This has an even flow of layaways up the arete.

The Gig

Crater Cat

Fragile X

Sweet

Mountain Lion

Debhedral

Golden Arete

Doug's Variation

Rancid

Sending Choss

Misty

The crux involves thin face and finger crack moves and stablization when placing small but good RPs.

This is an interesting little line that ascends an obvious dihedral in the middle of the crag.  It goes through some different rock bands of varying quality...and that may be why it wasn't climbed before today.

There are a couple ways to start on the friable volcanic band low down.  Both ways utilize a nice pocket 8 feet up.  Wiggle left and then right into the dihedral.  Continue through some awkward features on both sides of the dihedral.  About mid-height, there are some holds on the arete to the left.  Beware of a hollow block left of the arete.  Figure out a way up the arete.  You can go up the arete or do a few loose jams out left.  Stem the dihedral utlizing some fragile holds out right.  Finish the dihedral more on the left.

It's probably best to belay away from the base of the rock for now.  After a decent first pass of cleaning, the interesting moves separated by good rests make it worth a go, though this will shed for a bit.

This is a TR line that has some interesting moves despite some of the fragile blocks along the way.  It might warrant fixed gear, it might not.  Don't climb this route unless you can avoid pulling on loose blocks.

Start to the left of

Rancid

in a short dihedral.  The opening moves are good and solvable in 2 ways.  Watch out for the hollow block/flake up and right (Fragile X #1)...it might only hold for light climbers like Deb.  Move through easy terrain to the tiny roof.  Don't go out left, that jug in the corner shifts (Fragile X #2).  Pull the roof with a high step right and then high step left (crux).  Watch out for the trapezoidal block (Fragile X #3).  Move up and right, avoiding the loose block (Fragile X #4).  Finish up and left.

Be careful up there, stuff on the left isn't necessarily solid.

Walk off.

Note, we got probably more than a hundred pounds of loose rock off this...so far.

Update: Dave got the 1st X'ed block off with a crowbar.  There was another big block up and left at the finish that came out...fortunately without seriously injuring anyone.

This has two cruxes, first when moving diagonally left over the slight bulge, then at top when moving left via small edges and smears.

This is a TR route that involves some adventure, so if you don't like adventure, don't climb this.  The TR directionals help to try to keep your rope off the sharp boulder, but the cracks aren't the most solid.

To the right of

The Gig

by ~15 feet is a dihedral of sorts.  It sort of beckons to those who have minds that aren't quite right.  The start involves a pull-down, not out technique on a decent-sized hollow flake.  This one could hurt, so be careful.  The crux involves a funky crack, undercling combination with a small, positive left foot and hiking your right up high enough to slap for the top.  Mortals will hand traverse right far enough to get a foothold to assist with the mantle.  Note, the sloping ledge above is full of gravel...of which the worst on the edge was cleared.

FWIW, this route won't tolerate too many ascents and will favor the less height-challenged.

For the explorer types, this may continue above to double its length.

The crux involves a smeary dyno to a jug at the fourth bolt, then move right an merge with

Mountain Lion

route.

This is a variation off

Rancid

that veers right after clipping the fourth bolt.  Doug Redosh looked at it the last time we were up there wondering if it would go.  It does, and it's better than it looks from below.

Climb up along

Rancid's

1st half (crux).  Angle up along a nice crack, making one awkward move. Finish up pulling on the top of the wall with your left hand and on a funky, big block with your right.  Move left to anchor off the pole and a orange Alien/#0.75-sized piece.

Obviously, since this was fairly clean, this could have been climbed by someone else.  If it is your route, let me know and we'll fix the name.

Sending Choss is an interesting line that winds up being looser than it looks but has some interesting moves.  Don't do this unless you like to tread lightly on adventure rock.  In fact, the average North Table Mountain climber won't like this route.

If we haven't scared you away yet, start up a dihedral on the left side of the Crater Crag.  Be careful with the blocks on the right of the start.  On the upper part, there are certainly fragile holds to use and stem on.  The face just left works when the dihedral rock quality submerges.  The topout is loose...but on a small scale.

Use an anchor off to the right to belay.

We cleaned probably a hundred pounds of rock of this one, but another hundred or more may come off if that upper flake system fails.  Watch yourself.

I don't think this warrants fixed hardware.

This has two cruxes. The first is about midway involving small crimps, and the second is up top involving steep dihedral moves to gain finger locks and arete at top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Crater Crag of North Quarry