Easy climbing with some interesting moves to headwall (more of a bulge)... then a simple walk up past final bolt to anchors. Climb up a series of steps to and past bolt 2. For the easiest line, begin traversing right at bolt 3 and then go staight up and over using some large diagonal ledges.

The Good Stuff

Arapiles

The Plunge

Undulating Dingo

Honeymoon Down Under

Red Venus

The Never Ever Slab

Finnacle

Just Happens

Happy Ending (formerly Top-Rope)

Whale Rider

Dreamtime

Esse Curve

Mister MIA

Big E

Aborigine

Aphrodite

Blow Tube Envy

The Captain

Virgin Bolters

The Thin Line

Among the Stars

Bound in Blood

First Mate

Arnold's Demise

Gomers in Blue Shirts

Tempest Toast

Route to the left of The Thin Line

(From Stewart Green's guide) Technical face climbing with small pockets and thin edges to a delicate ending slab.

(from Stewart Green's guidebook) Face climb up left then directly up until a final traverse leads up left to

Undulating Dingo's

anchors.

This climb consists of very thin climbing and smearing on a rather steep section of wall.  As with many of the climbs on the Whale, this one wanders a bit, back and forth past the bolts.  The third bolt protects the crux and the route is well-bolted.  The top out is on easy ground and goes to a two bolt rap anchor.

(from Stewart Green's guidebook) Up the undulating left side of the formation.  Edge up the face to anchors.

This is a nice climb with 2 distinct cruxes.  The first one pulls through a short bulge past two bolts. Then you climb a pretty long runout, up and right, to a steep slab with nice crimps and two more bolts.  I gave the PG-13 rating, because if you were to fall prior to clipping the third bolt, it could bounce you off the flatter section of rock and possibly leave you with an injury, but this isn't too bad, and the route is still worth climbing.

Belay on the slab.  Climb up to the left to a bolt, the first bolt is way up there, but the section getting to it mostly seems like Class III hiking. (i.e., it's pretty simple)  After you get to the first bolt climb right over a couple shelves, watch out for the bush between the 1st and 2nd anchor, it likes to catch to rope. Do a tricky move onto the upper slab then climb left to the anchors.  You do have to go left and right a lot on this run.

This is a low angled slab which has a variety of low end difficulty, top rope lines from a single set of Metolius rap hangers.  There are a variety of small ramps that crisscross this face.  The crux is in the last 10 feet of the climb.  With good balance, you could ascend the entire face with feet only climbing.

There are still some friable edges and chunks of loose rock along the way, so beware if you are hanging out below.

Straight edge climbing. For more information, support the park and buy the guidebook by Stewart Green.

FWIW, it is not entirely clear what the shaded section on the Red Rock Canyon Open Space guidebook topo for this route means.  This route ascends from slightly right of middle of a very low angle slab jutting out from the cliff here.

The anchor bolts have been moved up, so you need a 70m rope or double ropes.

An enjoyable romp up a steep face with large edges leads to slabby climbing and the crux on your way to the last bolt.

This line was originally published as a top-rope problem on the left side of The Never Ever Slab.  It apparently needed a lot more cleaning.  Now it hosts 5 bolts and delicate climbing.  The first crux comes after the 1st bolt and seems to trend right.  It seemed reachy, but even 5'1" climbers figured it out.  There is a section below the 5th bolt that has a friable edge (part of which broke), so tread lightly.  The second crux, near the 5th bolt, seems to pull you slightly left.  Again, this seemed reachy, but a 5'1" climber pushed through.

The anchor bolts are far enough below the tree above that a short rappel or belay would be advised for a top rope.  Alternatively, the tree has been used for an anchor in the past.

This line has excellent slab climbing. Start with careful smearing straight up past three bolts to small ledge. After the ledge, the moves through 4th bolt provide more handholds.

From the guidebook: Fun well-protected moves.

Eds. be careful on the ledge approaching the climb.  A trip could send you plummeting a long way.

This is a nice 5.7 route, but it is a bit sketchy for new leaders. Smear and look for good feet to a high first bolt. Pull left to begin 'S' Curve. Once you clip second bolt, use foot holds on the left side of gully to walk up with some friction assistance from your right in the dihedral. As move to third bolt, work right work right using good, high feet. Walk up a slightly run-out slab to anchors.

Edge and smear directly up with some tricky moves past 5 bolts.  Continue up easier rock past 3 more bolts.

Follow indentation up to 3rd bolt, then angle right. Moves and bolts past this point may be hard to see.

From the RRCOS guidebook: An excellent lead on perfect stone. Begin off the left side of the narrow ledge system above the Never Ever Slab.

Eds. be careful on the ledge approaching the climb.  A trip could send you plummeting a long way.

Very continous for the grade.  The whole bottom half feels like the crux with even a couple moves up top that are hard.  If the top half was like the bottom half, it would definitely be four stars.  Small crimps, small feet, and balancy is the name of the game.  With all the crimps though, definitely stay away from it if a recent storm has come through, as it's likely some of the small holds will blow on you.

Climb a shallow, right-facing corner (protect with a #2 Camalot) and stand up on a flake. Climb up left (5.7 move) past a bolt. Continue up left to another bolt and then climb directly up the face above to a tricky finish.  Belay from bolts on a shelf left of the prominent, quarried slice.

Thin smearing leading to some nice edges. Brief crux close to the 1st bolt, then settles down to 5.8 climbing for a bit leading to easier climbing at the top!

The crux is after last (fourth) bolt. This line has clean face climbing up till then.

Belay and start are same as for

Red Venus

. Belay on the slab. Climb up to the left to first bolt -which is high, but easy Class III. After first bolt, climb left to a high second bolt (also pretty easy with ledges). The crux is after the second bolt on a steep, thin slab. Use thin edges and mantles to get to and past 3rd bolt. Finish on good holds and easy ledges.

Move up through the low crux using small edges and pockets.  The climbing eases a bit as you move through the 3rd and 4th bolts.  On the way to the 5th bolt, climb up a sandy trough on low angle but slippery terrain.  The finishing slab is low angle as well but also has its fair share of loose sand.

Climb flakes up to a steep section with a mantle crux.  Continue up the face left of a shallow right-facing corner to a narrow ledge with a bolt.  Continue up the face above on easier (5.7) climbing to anchors on a ledge at the top of the face.

The crux is just before and after bolt #3. This has a challenging crux for a 5.9 route, but the bolts are close together -- well-protected.  Feet, feet, feet!

Arnolds features very thin climbing, delicate balance, and improbable smearing on a steep section of the wall.  The first bolt isnt too far up but requires your attention to safely get there.  Now the fun begins.  Continue up the bolt line on sketchy flakes and careful footwork.  Second or third bolt is the crux, but its all pretty sustained.  After the sixth bolt, the route runs out over easy ground.  One last headwall on thin holds takes you past two more bolts to a two bolt rap anchor, shared with

Among the Stars

.  This climb should clean up well with more traffic.

Gomers starts in front of a large pine tree, between two small conifers.  Start up the slab, staying to the right of the large bush.  Theres a cruxy section past the second bolt, but after the first clip, the route is fairly sustained climbing on thin features.  The two arching overlaps above offer some very interesting movement and the crux is to be found between the two.  These unique features set Gomers apart from the other routes on the Whale.  This is a true classic for the area.

From the guidebook: Another great moderate. Climb a slab to a finishing headwall.

This is the next route to the left (or south) of

The Thin Line

.  It was not in my guidebook by Stewart Green, but it's a good quality route, similar to those found on this section of the wall (such as

Virgin Bolters

,

Just Happens

,

The Plunge

, and

The Thin Line

).

If anyone knows the name or FA party, please let me know and I'll update the description.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Whale