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Natural Enhancement

5.11 PG13, Trad, 115 ft (35 m),  Avg: 3.9 from 87 votes
FA: FA Darren Singer 1992, Full Route FA Dan Foster, JJ Schlick 2002
Arizona > Northern Arizona > Oak Creek Canyon > Waterfall > 3. The Right Wall

Description

At some point in time, Dan Foster and I made it a mission to climb any unknown route with tatty anchors and install a modern anchor. It was a surprising number of routes and this line had some of the last tat to go. The first 75' of this route was done by Darren Singer in the early 90’s and ended at a webbing anchor with old Chouinard Curved Nuts. After onsighting to this anchor and exhausting crucial pieces of my rack, I lowered off staring at the top 40’ of steep terrain. After filling Dan in on the prospects, he casually flashed the route and then  punched it through the final 40’ of overhanging finger splitter onsight. An anchor was placed, and a cross generational route was born. All this created one of the longest pitches on the right side, as well as, one of the most classic 5.11, all natural gear lines at the crag. It is a glorious haul with a lot of crisp, steep jamming.


Starts on a zig-zagging crack made of large blocks, directly above a large, pointy boulder. Take care when leading or following because a fall onto this rock would probably ruin your day or more. The start is both physical, somewhat deceptive, and IMHO feels every bit 5.10d/11a. It’s the kind of climbing people explode off of. Continue up through a blocky chute, and make your way to the "diving board" feature which juts out of the wall.

Once you get onto the diving board, expect small hands to fingers, with a 5.11 finger crux mid height. There is a good rest at the point where the tatty anchors once rested and take advantage of that, because the climbing gets more strenuous and steep from here with fingers, edges, and pockets with muscley climbing. The gear can be a bit tricky on this section...save a #.5, #.75, and a #1 BD Cam for the top. The climbing is physical, though the edges are excellent.

Location

Just left of No Feelings, A little ways right of Smiling Jay in a section of the cliff line known as The Hall of Giants.

Protection

70M rope. Anchors are above the last ledge way up out of sight while you are climbing.

Triples from #0 Metolious TCU to #1 Camalot, perhaps bulking up on .5 and .75’s for the onsight. A fine selection of medium wires would find homes.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Darren Mabe approaching the crux of Natural Enhancement 5.11 near the center of The Right Wall.<br>
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[Hide Photo] Darren Mabe approaching the crux of Natural Enhancement 5.11 near the center of The Right Wall.
Natural Enhancement, Right Wall.
[Hide Photo] Natural Enhancement, Right Wall.
The original anchor. The #10 was floping around in the crack when I came across it.  This was all tied together with a bunch of webbing and the single Omega Pacific locker, with a lone, mysterious hand etched "M" upon it.  Probably Miller but uncertain.
[Hide Photo] The original anchor. The #10 was floping around in the crack when I came across it. This was all tied together with a bunch of webbing and the single Omega Pacific locker, with a lone, mysterious…
Darren Mabe moving into the original finger locking, toe smearing crux. You get a shake after that, and then it's steep 5.11 to the anchors.<br>
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No Utopia is the next system left of him, and No Feelings is two to his right.
[Hide Photo] Darren Mabe moving into the original finger locking, toe smearing crux. You get a shake after that, and then it's steep 5.11 to the anchors. No Utopia is the next system left of him, and No Feel…
Natural Enhancement
[Hide Photo] Natural Enhancement
Kevin, moving through the start of Natural Enhancement & No Utopia.
[Hide Photo] Kevin, moving through the start of Natural Enhancement & No Utopia.
Josh Janes moving into the pumpy section up high.
[Hide Photo] Josh Janes moving into the pumpy section up high.
Josh Janes gunning and plugging.
[Hide Photo] Josh Janes gunning and plugging.
The start of Natural Enhancement.  Do not underestimate this section.  The difficulty comes with finding good feet.
[Hide Photo] The start of Natural Enhancement. Do not underestimate this section. The difficulty comes with finding good feet.
Natural Enhancement is the splitter, and No Utopia is the thin seam that breaks off left.
[Hide Photo] Natural Enhancement is the splitter, and No Utopia is the thin seam that breaks off left.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Michael Sokoloff
Spokane, WA
[Hide Comment] This route is just beautiful! It's sustained with mostly good fingerlocks and jams as well as good faceholds for the feet. Pure crackclimbing the whole way with all natural pro. The start was definitely "heads-up" but not technically difficult. Yet another awesome pitch at a crag stacked with them. Jun 28, 2009
Monica Jones
Bishop, CA
 
[Hide Comment] Amazing! I loved this route. It was long, took great gear, had lots of rests, and climbed like a dream. One of my favorites for sure. May 30, 2011
Robbie Brown
the road
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Just sooo sooo good! Sep 6, 2013
Chris Kalman
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Great route. Not sure of the PG-13 rating... The start is in your face (I would say 11-, not 10+), but the gear is plentiful and good. I guess with an inattentive belay you could land on the boulder at the start? Nov 5, 2019
JJ Schlick
Flagstaff, AZ
  5.11c PG13
[Hide Comment] That’s the idea Chris. There have been some really close calls over the years, usually as a result of inattentive belaying. Nov 8, 2019
Thomas Claiborne
Flagstaff
 
[Hide Comment] Start protects quite well actually -- just have an attentive belay and it takes the PG-13 out of it. I would actually recommend a #2 for the start after the thinner business. You could probably nix the 3rd, #1 and add the #2.

Medium nuts would protect the final 40ft very well, but it's pretty pumpy to place. I elected for cams and felt fine with that.

Amazing, amazing route. Great route for fitness. No real choss on this one. Nov 3, 2021