Lightning Bolt Roof is an off-hands offwidth that goes out an impressive and nearly horizontal roof for about 30'. The climbing eases at the second horn into a very fun but bizarre chimney.

Lightning Bolt Roof

Summer Breeze

Mushroom Madness

Labyrinth

High Energy

Full Tilt

Indian Summer

Porno Book

Centex

Rated X

Finger Licker Left

Finger Licker

Black September

Centerfold

An adventurous route to say the least. It is currently dirty and seldom climbed but should be cleaned up and climbed more often as it presents some adventurous climbing and a short wide section which is always good practice.

P1 (5.6): First pitch of Porno Book

P2 (Two Options) (5.9): The first option is a gear belay at the top of the gully under a roof with a right trending crack traverse to a bolt. I found this to be much harder than 5.9 and I down climbed to the second option at a rap station which then led up and to the right across a few bolts to the right side of a roof. Either option brings you to the same place. Keep trending right to a short crack, then left under a roof, and then up a steep double corner to a belay on a ledge.

P3 (5.8): Climb up the groove to the left of the belay and get into a wide flake which leads to an easy ramp to the top

This excellent sport route on the far right side of the Black Wall, has a section of some of Tahoe's finest hard 5.10 face edging.

It is over a hundred feet tall, but can be led and toproped with a 70 m rope from the ground. If using a 60 m, no need for two ropes: belay from the ledge at the base of the two routes. It has ample and comfortable room for two people. A few small C3s or the like can make a decent belay anchor.

Climb the ramp up to the first bolt, which is roughly 50 feet off the ground.  From here, vertical face climbing on small edges ensues up a black face, and doesn't let up until just before a solid rest edge some 50' later. Climb up the final 30' face to the top anchors which is unprotected 5.10, and quite scary.  It is possible to walk around to the right to access the top anchors, but this unprotected fourth class finish isn't in league with the rest of the climb and really cases rope drag.

Rappel or lower off, or walk off to the right.

Walk right and up of Finger Licker on a faint trail. You'll see The Hook (a left hooking OW), then two other slots. The right is Minotaur 5.8, the left is the Labyrinth. Climb up a 60' somewhat dirty slab/ramp towards the two chimneys. Pull over the block to get into the chimney. Climb the tight squeeze chimney by tunneling in about 40' to the back where a jam crack is found. Climb up 40' via the splitter in the back of the chimney to where you can tunnel even deeper into the wall to a small cave. From there chimney up the huge slot which takes smaller pro in a crack. This puts you on top of the Black September and Rated X. A fun climb for a really hot day, a great spot to chill. A must do even if the grade doesn't speak to you.

Short, burly, and slightly painful crack slashing the wall from right-to-left. The crux comes low but the route stays fairly sustained for most of it's length.

This route can be toproped with a few directionals after leading Centex.

Walk up the approach ramp up and right past "Slipstream" several hundred feed. Keep going up and right until a brushy ledge system is reached. Go right until you find yourself under a 60' white detached tooth. The right side is "Full Tilt" and features a hard offwidth roof maybe 12 feet of the ground. The roof leads into an easier 5.8 dihedral. This climb is easy to toprope by chimneying the left side of the tooth, "Inside Out", and then climbing into and out the cave behind the tooth (5.6). Toprope/descend off chain anchors. A great location on Black Wall with views of Donner. The ratings in guidebooks are always off on this climb because it never gets a send. It is full on hard 11 OW roof.

This is the thin seam that goes directly into the "Rated X" crack system. Unfortunately, it lies in a watercourse in winter and early spring and needs to be gardened out once a season. Climb the thin crack and face, place pro when you got it to keep it safe. Keep going up "Rated X" to chain anchors or go right to anchors under the roof.

Beware of the plus. Definitely not for the beginner trad leader, but a great adventure on the black wall.

Pitch 1 - Start in the obvious gully left of Lighting Bolt Roof. Small steep section is immediately followed by mostly fourth or low fifth class climbing. Belay under the roof or at the anchors below (when did those show up?) 5.6

Pitch 2 - Follow a ledge left for about 15 feet before taking a ramp back over to the main corner/book. Can feel scary because of all the plants taking up your hand and foot holds, but remember how to stem and you should be fine. Belay beneath the obvious steeper corner on some sandy ledges. 5.7

Pitch 3 - Tackle the steep corner above you and don't freak out as the crux seems a lot harder than 5.7. Hence the plus. Clip an old pin and stem you're way through. We climbed past the next ledge to an upper ledge for ease of getting off the rock but maybe we just didn't look hard enough for the descent. Find a way to the descent on climber's right to bring you back down around to the base. 5.7+

Nice mixed route up a black water streak.  Boulder up to the first bolt, or place a cam in the somewhat questionable flake.  Use some sidepulls to get into a couple of small solution pockets, then make a long move to a small edge for the crux. Bring a smallish cam (.3 or 4) for the final section between the last bolt and the anchors.

First pitch starts with an interesting handcrack and ends at a ledge. Traverse left on the ledge and climb up the curious looking flake. The flake ends at a ledge where you traverse again and set up a belay.

The second pitch has two variations. The original (5.7) takes the diagonal on the "X" that the route is named after. The variation goes straight up. The offwidth above the belay is 5.8 and crux on the second half is a couple of moves of 5.9+. Both variations finish on a short thin hands section to the bolted anchor.

Climb the well-featured face left of Finger Licker.

Two-pitch route with a heavily-travelled first pitch, and an excellent but ignored second pitch.

P1:  Climb the thin crack to the right of Rated X, to a wide and relatively easy groove.  Belay at the large ledge.  If not doing the second pitch, head left to the Rated X anchors.

P2:  Climb another increasingly thin crack to a roof/bulge, moving left to the anchor.

A striking line. Scramble up a sparsely protected, 5.easy ramp for 30' to the base of the crack. A couple fingers to tight hands moves leads into perfect hands glory for another 80'. Ample gear and abundant face holds.

Climb the first half of "Porno Book" and set up a gear anchor in an acute gully below a diamond shaped face on the right. Keep looking right for a single bolt near a tiny horizontal seam. Climb the nonexistent horizontal seam out right on knobs and crimps to a vertical seam. Launch up the vertical crack. Place pro when you got it and keep looking for useable face holds. When the crack disappears, tiptoe out right on small holds. Pretty full-on from start to finish. Build gear anchor on top. Get a great preview of this climb from the "Full Tilt" ledges.

Description

Protection

Routes in 3. Black Wall - Right