This is an interesting route that the RRR guide calls the most height-dependent route anywhere. It says the rating could be between 11b and 13a, depending on your reach. I don't think it is quite that bad, but if you are really short, it would be pretty hard.

Begin with not hard, but kind of funky, climbing to get up to the 2nd bolt. Decipher the very few options on an otherwise sheet of glass, and get up to the next bolt. From here, easier climbing up a fun chimney-like feature deposit you in a steep dihedral. Be very careful with the undercling block (don't undercling it if possible...) as you pull around to the right and up to the anchors on '

Those Who Wank...

'.

I thought this was around 12a or so for my height (6'1"). One of my partners who is a bit shorter (maybe 5'9" or so) thought it was in the same ballpark. The key is to just execute, don't think, pretty much like always....

The Measure Up

Chicken Spit

Raining Chickens

Funky Chicken

The Buzzsaw

Bart's Route

Beaks and Feet

Chicken Little

Mini-Splitter

Yellow Dot

Finger Lickin' Good

The Fracture

Escape Hatch

The Crystal Key

Colonel Jack's Dixie Chicken Arete

Mini-Slab

Unjust

Wank Variation

Wishbone Dihedral

Super Chicken

Those Who Crank & Those Who Wank

Cluck Cracks

Extra Crispy

Thunder Chicken

Yellow Dot goes up the arete directly. This has solid 11 climbing to a bouldery, 12 crux midway up, then more 11 to finish.

Climb up jugs to a first crux stepping left over a bulge. Climb the slab to a second crux in a water runnel with really cool tufas to the chains.

Start in front of the big boulder and head toward the big crack with a small roof. Climb right of the crack then above the roof head left up the slab. Below the next small roof I went right. Bushwhack a bit to get below the next bolt, I might need to add another bolt, since you are way past the last one and you have do a few moves off the deck to reach the clip. I went left to get the bolt, others went right. Once on top of the pinnacle, a few cool laybacks and sidepulls get you to the anchors.

The route is the first bolted route on the northwest face. It follows the arete. The route doesn't see much traffic on the upper parts of the route, the rock is still exfoliating. Still it is a fun route.

Thought-provoking climbing through the first half of the route leads to a good rest. Find a way to avoid the buzzsaw through a challenging roof. Fun with interesting movement throughout.

This is to the right of

Beaks and Feet

. It has thoughtful climbing off the deck. There are flakes and cracks to use on the route. I love the movement on the west side of the ranch.

This is the next bolted line that is on the west face. Great climbing the start is thin.

Start in a left-facing dihedral and move up and left to get the first bolt. Climb to a short overhang, tip toe on the right, and lieback the left to clear the overhang. A short headwall leads to another easy bulge and a slab to the anchors.

This fun route packs a punch in its 50 feet. Climb the slightly bulgy section to the nice looking splitter. Mostly thin hands (#0.75 and 1 Camalots). Too bad this one isn't a little longer....

This is the farthest right bolt line on the NW face.

1st pitch: (5.9)   Follow grooves and big holds past 7 bolts to an anchor behind/right of the detached pillar (or you could just do the 2nd pitch from the same approach ledge as the other routes).

2nd pitch:  (5.11a) Ascend awesome, thin face climbing past 9 bolts.  This pitch is really fun and pretty sustained.  It has steep slab climbing through a couple of bulges on pretty small but sharp crystals.  There is a crux bulge between 4th and 5th bolts.  The holds get bigger after this, but there are still interesting and entertaining moves all the way to the anchor.  This was my favorite route on this wall.

This is an exceptional crack route on the northeast corner of Chicken Head Ranch. Cruise a crack in the corner to the left and then transition right to the main, thin line. This can feel slightly sketch here, but a #3 Camalot on a sling in the corner should work fine. Bomber (but slightly painful) finger locks lead to an even thinner crack where crimpers just so happen to be perfectly placed outside the crack. Make a long reach to a fist/hand jam and then you have cruiser climbing to the bolted anchor. The climbing was pretty continuous, but no move felt harder than 5.11b. I'm not sure why it's rated 5.12 in the Anderson guide. It is good though and is definitely worth doing, so don't let the guidebook grade scare you off.

Stem up the to the roof and over it. I didn't have big gear, so I had to use the escape hatch, you'll get what I mean if you climb it. Easier climbing leads to the anchors at the top on the right of the crack. Beware of some loose rock.

Begin in an overhang on dark and somewhat dirty, but solid, rock. Be secure clipping the second bolt from a jug. A clipping fall would ensure groundfall. Pull out of the overhang and onto a slab up a corner/arete feature. Traverse left just before or at the seam below the roof, clip a few more bolts, and pull the roof from a seam and some underclings on thin but secure feet. Look for the key hold over the lip. Mantel and climb easy slab to the anchors.

It is 5.11 climbing to the roof, V4 boulder problem pulling the roof and manteling, and then easy slab to anchors.

The steep beginning has sporty bolting, and the easy slab seems overbolted.

The rock in the overhangs is still a little dirty but is cleaning up.

The rock at the top and at the lip is sharp and grippy, which is good for traction but bad if you lower instead of rap. This rock will chew up your rope. Toproping is not recommended unless you are creative at eliminating rope drag.

This enjoyable route essentially follows the left arete of the pillar underneath the main wall with some  face moves in between the lower and upper arete that provides moments of focus along thin crimps and high steps.

This is the leftmost route on the east face.

Clip the first bolt, step off the ledge to the left, and climb a finger crack/slab to a nice overlap.  It is short but fun.

This shares an anchor with

Mini-Splitter

to the right.

Start in a gully and climb just right of the crack. At the top of the crack, head left to gain a small ledge. Undercling and go for a long reach to start the  crimps and delicate footwork to get through the crux. Get a rest before the next  crux getting up and right into the layback section and the chains.

Start as for

Those Who Crank and Those Who Wank

by stemming the lower open book. At the seventh bolt, head up left instead of turning the roof to the anchors for Measure Up.

This route is a must do. It has continuous and various climbing that require some thinking. The first crux comes at the 5th bolt plus a delicate move coming out of the crack a few bolts higher.

Start low where there is a easy crack or traverse in to the right from above the gully. Climb through a slot and step left to the slab. Climb straight up the line of bolts or stay left for an easier variation. Climb right to a stance below a thin finger crack and crank off some good locks and to the chains.

Absolute classic! To avoid 13b out the roof, go left before the roof FOR AN 11C and go to the anchors of Measure Up! The crux on the 11c is out the super sweet dihedral, go for a jug with your left hand and get another jug with your right & THEN CLIP THE BOLT AT THE TOP OF THE DIHEDRAL. Don't get suckered to clip before the jugs. Tom R. fell off clipping that bolt and almost ripped his teeth out! For the 13b, the crux is out the roof + hanging on. If you don't do this route, you're crazy!

Follow the obvious weakness of flaky cracks between the two sets of bolts, and enjoy a nice mix of jamming, mild laybacking, and face climbing on cool features.

This route lies to the right of

Bart's Route

. It has a thin start past a thin crack.

The rock down low was hollow hence the high first bolt but it's easy to traverse in from the right and gain a huge flake to clip the first bolt. Climb up jugs to an awesome rail that takes you to a headwall. layback up the dihedral to the chains.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Chicken Head Ranch