Start on the right edge of the Cracked Wall, just left of Lama and a large oak tree, directly under 3 closely-spaced bolts.  The opening moves are just like Lama, only a full grade harder.  A VERY thin start leads past microsized, shallow finger pockets.  The crux comes between the second and third bolts, surmounting a slabby bulge.  Crank through (thank you!), and continue on easier terrain to a scoop and 4th bolt.  From here, veer left and up to a 5th bolt, following the line of least resistance.

Crank You, Thank You

Curly Air

Humps

Namasté

No Permit Required

60 Seconds Over Soledad (AKA Dead Rat's Crack)

Slimy Slit (aka Slippery Slit)

Only Way To Fly

Burn Permit

Choss Boss Direct

Civilized Evil

Camel

Western Airlines

Love in an Elevator

Dirty Rat's Crack

Crankin'

Found Bolt

The Bulgarian Guides Route

Jetstream

Curley Shuffle

Llama

2 Hour 2 Tecate Challenge

60 Minutes

Rat Race

Bob's Cling

Mouse Maze

Guide's Area

If you love strong pocket moves, sustained crimping, and sporty runouts, then this climb is not to be missed.

Clip Bolt 1 from directly underneath, and move out right and up through a series of shallow one and two finger pockets over a bulge (.11d). Then head left through thin, technical moves, passing bolt 2 (.11a). After that, enjoy a sustained edging sequence that follows small crimps and incuts to the top, while passing a unique looking crystal out left (.10d).

Since its a slabby face, a big reach or a toprope can help to tame the beast. But for the brave soul who climbs onsight, .12a is fair.

A little bored? Here is a fun contrived way to make Curly Shuffle a bit harder. This is a variation to the second half of Curly Shuffle. After climbing up to and clipping the 2nd bolt of Curly on the small crimp near the bolt make a match on that rail and begin heading left towards Western Airlines on some more small crimps. Stay on the cool looking "tiger stripes" between Curly and Western from here to the top. The entire route is protected by the Curly Shuffle bolt line but the bolts are not meant for this variation so be careful. Surprisingly fun and a new challenge to keep people entertained at Cracked Wall.

Sharing the start (and first two bolts) with Camel, Humps offers a harder, more committing finish through a cruxy mantle, and some thin dihedral climbing to attain a huge jug. When you head left after Camel's second bolt, clip a third before the mantle, a fourth afterward, and then place a small cam (a green C3 or grey Master Cam fits perfectly) in a slot above and right of the orb before heading up easier slopers to the chains.

Climb a left facing corner (the "eyebrow") to the first bolt. Traverse left on a ledge to a seam that starts at the second bolt. Then follow the seam and continue on through the bumps into the square trough on "Camel". If you want to top rope, use a directional to the bolts from the anchors above Camel.

Start just left of a scrawny-looking oak, up a prominent, discontinuous deep gash.  Good quality, dark rock that protects well.  Awkward climbing - the trick is not to get sucked in too deep.  Head up towards the slot, up and left a to 2-bolt anchor (new chains with rings added 9/04).  One stripped bolt was replaced with one stainless steel Fixe 12mm bolt at that time.

Start right of Camel. Climb steep moves out right while working your way up to a left-facing seam.

The route starts on the left side of the dark water marks and tiger stripes located in the center of cracked wall. It follows the somewhat odd shaped crack up the wall and then traverses left to the anchors once the wall stops overhanging. It is a fun lead and the re-bolting now offers the possibility of top roping both Curly's Shuffle and Western Airlines.

Towards the left side of Cracked Wall, locate the first bolt about 15' off the ground.  [For reference, an old, rusty bolt (No Permit Required) is just up and right about 3' of the first bolt, left of the 'eyebrow'].  Climb up steep face past 2 more bolts, with a crux coming between the bolts 2 and 3.  Continue straight up on easier terrain, passing two more bolts.  Trend left into the top "notch" of Camel and to the Camel anchor.

Skips the bottom crux of Bob's Cling by going up a walkable ledge starting up the hill further to the right. Crux is near the top. You could also go up llama with the same start, which would be about a 10b.

Begin at a large boulder at the base of the cliff, underneath a prominent right-facing corner.  Climb up, clip a single bolt, and move left (crux).  Fiddle in some gear and continue up to reach corner system.  Great protection from here with nuts or TCUs.  Shares anchor with Dirty Rat's Crack.

Start with slab but good edges, throw for the big rail, dance your way up onto said rail and reeeeeach for your next holds. Traverse out right and then sail upward into the chimney-like feature.

The "classic" line on cracked wall.  Just to the right of 60-seconds follow up the shield to the "bung-hole" mono and traverse onto the tiger stripes.  Finish at either 60-seconds or Only Way anchors.

Beginning on Civilized Evil, but continue traversing left to a couple of bolts instead of going towards the right-facing corner above. After getting over the bulge, a few cams can be placed on an easy ramp. Two bolts lead left towards a roof with more gear possibilities and then bolted anchor.

Actually better than it looks.  Start left of

Crank You, Thank You

towards the right side of the Cracked Wall.  Follow a discontinuous ramp/crack system, staying right of the moss.  Continue up mostly 4th class terrain with perhaps a 5.4 move.  Two sets of anchors at the top, shared with Civilized Evil.

Start as for

Crank You, Thank You

.  Continue STRAIGHT up past 2 more bolts to a roof, clip a final bolt, and pull the roof (crux) and up to the Lama anchors.

Variation on 'Lost Luggage' (5.10a), the farthest left route on the wall. ~20 feet to the first bolt. Description from John Knight's route posts:

"This variation of 'Lost Luggage' works its way up to the bolt under the overhang then moves left and follows the black streak to clip a 2nd bolt. Note - the name came from the previously chopped bolt that I found (and replaced). The climb is worth doing and also has value as an easy way to lead up to the 'Camel' anchors. To set up a TR, rap down from the 'Camel' anchors to the lower anchors. Use caution stepping over the large, loose blocks on top. Original FA - Unknown (re-equipped & re-led by John Knight, Vickie Garagliano, Dane Howell, & Jackie Howell - 2009)."

Moderate climbing and tricky gear placements with ground-fall potential for the first half make this a must-do for those confident at the grade and who want to experience a little excitement in climbing after all those boringly safe bolted routes. The moves are probably less than 5.9. The guide photo on MP for Cracked Wall shows this as 5.9 PG; I'm giving it an R if we define R as "a fall could be dangerous." Several placements are in awkward stances and are difficult placements with marginal gear. If you blow it in the first half, you are likely hitting the ground unless you're right at a piece and the gear holds!

I placed a pink and red tricam in a couple holes for the first 2 placements--i couldn't get anything else to fit after fiddling with offset brassies, but the tricams are bomber! Trend left a little bit at one point, passing a micro-roof feature to your right. After a few more moves, a crack opens up near halfway where u get a nice cam placement (C4 #.3-.75 range). A few more moves gets you to the only bolt on this route, then easier ground straight up to the Civilized Evil anchor.

Begin on Only Way to Fly, but at the first bolt cut right with large moves on difficult crimps and up to the sloping ledge. This crux sequence clocks in at around a ~V6/7 boulder problem. After this either meet up with Love in an Elevator or more fun stay left of that line up a more difficult face past an old bolt.

Not sure if this is the original line, but it is fun and challenging this way.

Between Western and The Only Way is Cracked Wall's classic project route for those breaking into the 5.12 scene.  It has gotten harder over the years b/c of broken holds.  Mostly done on TR it's a scary lead if it's you're first 5.12.

Start 6' to the right of a large oak tree at the far right end of the Cracked Wall, directly below 2 bolts.  An alternate, significantly easier start, traverses in from 8' to the right of the direct start.  Climb the slabby face past several shallow, finger pockets up to twin horizontal cracks and your first gear.  Work left along the ramp to clip the first bolt.  Continue up into dish, clip second and final bolt, and continue up past a horizontal seam to roof and a good gear placement.  Pull through the roof crack (fun!) to a 2-bolt anchor.

For those not wishing to lead Lama, a TR can be set by scrambling up and right of the cliff.

The 2 Hour, 2 Tecate Challenge (aka 2 Tecate Challenge for short) is 9 linked pitches of climbing from Cracked Wall up to the Hikers Summit on Bishop Peak. The "challenge" is to break 2 hours. This requires you to be constantly moving and very efficient with your rope work.

The pitches include:

1.

Mouse Maze

(5.9)

2.

Knight Moves

(5.7)

3.

Owl's Staircase

(5.8)

4. JK Flashback (5.7/5.8)

5. Doggie Style (5.9)

6. Garden Party (5.7)

7. Sunnyside (5.8/5.9)

8. There and Back Again (5.7) (aka Liberace)

9. Flakes to Fresno (5.8/5.9)

Start as for

60 Seconds

.  After 25', break left up a black water streak.  While present, gear placements are tricky and the rock is somewhat suspect.  Bob Hill calls them 'thoughtful'.  The crux is protectable with a micro cam, but several moves must be made past the crux before getting additional pro that might actually hold a fall.  Continue up the black water streak.  The upper 25' below the anchors is quite runout, although the terrain is probably no harder than 5.4.

Shares anchor with 60 Seconds.

While a casual affair on TR, 60 Minutes is a fairly serious undertaking for the grade on the sharp end.

Climb past 2 bolts just right of Civilized Evil, at about .11a, then relatively easy ground to 3rd bolt, continue up and right, approaching the 4th bolt (right of Dirty Rat's Crack)with medium cams protecting moderate climbing, clip 4th bolt either from left or straight up (being more sustained)on the overhanging roof. Dynamic moves over roof, clip 5th and last bolt from stance above lip and then thin pro on the .10a thin crack to the anchors. Very loose flakes above anchors, keep out.

Start on the slab to the right of Lama. Follow the route up to a fist-sized pocket, then directly over the bulge (instead of traversing around it) to get your money's worth. Traverse left to Lama when you hit the roof.

In words of Knight himself, "Step up into Dirty Rats Crack and look up and right after about 10 up the crack. Step up to a high clip out of the Dirty Rats Crack and make the first of two crux moves into the seam above. Work your way left through the maze as you clip two more bolts. Look for the big 'mouse hole' left of the 3rd bolt. ...reach high into big jugs as you move right. Crouch under the roof as you put in a cam. Work your feet up high and step up to place a gold Alien in the horizontal seam above the roof....pull the roof, clip the last bolt and...then chains."

Use the bolted anchor atop Dirty Rat's Crack to top-rope any of the face climbs that lay between Rat Race and Dirty Rat's Crack. From left to right, there are 5.9, 5.7 and 5.5 variations (at least!).

Less experienced climbers will benefit from a 1/2" directional cam placed 10 feet below and right of the top anchor.

Description

Protection

Routes in Cracked Wall