Start on the far left side of the slab. Climb the steep scoop to gain the slab and then step up left into the clean, orange corner....

The Orange Corner

Golden Plate

The Leaning Corner

Slabby Steps

Nina

A Brief Squall

The Leaning Seam

Classic Corner

Columbus Day in America

The Leaning Flake

The Leaning Face (AKA Backscratcher)

The Leaning Crack

Ever notice how some climbers act as if they've discovered America when they do first ascents? Or think that they are doing first ascents, because they found some lichens on the rocks?

This route may be an example of that. I think that, on Oct. 12, 2015, my wife and I did the first ascent of this pile, 523 years to the day after Columbus "discovered" America. Of course, we know that people had already been living in the Americas for more than 20,000 years, so what's the big deal?

Here's the big deal: Drew Spaulding didn't claim this route; therefore it must be virgin. How could he have not noticed it? It is so memorable, I forgot about it for over a year, before posting it today.

Start up past the 1 bolt start (5.10a) and climb up past the left side of the "Slab Tree". Step up left past 1 more bolt into the steep corner (5.9) and up to the 2-bolt anchor.

Start up the steep corner, left of the Leaning flake, to gain the slab above. Step left into the overhanging corner and up to the bolted crux at the top.

Just left of the "

Leaning Seam

".... scramble up to a bolted bulge and up to the thin lieback crack. finish on the bolted slab above.

Like "

Columbus Day in America

", no one has claimed this one yet, so it's going up now. It looks like folks had done the lower portion before, but it is unclear about the top. Who cares, climb it if you like #4 cracks.

Start in the wide crack to the left of the start of

A Brief Squall

, then head up the corner through two wider sections. You get a few great hand and fist jams throughout. Once at the top, head right to the anchors on

A Brief Squall

.

Start up the left-facing corner down below the "Slab Tree". Step up the slab to the left to follow bolts and gear up to the 2-bolt anchor with chains....

Start on the far right side of the slab.... Climb up the bolted first step just left of the large juniper tree. Continue up the thinly protected, right-leaning seam up to the bolted crux....

Do a full wingspan bear hug on a small hold out far right before climbing past the crux bolt!

Slap with the left and rreeeaachh with the right.... Great moves!!

This is the line that climbs to the right of the "Slab Tree". Start near the base of "

Slabby Steps

". Off the ground, trend leftward on great edges up into the wide slot to gain the slab. Scramble up past the tree on its right and step out into the Classic Corner. Bust the steep 5.7 moves in the dihedral to top out. Really fun finishing moves!

Start up the steep face to the right of the

Leaning Corner

. Thin gear and bolts climb through three 5.10 cruxes....

Start behind the large tree up the corner (gear to 3/4"). Climb 6 bolts up the impressively steep, edgy wall... 25' more feet of gear to the chains.

The Leaning Crack is one of the best crack climbs in BV!

Start up the slab on the far right to gain the overhanging crack above. Tough, pumpy moves (10d) lead up into the quality hand crack corner (10a).  This seems too classic of a line to not have been climbed in the past and I wouldn't doubt if it has.... But after cleaning obvious loose blocks and flakes from the crack, I've wondered....

Solid 5.11 if you are trying to jam the steep crack straight in... the are some gracious holds up to the right of the crack that make it more doable!

Description

Protection

Routes in The Leaning Wall