North Rocks Miniguide

Sitting between the Pebble Wall Boulder and the Red Wall Boulder are the North Rocks, two smaller side-by-side boulders that are home to a bunch of easier warmups, a couple moderates, a few newer challenges and a Holloway one-move testpiece that may have been repeated by Charlie Bentley. Where: Head up Flagstaff Road. 1.6 miles past The Armstrong Bridge (located at the hard right hand turn at the bottom of the mountain), park at the Crown Rock Parking Area on the left or the dirt lot 75 yards further up the road on the right. Hike 2 minutes up the trail on the north side of the road opposite the Crown Rock Parking Area. Stay right at the first split and you will walk right up to the middle of the south face of the Pebble Wall Boulder. Turn right, heading towards the Red Wall Boulder. North Rocks will be on your left after 10 yards.

1. West Face Left VB ... FA: Pat Ament, late 1960’s/early 1970’s (one-armed)
Just left of Southwest Arête, use small edges to reach the top and pull over. Ament managed this with one arm.
2. Southwest Arête V3 ... FA: Jim Holloway, 1975
Climb the outstanding and obvious arête on the southwest corner of the upper boulder.
3. Drill Pig AKA No Name V? ... FA: Jim Holloway, 1976
Just right of the arête is this lesser-known and possibly unrepeated Holloway problem that begins with a bad left hand crimp and small right hand mono. From there, go straight for the top without the benefit of the arête. It is rumored that Charlie Bentley repeated this problem. Variation #1 - Unnamed V7: Start and finish in the same place, but do the hard move with the benefit of a left foot/heel scum around the arête.

4. West Arête VB ... FA: Unknown

An easy problem that ascends the arête on the downhill boulder without using the uphill boulder.

5. Slippery Cobbles V1/ V2 sds ... FA: Unknown
Ascend this thought-provoking slippery problem located behind the tree on the lower boulder. A low sds on crimps adds a bit of worthwhile fun.
6. West Face V1 ... FA: Unknown
Above the steps is a good sidepull edge. Climb to the top from there.
7. Southwest Face V1 ... FA: Unknown
Just right of the last problem, reach high for starting holds, do some fancy footwork to get established on the wall and go to the top.

8. Sweet Nothings V8/9 sds ... FA: Will LeMaire, 2008

From an inobvious sds on a LH sidepull and RH crimp move up and slightly left on small stuff to join #7 on your way to the top.

9. Read Between the Lines V7/8 sds ... FA: Will LeMaire, 2008

From a sds on the same LH sidepull used on #8 and a RH undercling sidepull crimp just around the bulge to the right, bump LH to a crimp, then bump your RH 3 hard times until you get the decent sidepull and can move up to the top from there.
10. Southern Bulge V2 / V4/5 ... FA: Unknown

For V2, start on a LH sidepull and high RH knob, slap the top and pull over. For V4/5, start with your RH a little lower with both hands on opposing sidepulls.
11. Southern Sun V8 sds ... FA: Justin Jaeger, 2004
Do Southern Bulge from a burly awkward sds on opposing sidepull/undercling crimps. I jokingly refer to the crux as being awkwardly positioning your body so you can actually pull your ass off stacked pads.
12. East Side Lower Traverse VB ... FA: Unknown
Traverse right on jugs across the east face of the lower boulder. Finish up the arête with #14.
13. East Face of Lower Block V0 ... FA: Unknown
Start at a jug and ascend the center of the east face to the top.

14. East Arête VB ... FA: Unknown

An abbreviated version of #12 that skips the traverse and starts down below the arête and heads for the top. Do #12 instead. It's a really nice moderate/warmup.
15. East Side Upper Traverse V2 ... FA: Unknown
Traverse left to right 20 feet across the heavily cobbled east face of the upper boulder. Don’t stop until you pull around the bulging corner on the right and end up on top.