An amazing route in an amazing position.  Unique climbing for Index - steep face climbing on solid quartzite holds reminiscent of the Gunks. But just look around - the Gunks don't have air and views quite like this...

Rappel in.  From the 2 bolt anchor at the base of the route, climb up the corner crack through nice, smooth granite and up over a tricky bulge.  From here, the character of the climb changes considerably as you leave the smooth granite and begin working your way up a steep wall through a sea of quartzite holds, placing gear where available.

Number 9

Unicorn Blues

Etch-A-Sketch

Twelve Gauge IQ

Accidental Discharge

Written in Stone

The Color of Pain

Blue in the Face

Black Cat Bone

Starfish

Cry Baby

Rhythm and Bolts

Blues Riff

Unicorn Blues is the extension to Cry Baby.  The upper crux is not really more difficult than Cry Baby's crux, just a touch more sustained.  This pitch features excellent arete climbing, and some cool bouldery sequences.  A very good line!

A fun patina-ish start leads to a crux moving left out of an arch. Approach the bolt line of 'Written in Stone' before breaking back right to the shared anchor with 'Blues Riff'. 'BB Cling' continues above or the ledge can be followed to the left to throw a rope on 'Blue in the Face'.

Starts with a prominent right-tending flake and knobs. A steep beginning is  followed by lower angled climbing into a corner. Climb the discontinuous bolted finger crack in the corner up to the large, blocky roof. Turn the roof via a boulder problem and continue up on steep jugs to the anchor. The route gets a .12b/c in books but is less difficult than others of the grade at Index simply because it's more straightforward. The corner and possibly the whole climb could potentially be led with gear, but most will clip the bolts. This route is a true gem and an area classic.

On the far left side of the cliff is this deceptively easy looking slab/arete that provides one of the best pitches of the 'low angle' style at Index. Meander up ramps and cracks to the slab for 20' to the first bolt. There is a tree that can be slung along the way if desired. Once on the slab proper, clip bolts and climb classy, highly textured low angle rock past a couple of cruxes, one at the bottom and another higher up.

Classic slab climbing incorporating both features and the lack thereof. Balance moves lead past the first couple of bolts. A featured face above leads to the technical crux: a sparsely featured low-angle slab.

Climb past bolts in a pretty orange corner to a right trending crux over a small roof at the last bolt.

Climb ledges and/or a stump to the first bolt. Steep climbing leads to a beguiling crux encounter turning the arete and entering the corner. Continuously difficult technical climbing leads up the corner and surmounts another bulge higher up. The slippery crux can be both entertaining and frustrating at the same time!

Start with a difficult crack bolder problem to the right of the obvious flake start to Twelve Gauge IQ. Climb part of that route and step over to a finger crack on the right face. Getting started in the crack is the crux. One can traverse left at the top into the sport climb Twelve Gauge IQ, or, I believe, head right to another anchor. I can't remember if this other anchor currently exists, however.

A short but fun route that climbs a broken dike system on the left side of the wall just before you reach Twelve Gauge IQ on the trail.

This slab route starts near the far right side of the blues cliff.  The crux comes at the last two bolts on some slippery holds, but there are some hard moves lower down as well.  Luckily you get a good rest before the crux.  The top is wet occasionally.

A short crux around the initial corner leads to easier climbing and a slight traverse left to the anchor. This anchor is shared with Etch-A-Sketch and the bolt line continuing up and right above the roofs is 'BB Cling' 11d. The ledge to the left can also be followed to get on top of 'Blue in the Face'.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Blues Cliff