Climb up into the easy corner, and move out right onto the face to the first bolt. A #3 Camalot can be placed in the corner, but the climbing is straightforward and not difficult. Follow bolts straight up to a 2-bolt anchor.

Watership Down

Bunny Slope

Cottontail Crack

Destroyer

Arms Race

Cottontail Right

Pay at the Pump

Bunny Roof

This is a new and improved (summer 2018) version of a 12-year-old route that was thoroughly neglected in its original form. It was established with just two bolts. It is now a proper sport route (with 6 bolts) and is currently the hardest pitch on the crag. It is marred only by a bit of poor rock in the middle of the pitch but makes up for it with the exceptional stone and movement through the 8 foot roof and hanging headwall above.

Start just left of

Pay At The Pump

in a short, left-facing corner (

Watership Down

shares this start and the first bolt).

Climb up into the easy corner, and move out right onto the face to the first bolt. A #3 Camalot can be placed in the corner, but the climbing is straightforward and not difficult. Begin a leftward traverse towards the obvious roof, and tackle the burly terrain through the roof and headwall up to a two-bolt, lower-off anchor.

As the least difficult route on the crag, this pitch serves as a nice warm-up and a good introduction to the climbing at Cottontail.

A bit of choss at the start gives way to engaging climbing on good, golden stone past 6 bolts.

Climb the left of the twin 'Cottontail' cracks on the narrow South face. The crack leans left at a small overhang and dies in the middle of the face. Scratch past a bolt (crux), and enjoy a zesty mantel onto a ledge (FP). Ooze up the licheny corner, and step right to

Cottontail Right's

anchor.

This is an excellent route, with a great position, fun moves and good rock. It begins just right of

Cottontail Right

(the rightmost of the two cracks). Begin by climbing straight up, sharing the first two bolts of

Arms Race

(5.11a/b). From a stance, move left onto and weave a line back and forth up the blunt arete. The crux comes at the top, with some sweet crystal pullin', after a handy rest.

Arms Race is a spectacular sport route with lots of varied climbing for the length. It's the first bolt line left of the deep chimney - sharing the first two bolts with

Destroyer

and then continuing straight up over a little roof as

Destroyer

goes out left.

A bigger move near the top is described by Gillett as an "iron cross" move.

This is a really fun hybrid route on the narrow west end of the crag. There are 2 cracks on this narrow face. Take the right one which is about 5.9 initially (you might end up doing a few moves in the left crack first, as it's cleaner). Rest, then climb the beautiful 5.11 crack over a roof and up the face until you can clip the first of two bolts where the crack dies out. Slightly overhanging 5.11 face continues up past the bolts to easier but somewhat runnout climbing to a two-bolt anchor. Multiple, varied, 5.11 cruxes and steep rock add up to a great, sustained climb. It's a safe lead but with some big falls possible and some 5.11 moves that would be hard or impossible to aid.

It is possible to climb the obvious 5.easy chimney splitting the crag, then carefully walk over to set up a toprope.

This is the right most bolted line on the South East face of Cottontail Crag and gets good sun until mid afternoon.  Most people are happy with just quickdraws but other small gear is available low on the route.  Make a 5.10a move passing the first bolt and cruise to the ledge at the third bolt.  Things are hard from here on out with the crux coming right at the end.  We graded this route a little harder originally but consensus seems to be that this is the least severe 5.11 on the crag.  To establish the toprope, scramble up the chimney to the north (brutal 5.3 R) or lead a nice 5.7 R slab just right of Pay at the Pump.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Cottontail Crag