Around the corner and right of

Professor Plum...

is a four bolt route that ascends an overhanging wall in a corner. This is Silmarillion, and it is a pumpy task on cobbles and pockets. For some reason, this line seemed very insecure, perhaps because nearly every move is 5.11, reachy, pumpy, and on a steep wall. It is an excellent addition by the CWC headline team.

Silmarillion

Crack the Whip

No Wimp Situation

Crack of the Past

Pulling the Flake

High Flyer

Black Slide

Emerald Epitaph

Professor Plum With The Candlestick In The Conservatory

Tag aka Push Start

Fine, Feral Friends

Problem Child

Chinook

Playing Hookie

Darys' Crack

Hands down, this is the best route at the Playground. The climbing begins on a steep, West-facing wall around the corner from

Chinook

.

Start in a bulging overhang with a very awkward move to an undercling above your head. The goal shortly will be a pocket above and left. At best, this will gain a chance to get over your feet, but the move is hard and is indeed 5.12 - off the deck. However, the game is not over. Sequential 5.11 climbing with some long reaches to crimpy, thin cobbles and shallow pockets await. Pick up some added spice in the run out to the anchor.

Like many routes here and elsewhere, it feels much harder than 5.12a until you start to dial in the beta. This is in the top ten at CWC. The plum picker here is Tom Hanson.

The start is the business. Pull really hard on small holds to start, get your feet up, then climb easier climbing to the anchor.

Just a few feet right of

Silmarillion

is this 3-bolt route up a very thin crack.  The first bolt is a bit higher than most first bolts at Castlewood, but it requires only fairly easy climbing to get to.  The thin, 1-move crux at the first bolt is followed by 5.10ish climbing to the 2 anchor bolts.  The anchors are not visible from the ground, but they're there.  Keep in mind that the anchor bolts are not rap/lowering compatible...they're the same hangers as the ones on the route.  Have the second climber clean the route and walk off to the right or walk to the top to clean up your equipment at the anchors.

The crux is the initial section, like many of the routes on this wall. A good crack leads up to juggy holds and smaller feet.

This climb gets a 10a rating because of the first two moves to get into the crack. Once you've established yourself in the flake, the climbing is 5.8 to the top. The flake ends about 6 feet from the top; you can use a 2-bolt anchor 6 feet to the right to rap back down.

This ascends the center of a south-facing wall to the right of

Pulling the Flake

. The crux is getting started, about 5 feet off the ground. Once you are going, it is easy climbing to the smooth finish.

A bouldery lieback sequence up a hand crack leads you to a face just inside the arete. Then head up the face on almost non-existent holds (crux) to some decent pockets and up to the bolts.

Start a few feet left of the big flake. Boulder up to the ledge, then make thin, sequential moves past a hairline S-crack. Finish on some jugs.

Start off on a tough boulderly move (V2) in the crack to gain the arete.  Climb the rest of the arete on good handholds to the anchors.

Climb a ramp on the left or power up the roof to easier climbing. The Denver climbing guidebook gives this either 11a or 12a depending on the start. We didn't do the roof moves due to bat poop. The ramp route didn't feel 11a.

This route goes up the wall using a single bolt above.  The bottom is reasonable to lead as it's not too hard, but bring a crash pad and spotter or just TR it if you're not comfortable running it out.  The route follows good edges and cobbles to the bolt.  The crux is found above the bolt, reaching the anchors.  Going to the right of the bolt seems like the right sequence for the grade.

This starts 20 yards right of the big flake. Begin on some boulders, and pull on big pockets up to a small ledge. Now twist up high with your left hand to another pocket. Another long reach gets you close to the top of this steep route.  This is a fun sequence on good holds.

This has another bouldery start to the 1st clip. Past the third bolt is the crux, a move to the left past a bulge. Then reach high to a horizontal break. A kneebar is possible below this bulge.

This route follows the corner between

Emerald Epitaph

and

Problem Child

.  One tough move off the deck places you on an easy ramp that brings you to the top out, a hand sized crack that goes over the bulge.  This route felt easier than 5.8 to me (5.6 maybe).

Description

Protection

Routes in The Playground