Someone recently asked me if I could recommend some mellow, shady, and perhaps quieter routes in the 5.7 to 5.9 range. Instead of e-mailing them back directly I figured I'd share here and let others put their input in, and give him the link. :)

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Some fun quiet moderates can be found up at the Pulse wall: Little Angler (5.8), Cliff Notes (5.7 TR), Lazy Days (5.5), Toy Story (5.9 trad, fun, perhaps you can manage a TR setup after you climb Lazy Days and walk the top of the cliff).

The hike up to Pulse walks by crags with fun moderates. In order of approach:

Below New Wave: Sixth Sense (5.6, decent warm up), Son of Sammy (5.8+, retro-bolted trad climb that has a few tricky moves but easy if you’re used to trad)

New Wave: Air and Pleasant Danger (5.8), Smokestack (5.9+, awesome w/ chimney, stemming, face climbing)

Kennel: Gigantopithicus (5.6) kind of awkward, but I’ve always found fun

Although often crowded due to the easy approach, the Parking Lot wall and Meadows walls have a lot to offer: Glory Jean’s (5.6), Rise and Shine (5.7), Week w/ Pete (5.4), Café au Lait (5.6), False Modesty (5.7), Easy Terms (5.8) Truth in Advertising (5.7+), Rose Garden (5.7), Hippos on Parade (5.9), Bolt Line (5.8)

Perhaps the most popular area for moderates is up the hill (nice trail, steep, walks past aesthetic crags, views from atop) is the Jimmy Cliff. Moderates include: Clip a Dee Doo Dah (5.3, bolted multi-pitch classic!), Things You Should Have Learned in Kindergarten (5.6), Piece of Cake (5.5), Teacher’s Pet (5.7), The Nuthatch (5.7), Junco (5.8+, classic), Lonesome Dove (5.10a, classic, low angle on thin edges)

Other fun moderates scattered throughout Rattlesnake are: Rack For Sale (5.7), Oby-Won Ryobi (5.9+), Yoda (5.9), Metamorphosis (5.8+), The Big Easy (5.7), Rock Du Jours (5.9), Underdog (5.10a)

Cheers,
Jeffrey LeCours
www.climbrumney.com

Thanks! Helpful list.

When at Parking Lot Wall, also check out Chloe's Breakfast Special and Quinn/Callaghan. At 5.8 Crag, Ashbury Park, Snake Skin Slab, and Bolt And Run. All these tend to be popular so plan accordingly.
Around Rack For Sale, you have Trigger Happy, Left El Diego, and Sun Bowl, all pretty good.
Also popular for good reason are War and Peace and Masterpiece at Bonsai.
Second pitch of Rock du Jours Direct (9+) is really good. Smokestack at 9+ is solidly graded, many find it harder (as I).
You probably won't have to wait in line to get on Space or Yer Anus.

quiet crags become mob scenes with advertising... before the new book came out the easy stuff in the middle of Jimmy was empty all the time. now it's top rope central.

+1 for Chloe's Breakfast Special at Parking Lot Wall. Don't let the wet start scare you off, the top is superb.

Also +1 on Metamorphosis. Fantastic and full value.

Lonesome Dove, and Jolt are two must does. If 10a in within your ability, they are definitely worth the hike to the top.

There are a couple of fun routes in the 5.6 -5.8 range in the Upper vader area...short but sweet!

Got on a new moderate today and it is rather enjoyable.
Its name is Maltese Falcon and it is the rightmost climb at Armed and Dangerous crag (a little right right of the Big Easy).

P.S. Hammond Organ (not exactly a moderate at around .10c) at Jimmy is pretty good.