Upper Bulge Routes

Catherine Conner leading the stellar second pitch ...

Description 

The Upper Bulge of Tahquitz, a large tooth-shaped section of rock starting midway up the rock, appears from afar as smooth and mostly featureless, and while not entirely true it's home to some of the more difficult, sustained and classic routes on Tahquitz. While routes on the Upper Bulge are shorter in nature, averaging 3 to 4 pitches in length, the exposed nature of the climbing gives an exposed feeling not found on many of the other routes at Tahquitz.

Stretching from the right edge of the Maiden Buttress to the Royal's Arches Area this section of Tahquitz is packed with quality routes including Super Pooper (5.10a), The Price of Fear (5.10c), The Vampire (5.11a), The Flakes (5.11c), and Stairway to Heaven (5.12a).

Getting There 

Routes on the Upper Bulge can be approached by any of several different methods:

• For The Step, Le Toit, Le Toilette or Super Pooper start up The Trough and cut left via From Bad Traverse (5.6) to reach the left side of the Bulge and From Bad Traverse (FBT) Ledge.

• For The Flakes, Stairway to Heaven, The Price of Fear and The Happy Hooker (or if avoiding the 1st pitch of the Vampire) start up The Trough and midway along the traverse head up a clean left-facing corner system (5.7) to reach Vampire Ledge which is located directly below the center of the Bulge.

• For The Pharaoh, The Vampire, The Bat and any of the routes on the right side of the Bulge start up The Trough and then head straight up at the start of From Bad Traverse along the right side of a steep, smooth buttress with the curving crack of The Pharaoh a good landmark.

• As an alternative climb one of the Lower Bulge Routes and modify the approach accordingly.

The Classics

Featured Route For Upper Bulge Routes

The Flakes 5.11  CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : ... : Upper Bulge Routes

This is one of my favorite Tahquitz routes, although it does have a few dubious aspects. What I like about it is the exposed position and the neat features it links up. What may detract slightly from its stature is that the pitches are short and its cruxes are very sequency and height dependent.P1: 5.11a. Climb the very thin crack up to the roof. The gear is good but a little technical, mostly thin stopper placements with a small TCU or two. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of Upper Bulge Routes Slideshow

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BETA PHOTO: The Vampire from the start of The Trough. You can ...

Reaching for the mantle holds on The Vampire.