A 3 pitch route on the left side of the Black Wall in Calico Basin. Morning sun, afternoon shade. Sport with some optional gear placements. No crowds. Rock is good with some portions still a little friable.  

  Pitch 1 - Follow the bolts (a couple of optional gear placements in between) to the ledge with the tree - 5.10+/.11-. 

  Pitch 2 - Head up the Black Wall (crux down low) to a prominent right facing corner that leads to a small roof - the corner protects with gear - over the roof to the belay - 5.11-.  

  Pitch 3 - Finish the wall via bolts to the final ledge 5.9+.  

  Bolted anchors. Tops out on the Calico Hills. Walk or rap off.  

  It is set up to rap with a 70 meter rope. It is cleaning up nicely and all bolts and anchors seem to be in good shape. Enjoy.

Tres Hombres

Mom & Apple Pie

Mothers of Invention (AKA Guys from Josh)

Happy Acres

All that, Jazz

The Life Chuckle

Cram It

Greek Tragedy

Spontaneous Enjoyment

Geriatric Therapy

Also known as "Todd's a God." Just to the left of the Cram It corner, follow a line of bolts up to the anchors.

Also known as "Guys From Josh." Start about 30 feet left of the corner on Cram It.  Follow bolts past the beach-ball hole to anchors.

Go 50 feet up and right from the big corner on Mother's Day and climb the dirty right-facing chimney.

The first pitch was originally put up by Mark Limage and it consisted of 3 bolts and a bolted anchor.  We added a new first bolt (with Mark's permission) to make the start a little less intimidating for climbers leading at this grade.  Thanks Mark. 

  P1: (5.7)  Climb the bolted face to the second anchor.  Use the first to clip a draw but continue literally 10' left and 15' higher to the second anchor for the belay. This is a really comfy ledge, be careful not to get complacent and forget you are about 60' up. (60') 

  The second anchor was placed by Chris Burton and Mike Burton (not related) for a single pitch route called "Greek Tragedy."  This climb ascends the shallow ramp to the left (east) of the direct start for the first pitch of All that, Jazz.  Looks like it takes small gear.  Thanks for the information Chris! 

  P2: (5.8) Trend 10' right to gain the shallow, left-facing corner/crack.  Place gear as you like in the crack using long slings to prevent drag. Use the ample face features and crack to stem, lie-back, and smear your way up. When the crack ends, look for a bolt up and to the left. Traverse to the bolt (if it seems too high, look for feet) and then continue left to the crux, a short, dead-vertical headwall that will "go" easily to some really fun moves!  There is a protection bolt smack in the center of the headwall to protect these moves.  Pull the headwall to a bolted anchor and a reasonable, slabby ledge. (110') 

  P2 Option: (5.8) If you have time, rap or lower back to the first station after the your second cleans the pitch and top rope straight up the face back to the second anchor - fun climbing that adds another 110' to the day! 

  P:3 (5.6) Step off left and make a few moves on the solid-varnished vertical face to a single bolt (the only one on this pitch) about 8 feet off the belay.  Continue straight up this face as it slabs off and becomes easier.  Place gear as you like in ample horizontals and try to stay to the left in the black varnish.  Trending right leads to climbable terrain but the rock quality is not as good and the placements will be fewer and more questionable!  Watch rope drag as you move higher on the slab.  There is a bolted anchor at the top, no rings or links. (110') 

  We took our time, placed plenty of gear, sat on the top in the sun for a while, stopped for photos and the route took us about 2 hours pack-to-pack.   

This route has a lot of fun climbing with some soft and/or loose rock. Start by climbing the corner with a sweet, laser cut, lie-back crack. Follow the line, passing several obstacles. There is a ledge at about 120 feet up where you can build a belay. You can walk off to the right from here or do a short second pitch to the top. From the top, you also walk off right, same as All That Jazz.

High on the right side of the cliff is a big left-facing corner.  Go past a bolt then follow the crack. 

  This route is erroneously called Mother's Day in the Todd Swain guidebook.

good holds, but relatively sparse protection after you leave the ramp and head up the face, above.

Start as per "All that Jazz" and clip the right bolt at the forth and continue up and right gaining a crack and the right side of the flake used on ATJ P2. Atop the flake continue up and right to a set of anchors facing west on the top of a pillar.

climb the bolted face for pitch one.(60') Move directly left 15' from the anchor and head up the face along a small left facing corner past some small overhangs and follow cracks and face holds to the top. A very long pitch that may require moving the belayer left to give the climber enough rope to reach the top.

Hike west out of the main Calico Basin area.  Go past Cannibal Crag and Dickies Cliff, then up the steep canyon.  The cliff on the left is the Black Wall.

Description

Routes in Black Wall (aka Happy Acres)