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North Wall of the Y


New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The
Description
The north side of the Y hosts most of the climbs in this area. This side of the cliff is sunny for most of the day in the summer, but is shaded in the winter because the sun is low enough to be obscured by the south side of the canyon.

Routes left of (06) Triple Overhang are generally considered no-no's because of petroglyphs in this section.

Getting There
The North side of the Y is the cliff whose top you come to by hiking south 1 minute from the parking along the highway. To drop into the Y, go to the east, and find a 3rd class downclimb.


North Wall of the Y : North Wall of The Y



(06) Triple Overhang 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Jim Porter and Len Margolin, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10a
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Traverse in, moving left from the arete just left of Open Book, using good hand traverse holds. [A direct start in the thin crack is harder and discouraged because it is very close to the 'snake' petroglyph.] Soon you'll reach the first overhang, which is pretty easy. The second overhang you pass through is harder- an A shaped slot with awkward mantle move or big reach to a wide crack to the left with minimal feet. Overhang #3 is just before the topout. Don't be too pumped to pull the mantle move.

Location
This climb is the next crack left of Open Book (the obvious dihedral) on the north side.

Protection
1 set cams to 4". Some wired nuts. A cordelette or long piece of webbing is useful for the anchor.



(07) Open Book 

5.8+

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Len Margolin & Steve Schum, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9-
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
This is the slick open book is probably the hardest 5.8 in White Rock/Los Alamos, and is unfortunately a classic.

Stem or jam your way up the first 15' of thin hands in the back of the open book (crux) to a few good holds, and a stemming rest. This cruxy part is real slick, and spits off many people, but pro is good. Next, lieback or scum your way up a right-facing corner with a wide hand crack in the back to another good rest where a slab/ramp heads up and left while an overhanging headwall looms above. Follow up this airy ramp, which has better footholds on the left edge, where it's a little more exposed. The top-out mantle move isn't too tough, unless you're really pumped.

Location
This is the obvious open book that begins just left of the cave on the north side.

Protection
1 set nuts, 1 set cams to 3".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed by unknown parties to prevent further damage to trees.



(08) Boy Scout (aka Broadway) 

5.8+

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Len Margolin & Jim Porter, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9-
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Stem up past the wide crack, traverse left to the alcove, and then straight up to the top. Two cruxes, one at the start, one getting out onto the face at the end of the traverse.

Location
Start on the big block to the right side of the little cave that's just east of Open Book.

Protection
Two-hanger anchor. Single rack to BD #2. A BD #4 might work to protect the wide crack at the bottom (blind placement), but something bigger might be better.



(09) The Notch 

5.10d

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10d
Length: 1 pitch, 45 feet
Description
Choose from various starts: Boy Scout (5.8/5.9), or Inside Dihedral (5.8/5.9), to exit the cave. Soon you'll reach a big ledge that ramps up to the left (Broadway ledge).
The Notch goes straight up the finger crack from the middle of Broadway ledge. You can get just enough pro in to keep it reasonable, especially a bigger cam under an overlap midway up. Committing to the start (off Broadway ledge) may be the toughest part mentally, or keeping your composure to punch it to the top on the pocketed section where the crack pinches down.

A tougher lead than most other 5.10s at the Y.

Location
The Notch takes a finish up the 2nd steep crack to the right of Open Book. See topo.

Protection
1 set cams to 3", 1 set nuts.
Save some gear for an anchor, or use static rope off dying trees.



(11) Wisconsin 

5.10c PG13

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: FA: Larry Campbell- Spring 1971 FFA: Len Margolin, Steve Schum, and Mike Roybal- Summer 1971
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10c
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
This climb is one of the cleanest and longest face climbs at the Y, and is the classic 5.10 at this crag. It starts just right of the cave.

Begin with a traverse to the right, then up 5.8 cracks to a slot with an awkward mantle move (well-protected with nuts). Above is the crux of the route, where you reach the cracks whose outline resembles the state of Wisconsin. Gear is tricky to find here, but is good. This section is usually passed with a funky lieback on the right side to a high reach. Small gear can be placed atop the 'Wisconsin' flake, then run it out to the top on 5.8 cracks, or place marginal nuts.

Some longtime locals say idiosyncracies such as "if you know what you're doing, you don't need to do a move harder than 5.9". Maybe so, maybe it's only 5.9 after your 25th time?

Location
This climb is on the north side, starting just to the right of the obvious cave. It heads nearly straight up a slightly overhanging crack system with the cracks 2/3 of the way up describing a shape that loosely resembles like the state of Wisconsin.

Protection
I protect this with 1 set nuts + 1 Yellow #2 Camalot (or other big hand size cam). Some may want some finger size cams too.
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed by unknown parties to prevent further damage to trees.



(12) The Nose 

5.12a X

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Mike Roybal, 1974
Type: TR
Consensus: 5.12a
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Start with some slick and thin bouldery moves out onto the opening face and then up to a nose overhang with lots of feature, some of which is sharp and slick, to a hangerless bolt (that is to the left about half of the way up). Continue up a very thin and technical face with no pro to the top. For an easier yet fun variation(5.10), start on Wisconsin and move right after about 15' around and up on jugs past the nose, and then continue to the right to gain a crack and arete for some protection and some easier climbing. A top rope is recommended.

Location
This route is located directly to the east (right) of Wisconsin.

Protection
Top Rope from a two bolt anchor.



(13) Beastie Crack 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Steve Schum and Len Margolin, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10-
Length: 1 pitch, 40 feet
Description
Climb the finger crack crux off the ground. This is 5.9 to 5.10+ depending on finger size and reach. Being taller with fat fingers helps. You can get finger size cams, but don't fall, because without a perfect belay you'll land awkwardly on jagged rocks.. DON'T SMEAR ON THE PETROGLYPH! Easy 5.4 stemming leads to the top.

Ethics Rant
I recommend people avoid this climb, because (1) it's a moderately painful 10' boulder problem followed by much easier non-descript climbing so it's boring for a 5.10 climber; and (2) if you're not a 5.10 climber, if you don't take a short ankle-twisting fall on the sharp rocks, you'll probably leave shoe rubber on the rock art- which is exactly the type of behavior that gets entire areas closed because non-climbers/land managers (in this case- LA National Lab) just don't understand how important it is to climb every crack there is. (That being said- the LA Mountaineers unofficial toprope group always seems to have a rope set on it when they visit the Y and that organization has been climbing here longer than anyone else...)

Location
Just to the right of the cave on the north side of the 'Y', right of Wisconsin and the Nose, find a finger crack right next to a petroglyph.

Protection
1 set nuts, 1 set cams to 1".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed by unknown parties to prevent further damage to trees... which pisses me off because it will encourage traffic and possibly lead to damage to the rock art.


(13) Beastie Crack : Ken Sims Soloing Beastie Crack.



(15) Original Open Book 

5.8

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Len Margolin & Steve Schum, 1970(?)
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.8
Length: 1 pitch, 40 feet
Description
Climb up the crack shared with the start for Herb's Roof, or climb blocks to the right. You reach a good rest below a slick open book corner with a finger crack in the back, and a finger crack on the left side. Stem and squirm until you reach the next good handholds.

It's a good practice for the crux of the area classic, Open Book whose crux is in the same style as this one.

Location
This crack is the next dihedral right of Beastie Crack

Protection
Cams to 3". 1 set nuts. Finger size cams are especially useful at the crux.
Bring your own gear for the anchor, or use static rope off trees (many of which are dying).





(16a) Left Mother 

5.10d

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Len Margolin & Steve Schum, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10d
Length: 1 pitch, 40 feet
Description
Left Mother is the leftmost of the 3 good crack climbs in the Mothers area of the Y.
Climb choss to a solid block/horn, angle left to a wedged block with good hand jams on either side. The steep crux is from here to the top and follows the leftmost crack, which is just a little larger than fingers, through an overhanging face. Fortunately, the face is highly featured with small horizontal ledges and pockets.

This climb is a good one for a trad leader near their limit, as the pro is good, the crux is short, and the fall is clean.

Location
The 3 "Mothers" climbs are about 40' right of Beastie Crack on the north wall of the 'Y', on a clean steep section of rock. It is just a little bit before the waterfall starts.

Protection
Rack up to a 2" cam; finger size cams are especially useful, nuts are good too. Don't bring micro nuts or microcams.
Save some stuff to build an anchor at the top, although there's a good block that you can sling with a long runner, or tie off trees with static line- always an iffy idea since many are dying.



(16b) Middle Mother 

5.10b

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Len Margolin & Steve Schum, 1970
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10b
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Middle Mother is the middle of the 3 cracks.
Climb choss to a horn. Tricky finger crack section next is the crux, but is very well protected with cams. Above, the wall steepens, but the crack widens so you get a few handjams which provide rests and the horizontal ledges provide a few feet.
Stay strong for the last pumpy finish, which isn't really that difficult.

A good 5.10 at the Y.

Location
The 3 "Mothers" climbs are about 40' right of Beastie Crack on the north wall of the 'Y', on a clean steep section of rock. It is just a little bit before the waterfall starts.

Protection
1 set cams from fingers to 3"; nuts.
Save some gear to build an anchor at the top- slinging blocks with long runners/cordelette may be an option, or static line off dying trees.



(21) Hessing Route 

5.7

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Polly and Steve Hessing, early 1970s
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.7
Length: 1 pitch, 40 feet
Description
Blocky start to a low angle finger crack.

Location
20' further downstream past the large low-angle slab (The Ramp).

Protection
Standard trad rack (set of nuts, set of cams). Could probably lead safely with only nuts. Keep some gear or trail a line for an anchor at the top.



(WI) Rigid Deffacator 

WI3

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : Y, The : North Wall of the Y
FA: Osborne and Barto
Type: Trad, Ice
Consensus: WI3-4
Length: 1 pitch, 60 feet
Season: winter
Description
This is a gross ice flow that is formed from contaminated water from LA canyon and the sewage plant that is the stream that is located at The "Y". Other than that the climbing is good. Watch out for tampons and other trash. I recommend keeping your eyes and mouth closed as it sprays from your swing. Also observe the odor and try to leave your expensive trick outer wear in your pack at the top. Take a shower when you get home and sterilize your gear. The crux is getting the smell off of everything that was used on the route. Worth doing once just to experience the yuk and climb.

Location
This is the obvious flow at he far east end of the crag.

Protection
Ice screws and runners. Stoppers and cams for the anchors. Rap in to climb out.