Climb the East Face to a bolted belay then follow the roof (crux) on the right crack system above the belay.

Desperado (Roof Variation)

Fear of Flying

Char Broiled

T-Bone

Gingerbread

Arete Route

Robert's Crack

Jugs Revisited

Up for Grabs

Holy Smoke

Steppin' Stone

Dot to Dot

Cabin Fever

Harrison Direct Variation

North Ridge

Thanksgiving

Necklace Traverse "direct"

Burnt Offerings

Lesbian Love

Smokehouse Brown

Beast of No Nation

Crispy Critters

This route now has it's own direct start. It stays to the right of the Stepping Stone start.

Cruise up past a downward facing flake and continue easily to a rest and a small right facing ramp/corner. Bust left out of the corner to a splitter finger crack which continues to the anchor. This is the first belay of Desperado, just before the roof. Lower or rap off.

Moving onto the face at the bolt is the crux...pretty insecure and barndoor-ish. Might be easier to step down to a break, then onto the face. Another hard move in the finger crack up higher.

A small flake broke at the crux, and is probably now rated 10a.

Climb a 5.7 flake to the upper corner, follow the corner (5.9) to the Lower Platform.

Can be done in one pitch with considerable rope drag.

Starts up some steep pinches and jams to the left of T-Bone, continues up and left onto the face with a single bolt after a bit of run out.  Knob climbing to a tricky lie-back.  Finish up easy knobs.  Tops out with the rest of the climbs on that side of Upper Spire.

A good balancy face climb with a somewhat questionable protection to the first bolt. As of 6/16/21 all bolts have been replaced by ASCA.

Starts left of Fear Of Flying on the south face.

Take the right hand of two corners.

Climb up, undercling right and climb a flake to its top.

Climb a wide crack or the face to the left, using the crack for pro.

Can be done in one long pitch.

Rappel off back side, 80 feet.

ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE  BEST SPIRES ROUTES. CLASSIC TRAD.

Option 1: Begins Up Fear of flying and at about 45 feet (just under the F of F crux) pulls out of the corner onto the face around right (tricky) There is a bolt around the corner on the face that protects the move 10c)  Pulls small roof on gear (10d crux) and then trends up and right (1 more bolt and knobs to sling ) to end P1 at Stepping Stone anchor.

Option 2: Begin up the Fear of Flying direct variation start on slightly tricky gear. Follow bolts past harder moves (11b/c) to gain small roof described in option 1 above

P2 (Brilliant!) works left and up to gain exposed arete  on technical slightly run out ground, crossing neckless traverse up and left reaching double roofs next to arete.  Climb over first roof with piton protection and traverse left under second roof and fully around left (very exposed)  side of arete into 15 feet of superb exposed overhanging juggy (11a) crack before coming back around right to finish up tricky slabs to old 2 bolt anchor. Better anchor can be found by continuing  to summit  ( add 40 ft of 3rd class)

This is one of the very best, longest and least known routes at the Spires

On the left side of the face, climb a difficult flake/corner system to a roof. Step left and continue to the Lower Platform.

Climb a short 5.9 lieback. Continue up a beautiful knobby face with tied off knobs and sparse gear placements. Continue up the wide crack of "Ginger Bread".

Can be done in one or two pitches.

5.8 crux off the ground.  Follow shallow flaring groove to horizontal finger crack.  Move left and pull onto ledge.  Continue up 4th class terrain for 50 feet (joining North Ridge route) and belay at a blocky area below summit.  Scramble to the summit via a low angle yet exposed arete (easy 5th class) to access rap anchors.

Per ST- "Sustained, balancy, and powerful". Unique and improbable movement. 5.11 climbing at third bolt. Crux move at fourth bolt requires dynamic movement to a gaston finger lock in horizontal roof crack. 5.10 to the chains.

Start in a prominent, left facing, corner, right of "Fear of Flying". Climb up this corner, undercling left at a small roof, continue up, undercling left at a big roof (5.11a) to a belay with two bolts.

Continue up face.

Up right from "Desparato", climb slabby liback flakes to where the wall becomes steep chicken heads. Climb these until forced into an airy left traverse past a bolt. Head up to a short hand crack.

It's been 25 years since I've done this route, so you're going to need some route finding skills.

The original 1/4" bolts are still sticking.

Follow bolts that are to the left of the rappel station on the west side. The first bolt is easy to reach, but the moves to start the route and reach the first big jug are perplexing, thin and extremely difficult. Expect some reach moves if you are below 5'10. Very sustained and technical but well protected. The route ends at the top of the spire and has bolted anchors.

Harrison Indirect? Just plain Harrison? Dunno, the guidebook didn't hold my hand on that one.

All I know is that ascending the plumb line of the rappel off the lower terrace of the Upper Spire, the "variation" avoids the upper portion of Aidan Maguire's "Harrison Direct" which follows some stout looking 5.11b bolted face that departs rightward from this route at about the halfway mark. Instead of crimps and sporting glory, continue to trend up the natural weakness of the crack for blocky and fun 5.8 climbing. The 5.10a crux is encountered down low in either of two obvious right facing variations.

This climb has more than a few creaky flakes and protection isn't always where you want it, but it's an enjoyable route and puts you in the shade of both a large Jeffrey Pine as well as the North Facing aspect of Upper Spire when it's roasting on the South face. It may be a lead more for the confident 5.10a leader given the factors of choss (hey, it would be a 4* classic in J Tree!) and pg13 protection, but it is otherwise cruiser for the grade.

Edit: Apparently, Aidan has made changes to the direct variation which I’ll quote here, though there is still no name provided for the naturally protected line that I have described. Per Aidan: This account is inaccurate and out dated . I changed the route and added an original finish. In doing so I removed the last couple of bolts to Harrison direct that I had placed and put it's own anchor up. Harrison Direct still exists as a TR from the common rap anchor but the new route I shall post up here. It is called Beast of No Nation. Cheers, Aidan”

On the far left of the west side, climb an easy arete/ridge to the summit.

Mostly class 4 scrambling with a few technical sections at the start and near the top of pitch 1. Seemed a bit stiff for 5.6. The final ridge traverse is cool but no harder than class 4.

This description is for the "direct" variation.  I have not climbed the standard 2 pitch version but it looks good as well.

Start on Fear of Flying. Where Fear of Flying busts left, head straight up through the bulge via a steep lieback (crux). Continue through the right trending ramp then finish at the top of P2 Steppin' Stone.

Be ready for horrible rope drag if you're climbing in 1 pitch.

Rap down Steppin' Stone (2 single rope raps) or climb to the Summit (5.6R) and rap down the west side.

Stout 5.10d just left of the obvious corner of "Steppin' Stone".

Has sustained sequences but with good pro.  A great route that shouldn't be missed for those solid at the grade.

The crux is near the top, although just getting started is tricky too.  Climbs the prominent white dike on the south facing side of the upper spire.  Gorgeous and technical face climbing.

From a block on the left side of the West side of the spire, climb knobs passing a bolt. Move up and left to a right leaning crack. Follow this to it's end. Rappel.

A pretty fun route. A bit crusty though.

Solid lieback moves up a flake. Crux is in the first few moves. Gets a bit dirty near the top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Upper Spire