If you think you might like to struggle up off-widths, this is a good place to start.

Duchess Right (aka "Crack Kills" among my friends and I) features 10-20 feet (depending on how early you exit onto the face to the right) of classic 5.7 off-width. As a bonus, it's easily TR'd. Bust out that #6 Friend and go for it.

Duchess Right

Swishbah

The Castrum

Marchesa

Swishbah Variations

Pocket Pool

Paper or Plastic?

The Block

Cloth Ears

Not Just another Pretty Face

La Reina

Monaco

Court Jester

Duchess

The Drawbridge

Scaramouch

Duchess Pitch 2 Variation

Duchess Left

Coyote In the Bushes

The Chessboard

Family Jewels

Crown Jewels

Route 1326

Coco-Loco

For a second pitch of Duchess the obvious choice is the right chimney. Another option is the crack one over to the left: It starts as a wide pod, then narrows down to fist size. Getting out of the pod onto the next small ledge is the crux.

This route is on the left side of Feudal Wall fifteen feet to the right of

Scaramouch

. Climb the right side of the flake with good protection all of the way. Enjoy!

Fun climb -- thin edges and smears to fingertip lieback moves near the top.  A great opportunity to get familiar with JTree friction on an easily TR'd climb.  Also a great climb to break into the 5.10 range and boost that ego!  Popular.

Not really that great of a route, but it's an easy route to the top of the rock.

Climb the crack/corner to the right of "Court Jester", then follow the crack/chimney system to the right of the second pitch of "Court Jester".

A pleasant alternative that climbs the formation with surprising ease. Take the slab cracks on the right of the Swishbar face to a steepening at the patina arete. Gain and climb a crack to the top ledge and traverse this down and left to finish up a short crack (right of the corner crack). It is also possible to traverse left at a lower ledge (at the steepening) and climb good flakes more directly to the finishing crack.

This climbs the steep outside face, starting down and left of "La Reina". Climb past five bolts to the top of "La Reina".

The climb starts in a right-curving crack which becomes more of a straight-in crack higher as it dies out. Clip a bolt (crux) and then continue up the frictiony face past two more bolts to the top of the formation. Gear belay and walk/scramble off to the climber's right.

Short and not especially memorable but you could do a whole lot worse while in the vicinity. Two stars out of five.

This is a short, clean route up a small block that is, in my opinion, 5.10b/c. It's located on the left side of the Feudal Wall and is a good way to end the day.

Starts from the ledge at the base of

La Reina

and follows a left-slanting flake to a bolt and then continues up the exciting arete on weathered flakes to a shared belay with

La Reina

.

Located roughly in the center of the Feudal Wall, this is the route just left of

Crown Jewels

(5.9), and could potentially be done as a harder, but more solid alternative to the first pitch to that route.

Scramble up easy ledges to reach a bolt above a narrow ledge about 20' up, then make some reachy moves utilizing a black knob and some edges to reach easy terrain (sparse pro here) above the bolt. Higher, pass some horizontals and enter the crux - a steep seam/crack which offers good protection, although hanging out to place it may be problematic. The climbing is characterized by finger locks in a flared crack as you pull a bulge which gives way to easy but very grainy finishing moves. Large cams are useful in a grainy, flared crack 10' above the flat ledge atop the route.

While not a classic by any means, this route offers some decent climbing with protection that is better than  apperances might suggest. One star out of five.

High above the sea of topropes lies a beautiful right-facing corner.  This is La Reina ("The Queen"), a short, sustained, and somewhat awkward handcrack with nice edges for the right hand and foot.  Scramble up the 4th/low 5th class gully right of Swishbah to the base.  This excellent route should not be missed!

A slung horn may be used for the belay.

To descend, scramble off to the west and back around to the base.

This fun route climbs a slab to slightly overhung face past 5 bolts to anchors although originally done with only 4 bolts, which made the crux more thrilling. Years later (late 1990's) the FA party added the topmost bolt to make the climb better protected and more accessible for all. It is a little runout at the start and the rating might even be a little sandbag, but hey you're at Josh -- what did you expect?

This route is two feet right of The Castrum. More awkward than technically hard; the route is very short.  A good lead for the beginner as the crack takes gear easily.

Fun short climb next -- some juggy face climbing, some hand and finger sized cracks.  Good TR for beginners, worth a quick lead for moderates.  Located in the small alcove directly in front of the picnic table.

Short, fun toprope on the face just left of The Block.

This easy route allows access to

Coyote In the Bushes

(5.10a). The bottom half of the route is fun.

Duchess Left is the easiest and least interesting of the three Duchess climbs.  That said, it does have a fun, bouldery start, and a couple of interesting moves over a small bulge before it merges into Duchess near the top.  Hell, the approach is 10 seconds.  While you're here, why not climb it?

Duchess Left is the left side of the alcove right in front of the picnic table

This is a curious route: the chalk line moves up well right of the first bolt then left between the first and second bolts; and, after leading it, I understand. Getting to the first bolt is serious business. If you blow it, ask the medics for demerol; it's a trip.

Start about thirty feet left of "La Reina". Climb up and right on plates, to the top of "La Reina".

Not much for pro.

Begin at the ledge at the base of the second pitch of Crown Jewels. Climb the left side of the pillar, starting with a bulge.

Fun, two pitch climb. Third class scramble to the right of The Castrum to reach the base. Climb straight up past the obvious bolt. The moves above the bolt are greasy and harder than the 5.7 given in guidebooks, although they can be easily avoided with a 5.6 chute 10-20 feet to the right. Above that, the climbing eases up a bit, but is consistently fun. Most parties set a belay on the intermediate ledge to relieve rope drag. Run out the second pitch on fun 5.5-5.6 terrain. Popular.

This is the wide crack/gully to the right of "Paper or Plastic?". Not real exciting, but I guess it's worth doing if you like to grovel up easy wide things. A fairly easy downclimb to get off "Paper or Plastic?".

Climb an easy but interesting thin crack/corner to a horizontal crack (medium pro here) where a traverse slightly right gives access to the upper portion of the route - a seam to face with a bolt.

The crux moves past the bolt are balancy and tenuous and involve edges, sidepulls and overall insecurity - think classic Josh style climbing.

Large cams are handy for an anchor in a grainy, flared horizontal crack 10' above the ledge where this finishes.

A fun climb that while seldom done is worthy of more attention. Two stars out of five.

Description

Protection

Routes in Feudal Wall (Left Side)