"...My fingers grip with fear, what am I doing here?  Flash before my eyes, now it's time to die."  Okay, this may a bit too intense to be an accurate description of the route, but it is an excerpt from the tune in which the route was named after. Although this line is safe, it does have the potential for some good air time.

This route is easily one of the best and most sustained single pitch face routes of this grade at the Bald.    It is slightly harder than "Thunderstruck" just to the left.

Undercling the loose flake feature to reach a good hold and clip the high bolt.  Move right and mantel into a hole feature and clip 2nd bolt.  Crimp (crux?) to the small ledge and get some gear.  Step right and move up to a good hold and 3rd bolt.  Move up and slightly left of bolt on thin terrain to a long reach that gains a good ledge.  Move right and mantel up onto ledge to 4th bolt.  Continue up a little ways on easier climbing past horizontals (gear) to the last bolt.  Make slopey moves up past the bolt before trending out left past some small gear and finally the anchor.

Ride The Lightning

Brain Damage

Reckless Criminal

Hocus Focus

Slabbath Bloody Slabbath

Metal Meltdown

Into The Void

Breaking The Law

Sticks & Stones

The Return Of Grunge

Slabbra Cadabbra

Jail Break

Granite Man

Thunderstruck

The Holy Slabbeth

Black Slabbeth

The cruxes are isolated and well protected, making this a worthwhile route to try to onsight.  Locate the left line of bolts at the very top of the tree ledge.  They are nearly invisible due to a tan colored paint.  P-1 Climb the short section of patina type edges to a bolt and a difficult mantel.  Clip another bolt and make a thin and reachy move to good holds that lead to a good stance.  Move right and up to a an obvious large pocket, and clip the 3rd bolt.  Make more hard moves past this to the 4th bolt.  Continue up past another bolt to a great stance and gear.  Move right (#1 camelot here)and up to the last bolt.  Make more thin moves past this to bulgy horizontals (small cams here), and finally a nice belay ledge at 100'.  P-2 Climb up and diagonally right to the top (5.7).

This is a nice route that has quite a few hidden holds.  Climb hard moves past the first bolt to a good stance (stick clip usefull here).  From the good stance, clip the bolt out left, then crank up and left to another stance at the 3rd bolt.  Negotiate the crux to great holds and another bolt.  Long moves get you to some gear, and easier terrain.  Continue up to the 2 bolt anchor above the moss pad.

The literal meaning of "Desperado".  Climb the direct line right of the black streak to a bowl.  Take some gear up to a .75 camalot.  The edges, mostly invisible from the ground, are incredible.  One person, who ought to know, says this is the best 5.11 face in the state.  Tim may have added more pitches later on.

P-1 (5.10+/A0 or 5.12a) Climb past a pin and bolt via large patina type holds to a diagonal line of bolts. There is an A-0 move at the 5th bolt that now goes free and involves some thin terrain and use of a small crystal.  Continue up to a short crack that leads to a thin face, passing 2 more bolts to the anchor.

P-2 (5.11) Climb straight up to a good slot, which is perfect for a pink tricam.  Continue up past 2 more bolts (crux) to easier terrain.  Move right a bit, and follow the line of least resistance (generally straight up) past many of the same size horizontals (small alliens or TCU's) to the last bolt.  Continue to 2 bolt rap anchor.

The first pitch is a more direct way to get to the upper part of Black Slabbath.

P-1 Climb up and left on great crimpers to a bolt.  Continue up past a good horizontal (gear here)and another bolt.   Continue up and slightly left and into the upper portion of Black Slabbath (anchors a good bit to the left).  Rap from anchors of Black Slabbath, or continue up the very fun moderate second pitch.

P-2 Traverse back out right into the dark streak and follow that up and right to a large undercling/lieback flake.  From here climb towards the large cedar tree a good ways up, weaving back and forth as neccessary.  3 single rope raps will get you down.  Rap down and right to a lower rappel tree, then once again to a bolted anchor below.

There is a story behind the name. Ask ole Ed. He will give it up.

Located at the end of "The Holy Slabbeth" ledge at a pine tree and up and right of "Brain Damage".

Move up and left from the tree placing small gear in a right facing slot. Make delicate and hard moves(crux) past 2 bolts to a great horizontal. Climb face protecting a hollow flake to a roof. Gear here. Pull the roof and climb past 3 bolts(5.11a) following the path of least resistance to a stance with small gear. Move right then up to a 2 bolt anchor.

2nd pitch. Ed Williams, Shannon Millsap

Move up and trending left to eventually join the 2nd pitch of Hocus Focus. Finish at the Hocus Focus anchor.

Natural gear.

Start in the middle of the hill that climbs to Hocus Focus on a ledge. Stick clip 1st bolt. Move up 1st bolt. Trend up and left to second. Traverse left to steep rock placing gear before moving up to third bolt.(Crux)Crimp straight up a good ways to great holds and a great stance(passing opptional gear). Gain 2 more bolts and then traverse dead right to a gear slot. Move straight up to a 2 bolt anchor.

This line has a little more variety than other Desperado wall routes.

Climb past 2 bolts to a tricky move gaining the left rising undercling flake.  Follow this up and left past another bolt to a stance.  Continue up past a .75 camelot placement that is just out of sight.  From here move up and right following the weakness to a belay ledge up and right with 2 bolts.

Note: Extend the anchor over the lip with a few slings to reduce the rope drag if belaying from the ground.

Despite the contrived start on the rock stack, this is a cool climb.  Using the good flake/jug, dyno to the next hand hold, and clip next bolt.  Hard face climbing leads straight up past small gear, and one more bolt.  Above this, follow a mellow crack feature where the difficulty eases.  There is 2 nuts anchor at 90'.

Same starting holds as for "Slabbath Bloody Slabbath".  Climb out right past 2 bolts and the crux (first bolt is a high clip, good one to stick clip) to an easier face with somewhat tricky gear.  There is one more bolt up high that protects a thin face (5.9) leading to a 2 bolt anchor on the large ledge.

The name was inspired from yet another Black Sabbath tune, not to mention the magical moves one has to make at times on this route.

P-1  Either climb straight up to first bolt, or traverse in from the left.  Climb steep and excellent rock past 2 bolts to lower angeled terrain.  Continue up wild steep slabbing, clipping bolts for pro, to the last section of the pitch that steepens up again.  Climb on fantastic hold past a couple of more bolts and some small gear to the 2 bolt belay.

P-2  Climb the steep face above past 2 bolts (crux) and a few slopers to a fantastic jug at the 3rd bolt.  Step out right and mantel up to the 4th bolt (exciting!).  Move up and left past a good #1 camelot to another bolt in the bulge.  Crank past this to easier terrain, protected with small cams, and one more bolt.  At the roof, step left and climb straight up to the 2 bolt anchor at the ledge. Note: The rap from here is about 115' to the top of pitch 1.

Climb "Breaking The Law" to the 2nd bolt and move right to the overlap (gear).  Make difficult and reachy moves on good holds past a bolt to a good stance and another bolt.  Thin crimpers lead to last bolt and some funky underclinging.  Continue up and slightly right to better holds and gain an easier eyebrow infested slab.  Easier slab climbing leads to the same bolt anchor as for "Breaking The Law".

Note: Extend the anchor over the lip with a few slings to reduce the rope drag if belaying from the ground.

Boulder up the short, yet tricky corner passing a low bolt. Climb straight up passing gear to reach another bolt. Climb fantastic face with plentiful gear to reach a double bolt anchor @ 95 feet.

Boulder up to 1st bolt. Move left into the unique granite pockets(crux)and clip the 2nd bolt. Move up and slightly left to 3rd bolt. Trend up and right to eventually join back in with Granite Man.

A bolted face route left of Reckless Criminal.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Desperado Wall