Three well protected fun pitches on good rock. the only pitch that really is not quality would be P1. With more traffic P1 would be just fine. Mostly face climbing with short crack sections in each pitch.

P1: April 2019 this was pretty dirty but climbable. start at the small tree where the wall that forms the left side of the gully ends. Climb up from the tree to come out onto the blunt aerete, where you will find the first bolt. Cont. past two more bolts then left into a grungy crack to anchors. 5.10-

(El Camino Real 5.10+ may be a better first pitch)

P2: climb up a very short crack on to the low angle aerete. Pad your way up the slab/aerete clipping several bolts until you reach a bolted rightward traverse. 5.10

Going straight up without traversing is the direct variation to this pitch 11+. More bolts.

P3: make thin moves right off the ground to easier face passing three bolts. Move left around the corner and up a flaring thin hands crack with a bolt to a ledge. Cont up the face past one more bolt to a two bolt belay on another ledge. 5.11-

Skyfall

The Parkway

Super Freaky

Heave Ho

El Camino Real

Bale/Kramar route

Careno Corners

An Exotic Affair

Nubbin Grubbin'

Cool Struttin'

Wraptor

A Swingin' Affair

Pumpline

MJB Arete

Exotic Dancer

Roger's Tower

Existential Exit

Passing Lane

Corino Corner

Condo Corner

Pocketmeister

Finders Keepers

Free Floyd

Just a Gigolo

Killer B's

Regular Route

Bromancing the Stone

Left Wing

Giant Steps

This is an enjoyable climb to the upper tier on Careno Crag.  The only drawbacks are a wandering line near the beginning, forcing short pitches, and a short section of 3rd class terrain.  It is possible to link this route to the Bale/Kramar, Foo Killer, and any of the routes above the upper tier.

P1.  Begin right of the Bale/Kramar, climbing a steep crack up, then right.  Gain a sloping rail and traverse left to a belay under the large roof (shared with BK).  5.9

P2.  From the belay, head left around the roof then follow an easy gully up and right on 3rd class terrain to a large ledge and the base of a wide corner.  The hardest moves on the pitch are avoiding the very large and loose blocks near the belay.

P3.  Grunt and sweat up an imposing wide corner for ~30' where it narrows to hands and fists.  Cracks deep in the corner and on the adjacent wall offer additional holds and gear.  5.9

P4.  A steep crack pulls over a small lip, then breaks left.  Alternatively, climb the wide crack to the same point.  Follow broken terrain up and left to the upper ledge.  (5.8-5.9).  A nice variation goes up a finger crack/face to the belay on top of Foo Killer instead of continuing left on easier ground.  From here, connect with the regular route to gain the large ledge.  5.9

Pitch 1 (60') - Head up blocky terrain and ledges to chain anchors visible from the ground.

Pitch 2 (80')  - Stem and face climb past one bolt. Climb slightly dirty ledges with cracks for pro to a chain anchor.

-- it's really easy to link pitches 1 & 2 without any drag issues --

Pitch 3 (90') - Face climbing off the belay past one bolt. Then follow a clean low angle hand crack to a bolted anchor.

Start up a lichen-filled flake system (many variations) to the left of the Regular route, climb towards a clean roof with two diagonal cracks running over the lip.  Pull through the roof and up to a 2-bolt anchor on the ledge shared by the Regular Route and Cool Struttin'.

delicate face climbing past 5 bolts, leftward traverse into fun right facing corner crack, through 2 bulges.The traverse can be made high or low, with the low moves more protected by bolt.

Pitch 1

Climb up the ramp until you reach a small crack, follow this until you see a few bolts. Follow the bolts until you get to a large belay ledge with a 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 2

Follow the hand-sized crack which should take you to a dihedral on the right. Follow this to another large belay ledge.

Pitch 1, the crux is getting off the ground. There used to be a flake on the left that fell off making the start rather stiff. You can belay at the bolted anchor 40'( it is nice to leave the rack for the start and either haul it up from the first anchor and continue, or haul it so the second does not have to do the boulder problem with the weight.) up or continue up mossy gully to leftward traverse to the anchors at the base of the 2nd pitch( guide book calls this 5.9, maybe 10b now for the boulder start. I guess I would say if you are at least 6' tall it is 10b, hard to figure out but not very hard, if you are shorter it is very hard, maybe 5.11.

Pitch 2, cruxy face climb through bolts. (10a) some small cams too

Pitch 3, sustained hand and finger crack- classic! (10b) save a #3 or #4 for the top out- easy OW.

Pitch 4, fun 5.9 , directly above anchor at top of 3rd pitch, can be wet early season at the start. Mostly bolts with some cam placements. Crux mid way up layback up side pulls and crimpy.

The Heave Ho route around the corner is another great 4th pitch option.

Climb Exotic Dancer until able to make an obvious move left into a thin, hanging crack. A finger piece or two is placed while negotiating the crux locks. Once the crack peters out, pass two bolts on a lower angle, but still difficult arete. Nice water sculpted pockets lead to the belay.

Appropriately named, this slab route has many small nubbins integral to the climbing sequence that add a little variety to the desperate friction.  The upper half is very sustained with a couple crux sections.  Veering towards the Regular Route on the upper section lowers the grade (11a) but is a fun respite from the friction.

Flail up the bolt line on small edges, occasionally grabbing jugs along the way.  Crux is low on the route, and it eases up when you hit the arete.  There are bolt anchors on the ledge above the slab, bolt anchors on the next ledge up and to the left, or another set of bolt anchors (with better webbing at the time of the post) at the bottom of the 3rd pitch of the regular route.  Take your pick.

Nice route that has a lot of work for the grade. No crux is as hard as it's neighbor to the right but it's a more demanding lead because of the multiple cruxes.  Kramar guide calls it 11b.

An excellent varied climb.  A small roof from the belay leads to easy slabs, then the real business starts.  Climb a corner behind a small pillar, clip a piton and pull up on top for a brief rest before the crux, a short overhanging hand crack.

A little steeper and harder than it's neighbor Exotic Dancer.

For years, this has been one of the Icicles trad testpieces at the grade. Thin climbing up a thin corner with some thin gear leads to a brief but burly off-fingers crux pulling a bulge. Hope you can make the exit look elegant. I couldn't.

This climb was written up in a 1988 Rock & Ice article by Alison Osius, who'd once spent a summer guiding for Leavenworth Alpine Guides (LAG) and had come back to revisit old friends:

"For my last day, Katie [Kemble] trudged me up a loose hillside to a "wild crack" she promised no one had ever done. A steep corner up thin edges led to push-palming and bridging up the seam. At the roof that caps the pitch, I ran into trouble: I sunk awkward thumbs-down hand jams, moved my torso up with hands still low, and frogged my feet high. Caving in my ribs, I half-cornered the arête to get a foot up onto a shelf. Then I couldn't pull either hand out. I pumped out and rattled down to the rest. Repeating the process again and again and again, every time I panted "Sorry" one more time, Katie would sing out cheerily, "Oh, no problem." So I ventured and retreated at least eight times. A gouge began to trench into one hand. But I really wanted to finish the climb, and to name it the LAG Roof for Katie, [Jim] Donini, Karl [Schneider] and Dave [Stutzman]. Then came the magic moment when the jam felt just that tiny bit better. Visions of glory trumpeted; a great new routemaybe some copy so I could write the trip off! Then I was up, belly-flopping over the top.

That night something woke me at 3:00 AM: electric pain in my elbows. In the morning, I tried to tell myself I'd been dreaming. But, I thought, at least if I'd hurt myself, it was on something emotionally satisfying, that tied the climbs and people of Leavenworth together. An epiphany, come to think of it. Then, the more I thought about it, the harder the route got. Pretty soon my internal dialogue declared "11d, fer sure."

I called Yoder, and asked him about that crack. He listened to my description, asked a question or two. "Yeah, Pumpline. 11a. I did it three years ago.'"

("Penned in Leavenworth," Rock & Ice No. 25, May/June 1988)

Start up a small corner below the beautiful vertical face left of Pumpline. Small cams are useful to get to the first bolt. Swing right around the arete with a cool sequence and galavant up the slab using the arete and some edges to make headway. Clip a few bolts and throw a cam or two in for good measure to get to the Pumpline chains. This line does not have a separate anchor, but probably deserves one! It also needs all new hardware as the bolts are originals and not tightly spaced.

In its current state, a light scrubbing and new hardware would resurrect this beautiful chunk of stone.

This is a fine, fun lieback corner crack.  Fairly easy climbing up blocks leads to the main corner.  The corner maintains a consistent size to the top, liebacking and a little stemming now and then will get you there.

A wonderfully exposed route where you climb the arete of a detached pillar. There is a bolt to protect the first move so you can gain the edge. Follow the edge up till you have to make a step across the gap. Once you're on the ledge you can traverse climbers left to access some bolted anchors or climb a little higher to gain the walk off ledge.

Existential Exit is a short finger crack up a face. Moves start under the lip, coming out to the face on bomber finger locks. The locks continue up the face to a flake just past a horizontal break in the rock. Jog right to get into the hand crack int he corner and the belay above.

next route up the hill from the super classic Regular route. Starts up a thin finger crack, traverse face rightward to left facing corner. the flake formation on the right after you clip the bolt is flexible.Traverse back left under small roof to the big ledge.

Fun route with steep fingers and a distinct crux. Cleaner than it looks.

Head up the left facing dihedral with some good hands and off-hands jamming till it pinchs off to a finger crack with some face help.  A little mossy but clean where you need it to be.  Move through the crux roof with some fun stemming (if wanted) and onto the face.  A couple slab moves past one bolt leads to a nice two bolt anchor with chains.

steep hard slab/face climb

The book calls this 10a, everyone I know who's climbed this think it is harder than other 10a face climbs around Leavenworth

It is pretty fun. You can supplement with some gear.

Decent 5.9 slab route. While the bolts are not too wandery, the climbing is. You can use this route to access other Careno routes.

Powerful start that leads to a thin seam with some supplemental face holds. A cruxy mid section leads to better holds up top.

Route starts to the far left of Swinging Affair and Exotic Dancer.  You'll see a prominent roof.

First pitch is 100ft to bolted anchor. Fun pitch. Laybacking off secondary crack to roof.  holds and feet appear where you need them at the roof.  After turning the roof, continue on easier crack system to bolted anchor.  Continue up 2p or rap.

Optional 2p is 60ft to another bolted anchor with a hard first move to easier climbing above.

Crux comes at the last move to the top. Very steep slab move.

This is the "main" route up the Careno Crag as implied by the name.  The thin crack at the start may be the most remarkable feature of the entire lower wall.  After sweating through the balancy but short first pitch (crux), climbers will be rewarded with two more nice pitches of easier but fun and clean dihedrals.  There is an obvious walk-off after the third pitch, but the route continues for another pitch.

Hand crack to bolts. Traverse right, then left and straight up and slightly over hanging face

I don't think anyone climbs this, it is worth trying. Good cracks, interesting route finding. A newer finish up slabs with bolts done by whom?  great yet short hand crack splits a slab just right of the large Ponderosa where you walk off the Careno routes Continue under large roof, pass fixed pin going out the left side of the roof. Crux move around corner up to narrow ledge. The bolts will be in view here.

A short flake leads to cruxy moves a bit left through the bulge, then more sustained climbing to the anchor.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Careno Crag