This is a short roof problem with excellent protection

Jemimagina

Plunger-Faced Mutant

Urban Redevelopment

Watt Me Worry?

Sole Food

Talus Phallus

Infectious Smile

Bandersnatch

Adult Books

This is a fun, exciting, steep runout arete climb.

Start as for Bandersnatch but veer up and right past the bush, then up to the right side of the base of the roof, then jot left to go up a crack through the middle of the roof.  JT West lists this as a 5.7 without an R rating, but seems like a far diagonal stretch without pro to go past the bush.  If straight up a shallow grainy seam just before the bush to connect directly to the upper crack through the roof, that felt about 5.10 and also runout.

This is a great route on the left edge of the Watts Towers main buttress. Spot a single bolt on the left side of the wall perhaps 7 meters up and just right of the climb Sole Food. The climb Urban Redevelopment climbs easy but less protected 5.6 to this bolt, then up 5.8 moves on some crispy rock to reach a crack that appears mid-wall.Follow this line on trad gear to the top of the crag.

I'd have given the route more stars if there were fewer crunchy holds on it. While I don't see these as dangerous, they just are not as fun as solid climbing.

A few cams from 2"-3.5" can make a solid belay anchor up top, but you have to figure a way to keep the rope from dropping into the crack while your partner follows.  This is the same anchor as for Sole Food and with some creativity, might be a TR anchor for both or either.

To descend, walk and scramble off to climbers right and then boulder-hop back up the gully to the base.

Climb the obvious corner to a crack up the buttress. Some wide sections, off-fist.

This is a great route on the left edge of the Watts Towers main buttress. Spot a stopper crack leading up the left side of the wall perhaps 8 meters to a hand-sized opening 1 meter long. Climb up this crack placing solid gear to the hand crack and beyond, to where the crack ends. You can get a piece in about every meter if you brought a set of stoppers and cams. Place the one small nut or RP at the top of the crack and head 2 meter up and right on face moves (5.9) to reach a second line, which also protects well on standard gear. Ride this to the top of the crag.

This second line you join to the right is the top third of Urban Development (5.8)

A few cams from 2"-3.5" can make a solid belay anchor up top, but you have to figure a way to keep the rope from dropping into the crack while your partner follows.

To descend, walk and scramble off to climbers right and then boulder-hop back up the gully to the base.

Nice route.

This is a fun easy left-facing corner to crack that passes along the right edge of small roof.

The difficulty, protection, and enjoyment of this route are greatly dependant upon how you'd like to do it. There is an optional start that is fun moves, but terrible rock, ergo- a bit hard to protect. If you just do the upper part, you do the crux, and the rock is mostly good.

This route is toward the right side of the crag, and is the next major crack line left of the right-most route, Adult Books (a changing corners or 'flip-flop' dihedral.)

At the base, there is a bulging, crumbling handcrack in white rock and a left-facing corner that might be best avoided because of the inherant nastyness, or just due to rope-drag. Being an idiot, I did this anyway. Being even more of an idiot, I enjoyed it.

Or simply work your way to the left and up onto the next ledge to start the climb on solid rock and with no rope drag. As well, your belayer will be able to see you and keep you off of the ledge at the crux if you fall, as less rope and drag will be inherant.

Move up the thin and tricky crack on strange side-pulls (10b) to gain killer locks and jams and then ride the crack the rest of the way to the top, which is moderate. Crux pro for me was a few thinner cams.

Belay on medium gear up top and then walk/scramble off to climbers right and then boulder-hop back up the gully to the base.

This route, once known as the softest 5.11a in the Monument, finally got downgraded in the guidebooks but don't let that stop you from getting on this fun line.

Scramble up easy terrain to reach a right-facing corner system (5.9) which leads up and onto a ledge. Higher, climb another right-facing corner system with a low crux off the ledge.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Watts Towers