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Elevation: 2,173 ft
GPS: 36.37869, -80.28731
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 34,088 total · 361/month
Shared By: S Tart on Jun 16, 2016 · Updates
Admins: Steve Lineberry, Aaron Parlier

Description Suggest change

The Cookbook is a massive dihedral buttress formation and the largest single feature at Cooks Wall. It consists of two staggering 100'-200' overhanging walls joining together, to form a book-like coliseum feature.

The Cookbook is extremely unique and intimidating and there is a genuinely adventurous spirit about the place. Most routes are 90'-100' tall and in spite of fixed protection the lines feel very bold. As one seasoned climber put it, "There's just something about the headspace in there."

Within the Cookbook are three separate climbing areas:

1) The Emla Area
2) The Warfare Area
3) The Prow

The Emla Area is in the bottom right-hand corner of the Cookbook. It is the first wall you see when approaching and is the only way into the Cookbook.

The Warfare Area is located on the back/upper wall of the Cookbook.

The Prow is in the secluded, far upper left corner of the Cookbook. See 'Prow Area' for details.

The rock at Cooks Wall is much different than that of Moores Wall. Moores has continuous, long sheer vertical cliff lines with impeccable quality. Cooks has more broken up, individualized buttresses of steeper and lower angled rock with variations in rock quality. The Cookbook is primarily hard quartite mixed sporatically with small bands of softer rock, which usually account for one or two moves on any given route. And the beautiful orange and white swirl patterns can be found only in this area.

Getting There Suggest change

Hike the Cooks Wall trail to House Rock. Here the trail takes a 90 degree right turn towards Cooks Wall. Walk 75' further down the main trail to a natural wooden step up in a very flat section of trail and look for a very faint trail leading left into the woods. If the main trail becomes rocky and uphill you have likely gone too far. Follow this faint trail southwest for a few hundred yards, then west until it dips in front of a rocky cliff line. Stay on the trail staying close and parallel to the cliffline past multiple broken sections of rock until a break in the trail goes steeply up and right through a loose rocky trail culminating in a 20' scramble up a few boulders to the Emla area. You have arrived at the 'unmistakable' Cookbook! 

Note: staying too low on the faint trail will lead you past the cookbook and to the devil's chimneys. The map pin for the cookbook is very accurate, so use it if you need!

19 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at The Cookbook

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
More Classic Climbs in The Cookbook »

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