Up In a Flash is the longest route on the Iron Curtain Wall. It is the fourth route from the left, and the bolts can be seen leading to the highest point. Follow the bolts through many jugs to a 2-bolt anchor (with chains) on the top of the formation. The crux is at the start. 70-meter rope or 2 ropes to get off

Up In a Flash

One With the Rock

Out of Touch

Motley Cruise

Mutation

Pick Pocket

Perestroika

Unknown West of One with the Rock

Gotta Be Tall Or Else You'll Fall

Iron Curtain

This route is just right of the dirty route right of the steep chossy gully.  There is a fixed pin hidden in the horizontal.

Climb up nice thin dishes and edges, moving left near the top to reach the anchors atop Mutation.  Very clean, good moves, and well bolted.

This is the westmost line on the cliff.  It almost deserves 4 stars, and I might change my mind yet.  It is a very good route.  It start with an easy first bolt (probably the easiest 1st bolt on the wall).  Then it gets hard, forcing you to smear and edge very tenuous holds.  Hands aren't much help but they are key.  Maybe that didn't make sense.  A key hand-hold is there to move through the crux; however, the hands don't mark your success through most of this lower section, but good footwork does.  After the 3rd bolt, the climbing eases up and hands are good again.  The Ruckman's book shows a 5.10a mini-crux at the last bolt, but I never even noticed it.  In fact, my belayer mentioned that it seemed like I was on a 5.8 by my speed on the upper section.

The second bolted line from the right. This is the one that works the roofs near the top.  It starts thin and entails good edging and good mantling ability (as do half the routes on this wall).  The 1st bolt is high and hard to get to unless you find a sidepull.  Getting to the 3rd bolt involves possible ledge fall, hence the "s" rating.  What makes this climb a classic in my book are a few things.  1) It is a route with enough length.  2)  It is consistently 5.9, yes.. it eases up a bit here and there, but it isn't a 5.6 with a 5.9 move.  3) good rock 4)  Varied climbing exists on this route.  Juggy roofs, laybacking, sidepulls, thin edges, mantles, smears, friction holds, what else could you ask for. Oh!! **Point 4) An airy finish.**  Now what more could you ask for.

This route climbs a dirty looking face just right of a steep chossy gully.  Climb easily up to the high first bolt, and then up through a few more bolts to two rap bolts.  Better than it looks, and a bit harder if you avoid the side of the gully on the left.

Do not toprope directly through the rap hangers!  Set up a TR through your own biners.

This climb tends to be more smearing and less edging than a quartzite climber is used to, due to the --correct me if I'm wrong-- less metamorphosed nature of the quartzite.  It is an enjoyable climb, albeit a little short.  It's been a few years since I have climbed it, but the pitons looked good.

The 4th line of bolts from the right.  This touchy climb starts right at a tree, and just off of a left trending weakness.  Utilizing sidepulls on this weakness and thin moves towards the bolt will get it clipped.  Have a good a spotter (I had 2 and needed both of them) because the 1st clip is tough.  The climbing stays tough until you reach the ledge.  It then eases up to an almost ridiculous 5.6 level.  I was tempted to give it 1 star for this easy section, but the bottom is great and the 5.6 climbing is still fun.  The anchors are shared with Iron Curtain.

Looks like someone was learning to set up fixed protection and lost interest.

Located about 100 feet West (around the corner) of One with the Rock.

The 5th line of bolts from the left.  This climb has a thin beginning but eases up after the 2nd bolt.  Well protected and enjoyable.

The 3rd from the west line of bolts.  Another thin beginning.  This route starts thin and then once you have attained the ledge by hook or crook or mantle in my case, you have to find a way to clip that piton before going any further.  The clip is reachy.  I am just over 6 foot tall, and by using the 2 small ledges above the main ledge and left of the piton, standing on my tiptoes, and holding the biner to clip at the base of it and in the furthest tips of my fingers and levitating just a bit, I was able to clip it.  The thin moves continue past the piton and the blank face, until you get to the more juggy but not neccesarily easier upper face.  At "bolt" 3, you can work right of bolt 4 to keep it at the stated 5.10a rating, or veer left for a more difficult 5.10d rating.  I only did the right version.  Continue up to your anchors.

Description

Protection

Routes in Iron Curtain Wall