What is your Favorite 12a sport route?

Just wanted to know what some of yall's favorite 12a sport routes are out there in the country. I always look for the classics in the areas I'm fortunate to go to and maybe this will spark some interest in an area I have never thought about trying out. 

Also please don't bother with disputes about grades. I get that crap is subjective but if your guidebook or the proj classifies it as 12a then that's a good enough gauge for me.  

Some of mine are: 

1. Swept Away -  Last Chance Canyon 
2. Social Outcast - Rumney 
3. Wind and rattlesnakes - Wild iris 

Best Smith Rock 12a’s:

Spank the Monkey

Dreamin

White Trash w/ Extension

I’ll put another vote for Social Outcast too

Psycho Wrangler

Freeform - Shelf road

RoShamPo - RRG

Hippocrite - RRG

(Honorable Mention) Not one of us - Clear creek

A few others that deserve mention:

Genesis, Rifle

Cocaine Rodeo, Tensleep

49, Maple Canyon

Hot Beach, Shelf Road

Franck Vee wrote:

Nice, I've been to spearfish but I don't recall what wall. I need to make a trip back. Thanks for the input and I'll check them out. Ten sleep is also on my radar.

Just cause of the route name: All Chalk No Action

Empire of the Fenceless - Boulder Canyon

Work Ethic - Red Wing (the only 12a I’ve actually sent)

Freaky Stylee - NRG

Squamish - Blackwater

City of Rocks - Gemini

American Fork - Naked Nebula

Zion/Kolob Canyon - Namaste (not really 12a but that was the original grade and it's epic so let's go with it)

I want to add Ghost Dancers in Sitting bull Falls. It is very short but it packs a punch. There are several honorable mentions but this was one of my first 12a's I've redpoitned. 

Jerry432 wrote:

Nice, I've been to spearfish but I don't recall what wall. I need to make a trip back. Thanks for the input and I'll check them out. Ten sleep is also on my radar.

Ten Sleep is great, too, if you liked Spearfish. Similar rock (both limestone), but still a bit different - TS tends to be longer routes, and less bouldery/cruxy than what you may find in Spearfish. I found that in Spearfish, well first it's not nearly as chalked, and the rock tends to be somewhat less featured. And often more cruxy. TLOTM is at Indian Wars, which is a great wall for low 12s. One of my favorite walls @ Spearfish for sure. You usually have a larger selection of easier climbs in TS, too and they tend to be fairly well mixed which is nice if you have a party with varying capacities or like to take it slow when you warm up. 

In Spearfish for great 12a's you might want to hit Big Picture Wall as well. Armageddon is awesome and has, near the top, my favorite sequence of move of all the trip. Quest for fire is also really good. The start of each (e.g. below first bolt) may be harder than 12a quite frankly (STIFF boulder problem) though...

Approaches are a bit longer in TS (hard to complain about those in Spearfish!). More crowds in TS - check out the brewery which as of last summer was lining up to become "the" climber's campground/hangout in TS. You can also camp for free (no services) in the old canyon and just drive in the brewery for a beer after the day...

Franck Vee wrote:

Ten Sleep is great, too, if you liked Spearfish. Similar rock (both limestone), but still a bit different - TS tends to be longer routes, and less bouldery/cruxy than what you may find in Spearfish. I found that in Spearfish, well first it's not nearly as chalked, and the rock tends to be somewhat less featured. And often more cruxy. TLOTM is at Indian Wars, which is a great wall for low 12s. One of my favorite walls @ Spearfish for sure. You usually have a larger selection of easier climbs in TS, too and they tend to be fairly well mixed which is nice if you have a party with varying capacities or like to take it slow when you warm up. 

In Spearfish for great 12a's you might want to hit Big Picture Wall as well. Armageddon is awesome and has, near the top, my favorite sequence of move of all the trip. Quest for fire is also really good. The start of each (e.g. below first bolt) may be harder than 12a quite frankly (STIFF boulder problem) though...

Approaches are a bit longer in TS (hard to complain about those in Spearfish!). More crowds in TS - check out the brewery which as of last summer was lining up to become "the" climber's campground/hangout in TS. You can also camp for free (no services) in the old canyon and just drive in the brewery for a beer after the day...

Nice thanks for the info!! we are planning a trip for the summer and I wanted to try Victoria canyon but depending on some factors I may B-Line to Ten Sleep this year instead. I definitely appreciate an area with lots of options from easy to hard enough for my taste. thanks again! 

"Cookie Monster", Cookie Cliff in Yosemite

"Chains of Love", Fern Canyon in the Flatirons

"Hang 'Em High", Rifle

Jerry432 wrote:

I want to add Ghost Dancers in Sitting bull Falls. It is very short but it packs a punch. There are several honorable mentions but this was one of my first 12a's I've redpoitned. 

Counting Coup right next to it is magnitudes better. But yeah, ghost dancers is a nice route. 

Ecstatic Electricity and The Wizard at La Milagrosa are worth a mention, as is Poposer Cowboy at Iris. 

the schmuck wrote:

Counting Coup right next to it is magnitudes better. But yeah, ghost dancers is a nice route. 

Ecstatic Electricity and The Wizard at La Milagrosa are worth a mention, as is Poposer Cowboy at Iris. 

oh for sure Coup is top notch and probably one of my favs but its 12b. that thing pumps me out of my mind when my endurance is lacking!! 

Peter Foster wrote:

Freaky Stylee - NRG

uh huh...

The best movement I have encountered on 12a's are:

Reckless Abandoned- NRG
Carolina Crocker and the Tipple of Doom- NRG

Genesis, Rifle 

Heretic Wisdom, Wailing Wall