Bouldering Bouldering

A lot is said about the "eliminates" at the park and there is seems to be the general thought that everything is an eliminate which just is not true.  The ethic is every hold belongs to one problem, and just like everywhere else, moving out left or right will take you off the problem you are on.  Most eliminates are fairly basic and easy to discern if you just take a minute to look at the problem.  There are a few spots with the same hold used on multiple problems, but usually they create complexly different climbs.  The scorecard includes what are eliminates, but do not that name discourage you as some of the best problems are some of the eliminates.

Top outs are an area that is currently being pushed at the park.  The left side of the Mermaid Wall all has top outs and some older climbs like Astral Projection are being topped out instead of dropping post crux. The scorecard also includes an estimate of height and current list of what is going all the way up.

V0 (3)

1. Mini Crack (Top out 8') 
2. Yellow Wall High Traverse 
3. Yellow Wall Right 

V1 (14)

1. Asinine Behavior   
2. By Crackie  (Top out 10')   
3. CO2
4. Diagonal Crack Variation (Top out 10') 
5. Diving Board (Top out 9')
6. Highball (Top out 18') 
7. Intergalactic Quaalude Trip
8. Rocket Man (Top Out 25')
9. Rocket Power
10. Saving Grace (Top out 10') 
11. Shorty's Delight
12. The Tooth (Top out 6') 
13. Under the Mermaid
14. Under the Rainbow (Top out 16')
15. Unknown E (Top out 15')
16. Yellow Wall Standard Traverse  

V2 (16)

1. April Fool (Top out 20')
2. Buns Machine Gun High (Top out 12') 
3. Cold Turkey (Top out 14') 
4. Cowabunga Direct
5. Despondency Right
6. Finesse (Top out 24')
7. Living on the Ledge (Top out 9') 
8. Mantle Problem (Top out 9') 
9. Pigeon Shit
10. Pretzel, The
11. Pretzel Variation, The
12. Rage (Eliminate)
13. Slag Traverse
14. Shorty (Top out 10') 
15. Viper (Top out 10') 
16. WG Cudney

V3 (14)

1. Astral Projection (Top out 25') 
2. Astral Traverse (Eliminate) 
3. Ballerina High (Top out 18') 
4. Colin’s Reverse Traverse
5. Despondency
6. Garfield (Eliminate) 
7. Grady
8. Low Rider
9. Mantle Problem Variation (Eliminate/Top out 9')
10. May Day (Eliminate/Top out 20')
11. New School (Top out 10') 
12. Odie (Eliminate) 
13. Top Tier Dyno (Eliminate/Top out 10') 
14. Trick, The

V4 (15)

1. Ballerina Left (Eliminate/Top out 18') 
2. Bonsai
3. Buns Machine Gun (Eliminate/Top out 12') 
4. Colin’s Traverse
5. Desperado
6. Despondency Natural (Eliminate) 
7. Gen X
8. Grady Low (Eliminate/Top out 9') 
9. Hollywood
10. Intimidator Direct
11. Rated-X (Top out 20')
12. Snowflakes (Eliminate) 
13. Wall Street (Top out 20') 
14. Walk on By
15. WG Cudney Eliminate (Eliminate)  

V5 (16)

1. Ballerina (Top out 18') 
2. Buns Dyno (Eliminate/Top out 10') 
3. Despondency Dyno (Eliminate) 
4. Inappropriate Behavior (Top out 25') 
5. Minus One Traverse (Eliminate) 
6. More Power Scotty
7. Poxson's Pocket Problem (Top out 18')
8. Rathke’s Revenge (Top out 14') 
9. Ride or Die
10. Suicide Machine
11. Thailand (Eliminate/Top out 20') 
12. Trick Direct (Eliminate) 
13. Treat, The (Eliminate) 
14. Up Yours
15. WGC Extension (Eliminate) 
16. Wheaties Left

V6 (15)

1. Anastasis Oasis 
2. Ballerina Right (Eliminate/Top out 18')
3. Blind Faith
4. Climb or Die
5. Frank’s Problem (Eliminate)
6. Heart and Soul Direct
7. Homeostasis
8. Intergalactic Quaalude Trip (Top Out 24')
9. Max Scene Arête (Top out 20') 
10. Pick Your Battles (Eliminate/Top out 20') 
11. Purple Haze (Top Out 20')
12. Rated X Direct (Eliminate/Top out 20') 
13. Saving Grace Dyno (Eliminate/Top out 10')
14. Trick Dyno (Eliminate) 
15. Two Peace (Top out 20') 

V7 (11)

1. Anastasis 
2. Another Mother (Eliminate) 
3. A Comedy of Terrors (Top out 18') 
4. Enigma
5. Full Value Buns (Eliminate/Top out 12') 
6. Insomnia
7. Liberation
8. MHL (Top out 18') 
9. Scofic Scam (Top out 14') 
10. Wheaties
11. Yellow Wall Dyno  (Eliminate)

V8 (3)

1. Brendan’s Problem (Top out 18') 
2. Peace (Top out 20') 
3. Reflections

V9 (3)

1. Fifty Words for Mank (Eliminate) 
2. Mass Hysteria (Top out 18') 
3. Resistance

V10 (1)

1. D-Bag

Projects (3)

1. Scofic Right (Top out 14') 
2. Trick Arête (Eliminate) 
3. Up Yours Super Direct

V3 The Trick

V3 Despondency 

V5 Ballerina

V5 Inappropriate Behavior

V6 Suicide Machine

V7 Enigma 

V7 A Comedy Of Terrors

V8 Peace

V8 Reflections

V9 Resistance

V9 Mass Hysteria

V0 Highball

V1 Saving Grace

V3 Astral Projection

V3 Rated X 

V4 Walk on By

V4 Buns Machine Gun

V4 Despondency Natural

V5 The Treat

V5 Up Yours 

V6 Climb or Die

V6 Max Scene Arete

V7 Anastasis 

V7 Wheaties 

V7 Liberation

The park, after all these years and strongbos, still has some unsent projects waiting.  In 2012 Dylan Barks sent Fifty Words for Mank and in 2017 Brendan Baars sent Mass Hysteria ending two long-time projects that shut locals down for years.  Lots of effort has been made on these next three with little to show for it.

The Roof Project

This project has been attempted since at least the early 1980s if not before by the infamous Ledge Rats.  

Start matched low in the middle of the wall and climb straight up into a good hold in the roof that is also heavily chalked.  This completes the V4 Gen X, already established years ago.  After getting into the roof, move left along the shelf to set up for the long crux move out to a good lip.  Pull the face on great holds and either drop or take on another 15' of 5.9 dirty climbing to the top.

Also note the large pile of boulders jutting out at the climber underneath the roof.  This one will take a fair share of pads to work on.  Great problem that still needs its FA.

Scofic Right

Same tough start as Scofic except move left hand up onto the knob and then right hand onto a couple bad options.  Bad slopers await above that, then into a good jug and top out.  This project has seen the most attempts and probably been around the longest.

Up Yours Super Direct

Same start as Up Yours but start moving right into left facing crest hold.  Somehow, get over to he left arete and top out on the corner.  This project has also seen lots of work trying to get past the blank face after the crescent hold.

Oak Park seems to be fairly limited on dynos in regard to how many climbs are on the walls.  These seven have been around for years and are definitely a challenge.  The Yellow Wall Dyno if probably sandbagged at V6 and is arguably the hardest single move in Oak Park, definitely the biggest.

V3 Top Tier Dyno

V5 Despondency Dyno

V5 Saving Grace Dyno

V5 Buns Bulge Dyno

V6 Heart and Soul Direct

V6 The Trick Dyno

V7 Yellow Wall Dyno

The East Wall is the first wall you see as you come down the stairs.  It's a nice warm up getting lots of good morning sun year-round with a pile of easy climbs.  A few top outs on the right side of the wall and most of the climbs are rather short with the exception of the Pretzel. 

Right Side of East Wall:     V0 Mini Crack (Black)     V1 Viper (Blue)     V3 Top Tier Dyno (Red)     V2 Shorty (White)

Right Side of East Wall:   V0 Highball     V0 Finesse    V1 Intergalactic Quaalude Trip     V1 Asinine Behavior     V2 Pretzel Variation 

The next wall around the corner is the Mermaid Wall hosting a bunch of harder climbs.  Arguably the best climb at GL is on the arete in V7 Enigma and a classic in the making on the left of the wall in V8 Peace.  This wall also receives good sun and drier holds and up on the rail road ties almost all wind is blocked.  Most of these are thin technical climbs with top outs on the left side of the wall and finishes in the large seam on the right side.  The climbs are rather squeezed in on this wall, but with the exception of V6 Anastasis Oasis and V6 Two Peace all the lines are separate and follow their own sequence making this a great wall.  The adjacent wall has a few unlisted warm-ups and an eliminate V6 Pick Your Nose.

Right Side of Mermaid Wall:  V7 Enigma     V7 Insomnia      V6 Anastasis Oasis     V7 Anastasis     V6 Homeostasis     V7 Wheaties     V5 Wheaties Left

Left Side of the Mermaid Wall:  V3 Rated X (White)     V6 Rated X Direct (Red)    V8 Peace (Green)    V6 Two Peace (Yellow)     V4 Wall Street (Blue)       V1 Under the Mermaid (Orange)

V6 Pick Your Nose

The Resistance Wall is just past the great roof and only has a handful of climbs but they are all pretty good in quality.  V9 Resistance was the hardest climb at the park from 2000 until 2012 and V10 D-Bag was established.  The Tooth is right next to this as well sporting a couple nice warm ups.

V4 Hollywood (White)     V6 Blind Faith (Orange)     V4 Walk on By (Green)     V10 D-Bag (Red)    V2 Pigeon Shit Direct (Blue)           V9 Resistance (Yellow)

The Despondency Wall consists of the four variations of Dependency and V5 Inappropriate behavior.  This wall is typically in the shade and falls are on a nice, flat landing.

Despondency Wall

Astral Wall

V4 Desperado (Yellow)     V3 Astral Projection (Blue)     V3 Astral Traverse (Green)     V3 Odie (Red)     V3 Garfield (Green)      V5 More Power Scotty (White)     V4 Bonsai (Black)

This area starts as you walk past Despondency and find yourself under an open book.  This would be the center of the climbing at the park and where the vast majority of ropers hang out.  There are a ton of good problems here, but expect it to be busy on weekends in the summer.

The Overhang

V5 Ride or Die (Yellow)     V2 Cowabunga Direct (Orange)     V7 Another Mother (Green)     V6 Climb or Die (Black)     V3 Low Rider (Blue)     V4 Intimidator Direct (Red)     V9 Fifty Shades of Mank (White)

The Ballerina Bulge is all steep climbing and the highest congregation of hard climbs at the park.  Quite a few lines criss-cross the bulge as it has been developed and redeveloped over the years with new and stronger climbers.  Everything on the Bulge top outs as do a couple other climbs on the Astral Wall.  As you'd guess, V5 Ballerina is in the middle of the bulge and is one of the best problems at the park.  The Scofic Wall only has a few lines but the longest project at the park still stands.

Ballerina Bulge

V7 MHL (Black)     V9 Mass Hysteria (Red)     V6 Suicide Machine (White)     V7 A Comedy of Terrors (Blue)     V8 Comedy of Terrors Direct (Green)

Ballerina and Variations

V6 Ballerina Right (White)      V5 Ballerina (Red)     V2 Ballerina High (Blue)     V4 Ballerina Left (Black)

Scofic Wall
Project Scofic Right (White)     V7 Scofic Scam (Blue)     V5 Rathke's Revenge (Green)     V2 Cold Turkey (Black)

The Trick Area has several great problems and is generally overlooked by the masses. Down past the slab wall and mine it sees much less traffic and generally no top ropes but provides shade in the summer and great sun in the winter. Classics include V1 Saving Grace, ultra-classic V3 The Trick, V5 The Treat and V8 Reflections. This area includes the Saving Grace Bulge and WGC Wall which includes a few short, technical traverses. 

The Trick Area

V5 The Treat (Black)     Project Trick Arete (Red)     V3 The Trick (Blue)      V5 Trick Direct (Green)     V8 Reflections (White)     V8 Frank's Problem (Orange)     V6 Max Scene Arete (Gray)     V5 Thailand (Purple)

WGC Wall

V4 WGC Eliminate (Black)     V5 WGC Extension (Red)     V4 Snowflakes (White)     V2 WG Cudney (Green)

Continue walking west and you'll find the Yellow Wall which is another great place to warm up and is one of the driest spots at the park.   

The Diving Board is just down from that.  

The rock ends with the Buns Bulge which holds seven lines and is a tad steeper than the Ballerina Bulge but lower quality rock.  Unfortunately, it broke and became unstable in April 2023.