Climb through a few constrictions and bulges with fun movement to the flaring chimney crux. The constrictions that are at the top and the bottom of this chimney section were all that were protectable with my gear set from micros to Merlin #8. It may take a Merlin #10 or a gold Big Bro #5, but I just ran it out. Pop up onto the shelf above the last constriction and climb the final 20-30 feet of low 5th class to a top-out with a great view. Walk off to the left.

There is no record of this being climbed in the past, but if you have any info on prior ascents, the first ascentionists, or the original name for the route, then please let me know and I will update this page. Thanks!

Ananathema

Little Book of Lies

Up in Smoke

Group Therapy

Love in the Time of COVID

Anarchist's Cookbook

Burning Down the House

Vehicular Basalt

Chocolate Orange

One of These Days (AKA Mohel With A Dull Knife)

Starless in Vantage

The Beautiful Serpent Lied to Me

Unfinished Business

Nice Dreams

Orangekist

Table Dance

Center of the Earth

Somewhere On Earth

Unknown

Mr. Nice Guy

Take Control

La Llarona

Tank Target

Ill-Advised Crossover

I'm Alright

Secret Passage

Lady in Red

The Jagged Edge

Edge of Mistakes

Neon Indian

Scissor Man

Jeff's Crack

If you don't like ripping out pro, consider top-roping this crack from Scissor Man (5.9s).

Stem up a corner using holds on both face and in the corners. Ends at chains.

The book mentions three fixed pins; these no longer exist.

Climb the dihedral and obvious thin crack, then traverse out left below the roof to finish on Nice Dreams. No crack climbing really necessary, edging and stemming is plentiful. The traverse left comes sooner than you might think, and the final bolted bit is the technical crux.

Tricky crimper moves down low bring you around the arete and onto steep, but easier climbing to the anchor.

Begin this route with some fun face climbing up through the shallow portion of the offwidth before getting a knee or hip into the crack. Make your way through a bulge and then into a cozy, yet cruxy flaring pod that abruptly turns right forming a small roof to overcome. Once out of the pod, follow the crack up to an awesome squeeze chimney that takes you over the top of the column. This one seems body-size dependent based on mine and my partner’s experience. Some may find the pod to be the crux, while others may struggle more with the squeeze chimney.

There is some loose rock on this route, but nothing out of the ordinary for Vantage. Using the face features surrounding the crack will feel like 5.8-5.9, but staying in the crack will get you a 5.10a.

Right now, the best way to anchor is to redirect the rope through a BD #3 in the corner crack above and to the back of the column and then run through the chains at the top of The Jagged Edge 5.7.

Ultimately, chains need to be installed on the right wall directly over the route for a less complicated rope situation.

Arete climbing with some strange maneuvering. Not much on the face except some bolts.

Immediately left of "Mr. Nice Guy". Pulls through the short roof on small holds and veers slightly right onto easier face climbing. One of 8 new routes at Zig-Zag wall.

Climb up the shattered seam. Route has very good flow and thus would be a good warm-up or cool down route.

An enjoyable and sustained 5.9 climb with small holds right where you want them, and decent clipping stances. Taller than most climbs on this wall

The clean looking crack on the left side of the crag.

The route starts with three bolts and then continues up the tight hand and finger crack, past one more bolt and ends at chains to the right.

Tricky moves between the first couple of bolts yield to much easier climbing to the chains.  A little sporty between some of the bolts (guidebook gives it a PG rating), but the climbing is very straightforward and on jugs at that point.

This route follows a beautiful and curvy crack to the top of the Jagged Edge column. The route begins with an interesting set of face moves to get over a bulge that’s in your face from the start. Once you’re able to get into the crack, you’ll find that it’s width varies as it curves back and forth up the column. This makes for some interesting mini-cruxes that will eventually lead you to wider climbing with a fun top out move.

There is a lot of loose rock on this route that tempts you as face holds offering an alternative to the sting of the offwidth, but it’s best to stay in the crack not just from a purist perspective, but also for safety. Using the face throughout the climb will result in a 5.7 rating, while you will get a 5.9 from staying in the crack.

Right now, the best way to anchor is to redirect the rope through a BD #3 in the corner crack above and to the back of the column and then run through the chains at the top of The Jagged Edge 5.7.

Ultimately, chains need to be installed on the left wall directly over the route for a less complicated rope situation.

Steep face climbing past 5 bolts to a chain anchor. Small crimps, balanced face moves and awkward bolt placements make for interesting climbing. Move quickly and avoid the pump.

Short route featuring big moves with positive holds on the arete, and then past the roof to the top.

Short climb that ends under a roof. Incut holds are plentiful but require some reachy moves. Crux is moving back left with a wide foot after the third or so bolt.

Positive crimpers and good feet will help you up this vertical face

A semi-rotten hand crack with ample face-holds transitions to a finger/tips crack. The rock quality improves dramatically about half way up before an awesome lieback sequence (crux). Rock quality suddenly deteriorates before topping out, so climb delicately and watch out for some death blocks a little bigger than an end table. They can be avoided, but be really careful.

Don't pass up any opportunities for good gear down low on this route. There are solid placements there, but take extra care to ensure you find them! You're probably not going to fall because of the difficulty of the moves, but a fall due to a hold exploding is very realistic.

Don't let this detract you from the climb- it's not amazing, but def worth doing for the lieback sequence up top.

GEAR BELAY: the gear belay is on the climbers left about 2' below the mesa top. Bring a #4 and a 0.5 for sure; I also plugged an offset 0.5/0.75 BD cam adjacent/right of the 0.5 in the same slot. See pic- it's really your only option, otherwise I wouldn't spray so much gear beta.

Easy moves up to a 10' finger crack, ending at a roof. Escape the roof to your right using the obvious rail and continue traversing right, passing the last two bolts of the (upper)

Edge of Mistakes

crack. Finish at chains just above a small gravely ledge. This route is the same as

Ill-Advised Crossover,

except this gains the roof via the crack instead of the arete.

The 6' crack eats BD #0.3's and the top of

Edge of Mistakes

will take a BD #0.4, or perhaps slightly bigger.

According to

Frenchman Coulee

(4th ed): escaping the roof left and ending on chains of

Nice Dreams

, is called

Up In Smoke

(5.7).

Uneventful. Crackly holds. A little bit of movement at the 3rd bolt that’s further to the left and forces you onto the arete. 5th bolt is hidden.

2 bolts protect the opening moves on the face. Step slightly right to gain the shallow arete' and crimp past 3 more bolts with the occasional jug. Fun movement. Not as closely bolted as its neighbors but still totally safe. One of 8 newer routes at Zig-Zag.

Short route with a big bench before the chains.

The crux of route is the first move that is pretty fun. After that it is pretty easy.

Climb directly up the arete to the left side of the prominant roof. Traverse right directly beneath the roof, then climb straight up to the top. Beware the swing potential.

Climbing a pillar face, somewhat similar to Scissor Man, but more work finding the holds. Fun.

Decent crack from finger to O/W that takes pro well. Little shelves on face.

Fun arete and face climb.  Best to move quickly past the first clip.

A Vantage rarity - an easy trad route of decent quality! It's got thirty feet of thin crack, then two clips on left.  No jamming required, just stemming and edge climbing.

As of 2017, this route was extended by adding a bolt off the final ledge and a 2 bolt anchor that lowers directly back to the base of the route. No more rope drag when lowering or grassy ledge scrambling required to access the anchor.

7 bolts on the face of the arete with bright colored lichen between "Tank Target" and "One of these Days". Well protected with easy clips along the way.

Climbs an orange pillar with holds all the way.

An asthetic and sloping crack with lots of shelves

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Zig Zag Wall