This variation of Manager's Special was kindly offered by Z Robinson to R Duncan on April 9th. A fun route that is capped by an absolutely stellar finger crack (that just doesn't seem long enough!).  A hand crack to a tenuous slab step-over move, to a splitter finger crack (with good feet in the finger crack!)

Delicacy

Part Time Crack

Unknown Slab/Crack

Blue Collar Crack

Wings of Perception

Squeeze My Lemon

Errant Edge

Life of the Party

Red Neck Slab

Another Day At The Office

Zesty

Cashmere Crack

Zigzag

Tangerine

Maverick Line

Manager's Special

Unknown Slab

King Lizard

This route was created  for someone trying to break into Trad climbing It protects well and is easy to climb with great gear placements . All the starts are fun.   the 5.5 start is perfect for people trying to break into leading trad.  The 5.8 start has no pro but is a really fun way to start the climb.  I like this approach better then the original start to Blue Collar Crack

To start this climb gain the mid-ledge by beginning in the alcove for

Blue Collar Crack

or

Zesty

or work your way up

Part Time Crack

. Once on this ledge look to the far left for a set of chicken heads on the slab. Follow this slab past four bolts up to a mini dihedral/lie-back finger crack. Get your digits deep in this crack, place a few small pieces and work your way up and right around two bulges through jams and lie-backs to finish at the anchors.

Pitch 1

: Climb the arete up to a high bolt and contiue up to the base of a sweeping crack or begin the climb in the corner on the left using the small crack in the wall for gear. Either way, once at the headwall climb to a comfortable stance and stand in a right sweeping, arching crack the starts horizontally. Follow the crack proper all the way up to a set of anchors. (115 feet)

Pitch 2

: Lean right off the anchor and follow a double crack system to a great stance and chain anchor. (65 feet)

This route was cleaned out by Gregg, Clay and Dallen.

I'm pretty sure I know why no one has added this climb yet. It isn't that great. But its worth posting as it is the most obvious feature in the area.

Pitch 1- We climbed the first pitch of zig zag, but according to the Ruckmans you can traverse out to the left onto some grungier looking rock to reach the obvious, gigantic right facing corner. Though not too difficult this pitch is quite serious in my opinion as the gear is spaced. Upon pulling the final roof, traverse to a slung horn at the base of the dihedral. Don't leave the ground without small cams, like purple tcu to red c3 size stuff.

Pitch 2- Climb up the right slanting crack that takes good gear in the finger to hand sized range. Some gardening was in order for our ascent. We linked it all the way to the top from here, climbing through a grungy pod OW thing. You can stop at the intersection of zig zag if you need to and build a belay.  A bigger cam in the #4-#5 camalot range is nice through the top sections though not mandatory. Belay off a small tree at the top.

As you approach Lizard Head Wall, this climb is the obvious vegetated splitter hand crack located on the east side of the wall. Start in the bushes on a right slanting ledge that gains a flaring splitter crack. Fire up this, surmounting the large foliage to a beautiful hands splitter. Continue following this crack until it trends left and runs out. Make a step left into a short dihedral with......you guessed it......great hands again. Follow this to a bolted anchor. A 60m rope will just reach the ground - be sure to tie stoppers before lowering/rapping.

Follows three bolts up chicken heads and small crystals on the right side of the

Lizard Head wall

.  Spicy.

Start on Cashmere Crack to a stance then head left to the steep prow past 2 bolts. This route joins Errant Edge at the 3rd bolt. Bring a #3 C4 or similar to protect easier climbing between the 2nd & 3rd bolt.

This exciting slab continues left from the anchors of

Blue Collar Crack

. Ascend over a small bulge, gain a stance and begin to climb right and up a seam using large cracks and jams. Continue up and right towards chicken heads to gain the first bolt. Make another good move or two past another bolt to the crux. Clip a bolt and get busy.

Drilled on lead by a few very tall climbers, don't hate us cause we're beautiful.

Another Day At the Office

starts on the same ledge as

Blue Collar Crack

and the many other routes that use it for access. It climbs sharp left up a blunt arete to a quasi chimney that quickly ends, but brings the climber to a steep arete.

Pitch #1

: Climb to the arete. A hand crack deeper in the recess to the left goes easy to a big chickenhead and steepening slab requiring an athletic lunge past some fixed protection. Trend rightward and reach a blocky headwall where an undercling allows a traverse to the right to a two bolt belay. 5.11, 25m.

Pitch #2

: Climb the awkward thin tight finger crack above the belay until it ends at

King Lizard

or continue past two bolts on delightful chickenheads to the top of the buttress, building your own belay. 5.10+, 20m.

Pitch #3

: This pitch was climbed before the lower pitches of the climb, but sits and waits for you right above it. On the big scrub oak filled belay ledge just 10m above the chain anchors for Red Neck Slab, an east facing slanting crack sweeps up to the top of the main Lizard Head Wall. This may be climbed via OW wide hands from its base or can be approached directly via some steppy cracks and slab that eventually intersect with the difficult and exfoliating layback crack at its top. Walk 2m north on the cut swath of scrub oak "path" to begin. We chose the direct (not having multiple #3-#4 Camalots with us as may be required by the lower portion of the crack) and possibly easier variation to the upper layback crack and two-bolt belay ledge. A crack that works you! 5.10, 20m.

We climbed this traditionally, ground up, without pre-inspection and low down of Pitch #1 not entirely free (thermal and heavy load burn performing our chosen Line Of Work?). Consequently, we were surprised to see the

King Lizard

around the corner to the left. We also were unaware of the previous very bold ascent leaving no fixed gear of this route that had occurred in April.

Walk about 15m to the west and down the

Assumption Of Risk

spur and find a two-bolt belay. Two Rope Rappel.

This route starts 30 feet left of

Squeeze My Lemon

. It goes up a patina face to a bolt then a crack that eventually joins

SML

10 feet from the old belay tree. Face climb up to a right leaning crack. The crack starts off fingers and goes into a beautiful hand crack that you have to climb to believe.  Was full of scrub oak until it was cleaned out. Really fun route that adds to the area. Watch your rappel/lower I use a 70M rope. Some who have climbed say a 60M works, but to be safe tie your end.

This is the thin right leaning hand crack that turns OW around the edge from Errant Edge. Though the hand crack at the bottom is a little stiff the business is the off width for sure. Also right leaning and overhanging.

P1:

Starts on the left side of the face and wanders up moderate slabs broken up by 3 roofs. Climb to the right of the 1st one where a missing piton used to protect the thin slab moves. Head straight up and pull the chickenhead-covered second roof, then slab up to the third roof where you'll find a solid piton to protect the lieback moves. Belay above the roof to the left in the Wings dihedral where you'll find a slung horn. Don't pass opportunities for gear on this pitch as the placements are mostly thin and well spaced.

P2:

Start by traversing right along a flaring crack for about 30', then step across the slab (thin) to get into an arching double crack. Climb the stellar finger crack that eventually arches back left into the dihedral. Set up a belay in the squeeze below a detached flake.

P3:

is the business: climb a few feet up to a bush then traverse right on the steep blank slab following a thin undercling, past 3 sad looking pitons that can be backed up in places. Step across a blank section to reach a flaring lieback crack. Heady and less than ideally protected climbing along this feature will bring you back left top the top of the buttress. Walk down a few feet to a solid tree anchor or keep going up the ramp for more trees.

Zigzag

was cleaned in the spring of 2008 by Andrew Burr. It used to look like a jungle. Apart from a bit of exfoliation it is now really clean. Props for the hard work!

Hope you enjoy hand cracks! This splitter line connects the two best cracks on the wall, making for 110' of continuous crack climbing.

Follow SML to the end of the traversing crack section. Follow the obvious seam/chickenheads (protects well) left and then up. Pull around the arete into the $$ hand crack & follow to the chains

Start about 20' left of Squeeze My Lemon by a wide dirty crack.

Find a way to clip the 1st bolt (from the starting ledge if you're tall, from the brushy crack otherwise) then slab/lieback the sloping edge of the crack to a big chickenhead. Clip the 2nd bolt then traverse/slab dyno out right to another chickenhead mantle (fun). Follow the chickenhead highway on the edge of SML (no need to get in the crack but this is where you dump your #2) then above aiming for a ramp that eventually curves into a finger traverse. Follow it (great fingerlocks) until the crack pinches out and gets vegetated then tackle the slab above (thin, crux) heading for the mini-roof. Protect under the right side of the roof (avoid its lowest point for gear as it is pretty hollow) then mantle on the crystalline slab and head straight for the chains (exciting).

Refrain from following the finger traverse to its end (grassy) or from traversing right at the roof. The safety of the arête is appealing but it robs you of the best slab moves and makes you wander in uncleaned territory: every hold will break.

Inspired by an image recently posted here by Tenesmus, Zac and I decided to have a go at this unclimbed line on the Lizard Head Wall.  In spite of the blustery, cold conditions, we managed to thrutch our way up this severely leaning hands-to-fists crack and into the bombay squeeze chimney above.  From the Blue Collar Crack belay, downclimb a few body lengths to the base of the obvious, right-leaning handcrack.  The business starts right off of the belay, then the route eases considerably; mantling the awkward bulge--and, perhaps, the angle of the crack--proved to be the crux.  Continue past a steep, darker colored roof then finesse your way into the wideness, careful to avoid a bit of bat guano.  Bring pants.  The chain anchor belay atop the Redneck Slab (10a) provides an escape; rap to the first belay, then to the top of Squeeze My Lemon--or to just shy of the deck if you've got a 70m and don't mind a bit of easy downclimbing.  This adventure was fueled almost entirely by discount provisions purchased on our way to the canyon--hence, the Manager's Special.

Climb the varnished, featured face with a piece or two of gear then clipping a bolt before you either a)move straight up and onto a ramp across the little chimney with a little runnout mantle to a stretch clip OR b)move up and left on good gear towards a big belay ledge. Then climb the face to the right of the blue collar crack for another 4 bolts on the cool slab including chickenheads and a thin dike with edges. (ok, not really edges but fingertip crimps in the varnish)

From the little ledge belay on the Lizard Head wall, climb up and left into a dihedral.  Do some cool moves left and through the crack system onto an arete.  Clip a few bolts on the arete then trend back right to a fixed pin marking the bottom of the knife blade crack.  Put in your choice of small pro with many options and do the slab boulder problem to the two bolt anchor.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Lizard Head Wall