This route is sick! Start on a big jug. and move up and right utilizing some beautiful round pockets. Then make big moves between big, positive holds all the way to the lip. This is one of my favorites in The Wood! Just like its neighboring routes, it is named after a classic book; this one by C.S. Lewis.

The Four Loves

Pay Homage

That Hideous Strength

Unknown Flake

Vulture Club

Blanket of Secrecy

Lightning Strikes

Too Easy

The Reaper

Fahrenheit 451

Scandanavian Dreams

Pay Attention

Octoroon

Regulation 9 aka Left of Scandinavian Dreams

Jolokia

Naga

Vulture Culture

Start on the big flake at head height. Do long reaches to great holds all the way to an anchor up on the ledge. This climb, along with its neighbors, would be a fun little sport climb, but the bolt ban here has forced us to get creative with options for protection. The result is a handful of really fun, mentally engaging rock climbs.

After a fun and bouldery start, this route gives way to steep crimping to the final little roof. A long time Castlewood local, Mike Lane compares it to

Heavy Weather

at Shelf Road, only better.

Climb an easy dihedral/crack until you reach the obvious bulging flake. Surmounting the bulge with a bomber fist jam or two is the crux. A single #4 C4 can be bumped throughout this lower half of the route.

To top out, continue left into the chimney, or traverse right to finish on

Lightning Strikes

. For the chimney option, there is an obvious small crack to the left of the chimney that will take a #2 C3. Be careful though - this small crack is chossy, and I'm doubtful the pro would hold.

This fine route goes to the left of the large landmark roof of the Vulture Walls.  There is good pro, good holds and plenty of ledges.  This is one of the longer trad routes I've done at CWood.

Start by climbing up the first tiered dihedral with one reachy move.  Climb next two tiers using the thin crack and tier edges.  Once you get on the large ledge above the roof, climb up the flake in the corner, and put in some pro.  I found the crux to be pulling this infamous "topless" Castlewood finish.

Caution one underclinging hold just below the top is very hollow sounding and loose*

Blanket of Secrecy is the route just right of

Pay Homage

.

Start up a thin crack past three bolts (11c crux) to a large ledge.  Here it is possible to spend the night and rest up for the crux bulge.  Pulling straight out of the cave is 12b, which you can avoid by moving left to a flake.  The upper wall involves a few more crimp moves past two bolts.  The crack is a little sharp, but there's not much jamming.  It is worth ticking.

Narrow sidepulls and fingerlocks get you up to a series of two ledges, and keep your head up for chossy, weak rock near the top.

This route goes up a large, left-facing dihedral to the right of the landmark large roof of the Vulture Walls.  The dihedral doesn't have continous cracks but offers enough placements to be safe.  When the corner meets the route, step right using the bomber edge and surmount the ledge.

This short route is in the right-facing dihedral to the right of

Too Easy

.  Look for a thin crack and some moss in the crack.  This is a short climb but offers some interesting moves.

Go up the crack using hand jams, stemming and a few face holds.

Note:  The guidebook rates this 5.11a, but I downgraded it, since there are only a few hard moves that seem 5.10 at most.

This a super fun, little climb with tricky protection and thin, technical climbing above your last piece. Start up a slight weakness in the wall using some deep pockets for both pro and progress. The physical and mental crux are one in the same, which makes for an engaging and rewarding pitch! This route was done as a headpoint with gear and moves rehearsed on toprope prior to the lead. This climb and its neighbors would be fun little sport climbs, but the bolt ban here has forced us to get creative, and the result is a handful of really fun, engaging rock climbs.

This is the longest route at The Wood. It is located to the left of the huge roof. Start in a left-facing corner and angle out right over a little roof. The rest of the line stays right of the gully. The crux comes at the last bolt with a blind left hand pull over to the final slab and the chains.

This is located 10' left of

Pay Homage

on the clean, west-facing part of the Vulture Walls and to the right of

Scandanavian Dreams

.  This is a fun and relatively sustained route, by CWC standards.  Getting to the horizontal crack above the roof is the crux.

This is a fun, little, toprope climb on the far right side of the face. The bottom half of the climb is pretty low quality cobbles and pockets, but the second half turns into nice positive edges. It's remarkably pumpy considering the length. This route has almost certainly never a seen a free ascent but could potentially be bouldered by someone bold and psyched. The landing is big and relatively flat.

This route lies to the left of

Scandanavian Dreams

. The route follows the arete.

Although not exactly part of the Vulture Wall, this route doesn't warrant a new area. From the furthest southwest-facing route already established at the Vulture Wall, continue around a corner (east), and pass by a large chimney to a small alcove with two cracks. Climb the right side of the alcove to a thin crack to the top. Begin with easy climbing to the left-facing dihedral. Questionable gear protects the top – a fall would not be good if the gear blew. Belay from hand-sized pieces.

Although not exactly part of the Vulture Wall, this route doesn't warrant a new area. From the furthest southwest-facing route already established at the Vulture Wall, continue around a corner (east), and pass by a large chimney to a small alcove with two cracks. Climb the left semi-offwidth crack to the top. Begin with a semi-overhanging hand crack to a wide section that leads to the top. Top out or belay from #4 cams.

I personally would give it two stars for the Chosswood.

Start in the left-facing dihedral and move up through the crux.  Continue up the ledge system to the top.

Walk off to the South.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Vulture Walls