Wild West sits high atop the West Bluff, and overlooks everything from its poignant perch. This slightly overhanging line is not your typical DL 5.11-, and is an excellent, though short lead for the grade. However the spice is the real deal, and committing to some of the more bouldery moves may make you sweat a little. Luckily the holds are surprisingly good, and the sequences are fairly straight forward.   (Also known as "Wild West Homo" - a comment on some people's attitudes toward the lycra-clad climbers of the 80s, I think - DH.)

Wild West

Handle With Care

Practice Chimney

Whipping Boy

Match the Snatch

Perverted Inspiration

Cracker Jack

Get Jacked

Son of Great Chimney Direct

Hot Beef Injection

Coup d'Etat

Son of Great Chimney

Overlooked

Mandingo's Nose

The Good, the Bad, and the Jacked (Direct)

The Bastard Chimney

Dirty Day

Milking the Bull

Hiker Envy

Pale Rider

The Good, the Bad, and the Jacked

Climb around the thin seam left of Wild West Homo staying on the face to the right of Cracker Jack. Some tricky moves with small pro to the horizontal, then up and left onto the arete, followed by a run to the top. The route flows nicely with some cool moves.

Crack to the right of Coup D'Etat. 

  Although unimpressive looking, this is one of the better 5.5s at the Lake.

Short splitter, perfect to practice some chimney technique.

Dually cracks up a small tower type feature.  The bottom is a little dirty, though the upper section provides good movement.

Starts up in notch to the right of Son Of Great Chimney.  On the right arete, it comes out swinging and finishes the same way SOGC does. 

I chose to start with the same beginning as "Whipping Boy" as this adds an additional 15ft of climbing. Once through the initial 15ft continue diagonally up and right to the obvious ledge.  From the ledge you follow the arete using underclings and insecure climbing to the top.  Expect the climbing to get harder as you progress with several small cruxes.

An awesome crack route with a huge ledge in the middle that makes it fun to do in two pitches. The bottom crack let's even the most clueless face climber sink perfect jams. The only negative is it tops out near the "survey marker" on the West Bluff and is often crowded with hikers checking out the stunning view.

This is an unnamed route in Sven's book. Get Jacked starts to the left of The Good, The Bad & The Jacked but not on the detached block. Climb a jam crack for 20 feet into a cramped little alcove. From here use the sharp layback flake to a nice stance. Have fun with the decent amount of run out. On top of this platform, you're almost to the top, wonder if you have the right gear to protect the last move (Red BD C3), place it, and do a strange mantle to top out. Variations are certainly possible. Alternatively one could eliminate all features and focus solely using the offwidth just to the right (Hot Beef Injection). Possibly harder than 5.6 but better protected.

Do the first half of of the regular route and finish up the shallow dihedral left and center on the buttress, climb the center face instead of the corner. Climbing is sustained with a mantle/dino at the finish.

This is a line Andy Hansen spied and coined "Hot Beef Injection".  I finally got on this; it was fun and easier than it looks.

A climb with a blend of thin crack climbing, fun face moves, and a desperate dynamic to finish.  It'll make you sweat! Thin crack offers solid gear placements through entire climb.  Route starts just to the left of a flaky crack (Handle with Care, 5.5), and can be accessed through Great Chimney (actually more of a gully and the bottom can be tricky).

Son of Great Chimney is an inspiring and intimidating line for the grade. Start on the left side of the north face. Off balance moves up the arete will lead you past pins, and into the middle crux and a few big moves. Make your way over to the right side, and finish up the right hand arete. Don't forget to enjoy the view.

 It is true that Pete's onsight lead in 1968 was one of the single greatest moments in the history of climbing in the United States. Few routes across the country could compare.

There is a wonderful hand-crack hidden just inside the chimney - great for pro and great for holds! 

  In the corner to the right of "Whipping Boy", is a chimney behind a tree.  Overlooked by everyone who scrambles up and down the gulley, it is clean, protects well, and has nice moves. 

  It ends at the overlook.

A toprope boulder problem. Climb the steep blunt nose at the low point of the buttress.

 This is a named climb in Knower, and not listed in Swartling/Mayer.

On-Sight Beta:   Climb straight up the face directly beneath the roof that marks the beginning of The Good, the Bad, and the Jacked. Move left to a thin crack and continue to the top after the big move on the original line.  

  Flash Beta:   Powerful, sustained, and unprotected climbing leads into the original line put up by John Scott. A fall before establishing on the flared vertical just above the roof is certain to be unpleasant. A very shallow yet good #1 C4 can be placed in the flare and protects the climber while pulling the roof. A piton waits above. Marginal, micro gear is available just before the big move ahead and a good placement is available right after. After the big move, do a short traverse left to a thin crack and prepare for a third crux section.

This is the obvious long and tall splitter chimney on the backside of the "Coup D' Etat" formation. Starts off as tight ( really tight) squeeze chimney and eventually flares into a nice width.  

  Long clean cracks like this perfect for practicing technique aren't very common at the lake. Get on this!

Start 2 feet left of Cracker Jack.  Wander left up several low steps to face.  One 5.10 move to jug, then move up onto ledge.  Continue straight up short sequence to top of enormous ledge.  Finish on Cracker Jack.

Thin cranking leads to a small roof and easier moves.  Ends on the ledge below Wild West Homo.  If you consider yourself a crimpnichian then get this thing done.  May want to bring a wire brush and dust her off a bit.  Doesn't get done often.

Start on right side of the face near the 5.6 chimney and carefully move to the left onto the ledge.  Alternatively, you can also do a direct bouldery start onto the ledge (more fun).  Follow the very thin crack to the ledge and finish up either side to top out.  Smile for the crowds (hence the name).  Crux is definitely the face leading up to the ledge...some very delicate, balancey "5.8" (by DL standards) moves.

"The Good, the Bad, and the Jacked" climbs the blank face roughly 30 feet left of Cracker Jack. Start at the toe of the huge flake underneath a shallow corner with an old fixed piton. Ascend the flake rightwards to the ledge, place reasonable pro (#2 or #3 cam), move left and make exceedingly desperate moves up a shallow corner. Pass the fixed piton and veer slightly right to an OK rest where it's also possible to place small pro. From here execute a burly move to a horizontal hold (pro), traversing immediately left for another in-your-face section in a thin crack.

 This is a 5.12 on steroids. I'd give it 5.12c. Hats off to the first ascensionist, regardless what grade.

Climbs along the West Bluff Trail just south and just north of Prospect Point.  Arbitrarily, this area starts left-to-right with Son of Great Chimney.  Climbs around the corner to the left (Dance of Ghost Psamead, etc) are included in Big Toe.

Description

Location

Routes in 04: Great Chimney Area