) getting the bolts high enough in better quality rock, and 2) to facilitate clipping one side of the rope through to prevent the rope going into the water when pulling.  Good luck with #2 if the water is high.

Description

Protection

Routes in Narrows West