PRINT: Rock Climb Vertebrae, Northern Arizona

Vertebrae

5.11b, Trad, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 3.7 from 127 votes
FA: Darren Singer
Arizona > Northern Arizona > Oak Creek Canyon > Waterfall > 1. The Left Wall

Description

This is one of my favorite, all natural gear pitches of climbing anywhere. Easily toproped after climbing the Sword. A short bit of steep hands leads to finger crack which takes you under the roof. Plug in a black alien in a seam to the right, then bust out some wild moves out left, and undercling back right again to turn the roof. One more crux section guards the chains.

Location

Starts just left of the Sword, under the big roof 70 ft up.

Protection

Nuts, doubles to #2 Camalot with triples black-yellow Alien.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Pullin' roof!

C. Yartz on lower portion of climb prior to the roof

Ali Hanusz cruising the mantle after the roof

close-up of vertebrae roof....

the horizontal above the roof. fantastic!

Vertebrae... With the Sword pitch on the right.

Nick Rhoads at the start of Vertebrae on 3/13/10.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

JJ Schlick
Flagstaff, AZ

A very classic pitch- just another must do if you're up there. Bring one #1, one #2, and one #.75 for the lower section. The crux may be getting up under the roof. This protects well with a couple #00 Metolious TCU’s. After the roof, there are wire placements, but a couple yellow metolious TCU’s are nice to have. Sep 12, 2006

Mike
Phoenix

5.11a/b

From the ground this route appears sketchy to protect up high near the crux. However it actually protects quite nicely, just ensure you have several small cams & nuts. A fun route! Jul 9, 2009

Darren Singer
Portland, OR

Vertebrae?? Why the name? When I was first tempted to hop on this line, I was worried about the block roof and whether it would cut loose while jamming through it. At a later date I came back with a crowbar and tension traversed over from The Sword, jumping up and down on it to no avail. I assume it is still wedged there (??). [I haven't been back to the WFall in 15+ yrs). Anyway, while cleaning the remainder of the route on the way down, I dislodged a loose block, behind which was the skeletal remains of some critter. Possibly it was a bat, with bleached white vertebrae bones shining in the light. May 6, 2010

Wiled Horse

5.11-

one of the best pitches at the grade i have climbed in a while! The crux was a hoot but the block roof was a bit intimidating to yard on.. Feb 14, 2011

Tim Heid
AZ

5.11b

Amazing pitch! Lots of varied climbing and plenty of tough moves separated by good rests. I'd recommend saving a #1/#2 camalot for the horizontal above the roof. Jun 20, 2012

Robbie Brown
the road

5.11b

Can be done quite easily without 3 black alien sizes. I think i used 1 purple metolius, and 1 purple c3 and nothing smaller. Apr 2, 2013

Reed Johnson
Seattle, WA

5.11b

Splendid sequences. I adore it. Lots of variety. A top choice for 5.11 at The Waterfall most certainly :)))))) Jan 30, 2018

.
Tucson, AZ

The rock that I place my crux gear in below the roof is hollow. I know it has been whipper tested aplenty by many folks, but this has always unnerved me. Apr 25, 2019

Erik Griffith
Sacramento

Felt harder than lord humongous. Maybe more sequency. Amazing pitch of climbing. Apr 10, 2020

C Baker
Prescott, AZ

POSSIBLE UNSTABLE ROCK! The flake below the big roof, where the chalked up undercling sits is a coffee table sized piece that has new, visible fractures in the rock. One complete horizontal crack and another vertical thinner crack on the left side. Both of these are approximately 2 ft below the above stated undercling thing. Very hollow sounding, bowed out slightly. Suggest checking out. Climb safe Oct 2, 2021