This wall contains the classic Clear Creek testpiece, Sonic Youth. The rock here is solid, overhung and powerful. The belay for Sonic Youth is basically in the river, depending on the time of the year and the water level, which makes some of the logistics of getting down from the route difficult. But the climb is worth it. Late May through July are usually the months to avoid here as the belay beach is underwater. Unfortunately, the rock is in the shade and quite cold from November to late March, so pick your climbing season well.
Getting There
Park in the large paved pullout before tunnel two, (same as for highwire crag). Most of the year, the river is raging so don't plan on crossing the creek. Instead hike up the road toward the tunnel and cross the bridge (right side). Turn right and locate a small trail that leads back toward the cliff (north, downstream). Stay on this trail until you are beyond some treacherous cliffbands, and pay close attention for a faint right fork in the trail. The main trail will continue up the hill to Highlander crag. Take this faint, right trending trail down toward the river and pass under a rock known as the Merlin Formation. There is one bolted route here called Merlin (5.11d). Pass this route and continue down the river along the river bed. If you miss this faint trail, you will end up taking a very steep, sketchy and loose descent with a cliff beneath you so be careful. If you find yourself doing this hard descent, you are probably off the trail and should go back to find the right one. Keep walking downstream, sometimes hopping on rocks until you reach the belay beach for Sonic Youth. This approach only takes 5-10 minutes.
D. Warm Up, 10, 1p, TR E. Beta Test, 11, 1p, bolts. above E. Master Beta, 12-, 1p, bolts, extension. F. 13, 1p, bolts. GH. Fountain of Youth, 13+, 1p, bolts. H. Sonic Youth, 13-, 1p, bolts. I. Public Enemy, 12+, 1p, 40', bolts. above I. Extension project, gear, pins.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The New River Wall:
Dark Waters begins under the roof on underclings then pulls the lip and traverses left to a final jump move over dark water....[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Okay, first of all, the beta photo on this page is wrong. None of the x's respresent where the bolts actually are. The anchor bolts for Sonic are about 5 feet lower than shown, and are preceeded by 10, not nine bolts (excluding the one placed to restrict rope drag). The 2nd climb from the right shares the first four bolts with S.Y. Beta Test (and Master Beta) has one less bolt than shown, and starts 10 feet to the right of where the x's show. The x's on climb 4 (Public Enemy) have less bolts than shown (starting off with 2 anchor bolts for a belay), and start 5 feet to the left (refer to Rolofson's CCC guidebook for the story). There are also several bolts between SY and Public Enemy that are apparently open projects obviously either impossible and/or needing more bolts. My buddy Chris and I set up yet another tyrolian (sp?). I don't know who keeps cutting them down (the rope doesn't come near the water if tightened right, so there's no reason for kayakers to take them down?), but it sucks, and I hope it doesn't happen to this one. Sonic Youth is epic. Climb it in the rain.
The climb to the left of SY was finally sent yesterday by Daniel Woods, and he called it "Fountain of Youth". He thought it might be 5.13c/d but not 5.14.
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