Crux is sit start, continue diagonally up the rail to the left before topping out.

Now That's Podracing!

Lighting the Beacon

Boil'em, Mash'em, Stick'em in a Stew

I See Fire

Entering Shelob's Lair

The River Anduin

Hidden Stair

Spider Hobbit, Spider Hobbit. Does Whatever a Spider-Hobbit does.

Faramir's Quality

Haven't Dropped No Eaves

Edge of Night

Shadowy Nook in the Prancing Pony

Start on the lower horizontal crack and make your way to the flake that looks like it just wants to be grabbed on the overhung section.  Then go up from there. The top cracks could really use some extensive cleaning. The route itself is pretty short but enjoyable.

This is the same sit start as Boil'em Mash'em Stick'em in a Stew. Climb to the right and up the wall to the top (or where it's too mossy to grab until it is better cleaned). Positive Crimps for the start will bring you to larger holds going up.

This route is on the overhanging wall, starting just to the right of Edge of Night and going straight up.  This ends at the same place as Edge of Night and starts directly below it with a sit start on/in front of the semi annoying rock. Climb straight up the crimps and holds.

Sit start on the  crimps and work your way up and right towards the end of the wall.  Then go up from there and at the top work back towards the left.  There are two small loose rocks wedged in one of the cracks. Please leave them there, as they were there naturally and add a little difficulty to the route creating a smaller pocket for your right hand. The left hand can grab the slopey, but grippy obvious spot to the left. This was definitely a fun route.  The Crux is getting your fingers in the pocket beside the semi-trapped loose rocks described above, and left hand up to the textured sloper.

Start low on the wall with hands on a horizontal crack. Move them up onto one larger ledge and then another. Work your feet around and start traversing using the positive holds until you get to the obvious hole/inlet/sidepull and then go straight up from there to the top. It's a bit longer with several fun moves and serves as a good entrance to the overhung cave-wall.  Some of the holds are a bit rough, but there are some smooth ones too.  Moving your feet will be key to prevent you from barn-dooring when grabbing the sidepull before going up.  This is probably the crux.

Starts with a low crimp, reachs out right to a wonderous undercling from Gandalf himself. Reach up to a jug on the opposite side of the wet rock. After that the crux is reaching from the horizontal crack to a sloper or jug near the mouth of the "river" of wet rock. 

Climb up the blocky Arete on the corner where the vertical wall turns 90 deg and becomes the overhanging wall. After the blocky part of the arete becomes smooth, start using the fingery cracks on the left/vertical wall.

I love this route and it's a good one to 'Limber Up' on.  Start on the far right side, hands and a heel hook on the arete. Work your hands and foot along the edge to the left through the crack until you can reach up to follow the arete above you.  After you do this, you have easy feet allowing for an easy time to follow it to the top.

Start near the arete, on the vertical wall, using the fingery cracks to get up. The route makes a slight jog to the left. Bonus points for not using the massive horizontal cracks near the top. 

Sit start just left of "Spider Hobbit, Spider Hobbit..." at the base of inset blocks. Use fault lines and quartz line to work to the top. Top out and walk-off to the left. 

There is an obvious diagonal outcropping/lip from the wall starting near the middle of the overhanging wall (length-wise) and running up and to the right.  The holds are mostly positive and can require some big moves. Start with two hands on a low large crimp in a sit start.  The first few moves are the crux with large moves.  Reach big for a large left side-pull and a heel hook or two  to help get to the higher holds and move along the route.

Gollum's Playground is a fun bouldering area at Case Mountain with a variety of routes, both in type and difficulty, most of which just waiting to be established.  The rock here is generally coarse with many sharp holds and some smoother/softer ones. It is along side a portion of the Yellow trail, which runs parallel to the long vertical wall.  This is one of the largest, if not the largest, bouldering spots at Case.  From left to right when looking from the Yellow Trail, there is a long vertical wall (Main Wall), a long Overhanging Wall (or cave if you really want to call it that), and a smaller vertical "Quartz Wall" with two veins of quartz running up it.     The "Main Wall" is nearly perfectly vertical and segmented into 3 obvious sections.  The middle of which has the smallest holds and presumably the hardest problems (still needs to be established).  The others have a bit larger cracks and holds.  The vertical walls are made of very solid rock.  Most of the holds are thin horizontal cracks.     90 degrees from the "Main Wall" is the long "Overhanging Wall" that is fully featured with lots of positive holds.  There is a large amount of potential problems here and you can do some really fun traverses as well.  Some of the holds have sharp spots, so watch out where you put your hands.  The rock is very solid for the most part, but some loose pieces can be found, especially down low, so it's not a bad idea to check out the thinner flakes before cranking on them.  There are lots of crimps on this wall mixed some side-pulls and larger flakes.  Many of the routes have some big moves and heel hooking is often a good option.     Looking from the Yellow Trail, the Quartz Wall is immediately to the right of the inlet to the Overhanging Wall.  It isn't as wide as the Main wall but still has room for a couple easier problems currently waiting to be established and potentially one harder fingery problem. There are 2 veins of quartz running vertically up this wall that make it look cool and give it its own character as well as some horizontal cracks.     There are also 2 nearby walls; Chipmunk Wall and Lego Wall, SW of the actual Playground proper, which are good for beginner warm-ups or just for funsies.

     Harder routes along with several others still need to be established by someone better/stronger than myself and the routes listed here are in no way comprehensive or the complete picture of the potential here.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Gollum's Playground