I named the route slithering skink because I saw a blue-tailed skink the day I sent it and the route wanders a lot.  This route has three cruxes. The first is transferring from the right ledge into the right facing corner. The second is a high step long reach left of the corner through the horizontal cracks. The third is moving up the corner from the nice rest ledge. The easiest way is to match the left gaston with a right side pull and stand straight up to grab a nice hold on the ledge.There are a lot of ways to do this route, the easiest is around 10c.

Slithering Skink

The Stasis Chamber

John Henry's Hammer

Honey Comb Traverse

Rain Shadow

The Scorpion Hitchhikers Toilet Bowl Odyssey

Kim Chi Corner

Wildlings

A million dollars of good

Community

Lazarus

The Death of Koschei the Deathless

My Secret Garden

Ovulation Send-sation

Sword and Shield

Criss Cross Applesauce

Anaphylactic Shock

Linkup John to Snug

The Vine (Open Project)

Castle Black

Chimeras

A Garden Called Peace

Babaganoush

Vandals in the Graveyard

Stop once to wipe the sweat away

Hive

Nest

Don't Forget the Nooch

Honeycomb (Closed Project)

Butterfly Effect

The Littlest Birds

The Feather of Finist the Falcon

I will let you down

Cutting Crack

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum

Daring to Fly

Scorpion Revenge

Snug as a Snail

Tabouli

Heirloom Project

Fertile Crescent

Yggdrasil

Ladybug

My Empire of Dirt

Blackberry Jam

Baba Yaga

The Seraphim Nachash

Fight Club (Round Two)

I fell for you like a child

Climb the steep prow past four bolts then meander right to join the top of Slithering Skink. Strong moves on steep rock and technical wizardry are required.

This route starts on the right side of the Scorpion's Revenge pillar, heads right up the crack system, then steps left and up the little corner. The crux is the sloper moves in the move left, though the top out is quite technical to get high enough to get to the good hold. This route has been heavily cleaned. I worked hard to make sure that dirt won't seep down it in the rain but it will take a while to get all of the dust and grit off of the top. Expect dust and bring a brush. This route was originally put up on gear but has since been bolted. It didn't get enough traffic to stay clean.

This starts on Criss Cross but traverses way right to the right facing corner. Then go right and finish on the anchors of My Empire of Dirt. Currently fixed most of the way with permadraws.

This route is just left of Wildlings. It starts on the ledge above the staircase that drops down underneath of the huge roof. The route starts making big moves between huge holds on the overhanging choss. Then follow the seam straight up and reach out to the anchors under the roof.  There is a bolted extension that continues out of the roof to the right but it is way beyond my ability. Feel free to give it a go.

After I climbed this route my wife told me about the discover and disposal of a scorpion that was climbing on the towel in the bathroom. I imagine it rode all the way home in the cuff of my pants. The scorpions in the area are not really toxic, 1 out of 5, and seldom sting. This is the line left of the tight corner, as of right now it is the second climb you come to. It starts under the small roof and goes up the left facing crescent feature. The crux is at the third bolt which is best clipped from the jug above and left of the bolt. The bolt just below the ledge is a tough clip from the jugs but not too bad from the holds under it. I intend to move the first bolt left because stick clipping it sets up the potential for a pendulum fall into the roof.

Several technical cruxes in the lower part of this climb. The climbing eases at the midway with a few mantle moves higher up and some mellow slab to finish.

Starts up the middle of the flake then walk left across the top of the flake to just left of the open book and weave your way up and slightly right. There is an alternative start to the left as different sides are randomly wet.

Starts in the cave like feature under learning to fly. Getting off the ground is a bit awkward, bit tricky finding the holds to get onto the ramp and then a bit tricky to get off of it.

This route is a link up of the bottom of Stasis Chamber into the top of Wildlings. After grabbing the lip of the large ledge on Stasis Chamber clip a bolt just left of the small vertical crack and traverse left to finish on Wildlings. While this route has the same crux as Stasis Chamber it skips the rest on the ledge and adds about 15' of 5.11 climbing, making redpoints distinctly harder.

This route is a bit unfortunate. It starts with a V2/3 boulder move to a jug. Which is then followed by some very easy climbing. The anchor for this route can be easily accessed via The Feather of Finist the Falcon. It is nice to have a brush on this route as it gets dirt dropping on it from above.

This route starts on the huge sloper with tiny feet just right of Nest and under the blocky roof. Move up and right to some jugs then up to the undercling roof crack. The route was bolted to move left into the corner, which is quite technical, but has been sent going straight up the roof, which is quite powerful.

Bouldery start to a ledge, use small holds to a side pull out right and then up to a pocket. Move up and left to join Fertile Crescent for the last two bolts to the anchor.  

  Tricky footwork and powerful moves makes this route lots of fun.

Furthest right route. Currently a closed project. I put in two bolts without getting on it many times and they may need to be moved. Above the roof the holds peter out and the climbing gets hard

Funky moves to get off the ground. Pumpy traverse and then strait up for a cryptic crux. After that, it is almost all fun jugs to the top.The fourth bolt may need to be skipped to send the crux sequence but can be used to work the moves.

This is the crack climb in the alcove with three bolts in the top half. This spring it has been the home to several hundred wasps that seem to have gone away. It takes a .75 and a .3 C4 for the crack, blue TCU is also nice. Three draws for the bolts and two more for the anchors. Rap rings to get down. 

  The crux is clipping the anchors off of a crimp.

This is a bit convoluted but avoids all of the most difficult bits on several routes. Start on the right side of the pillar as for John Henry's Hammer. Then move out left below the crimpers making a long left reach to a jug to get onto Snug as a Snail and follow it to the top. This move left is the crux though the climbing higher up is a bit tricky as well.

I bolted this line to dry tool when it is rainy. I have not climbed it cleanly as a mixed line yet because it hasn't been rainy. I tried briefly to rock climb it. The bottom is very hard.

Charge up the easy finger crack to the ledge and lay siege to the steep corner above. Cool stem moves on good rock lead to a powerful crux requiring a commiting reach. From there gallavant up the crack to a final mantle onto the ledge.

 This section of the cliff seeps heavily and is the last area to dry in the summer. As of July 4 there was only one slimy hold but not really an issue. As with most routes here it's a good idea to bring a brush along, especially if you might be the first one up the route for the season.

Aesthetic and sometimes holdless corner trickery.Stick clip the 2nd bolt. Pull a fun but inconsequential boulder problem out of the hueco, through the low roof, and into the ever-steepening scoop. Now the normal rock climbing is over. Prepare for stemming, bridging, and palming and encounter the baffling crux at the 5th bolt. Take advantage of your flexibility and three-dimensionality to overcome the austere holdlessness. You are now rewarded with holds, starting with a pair of pitiful slopers. The hardest moves follow, clearing the bulge with the feet. This whole crux section is baffling to read, hard to grade, and highly 'morpho' (as euros and boulderers are known to say).But it continues... summon calm. The outro holds several devious sections, each unlocked with some oddly specific wonky houdini trick. Any minutely shaky leg will be promptly met with an ejection from the upper crux. I managed to punt here once. Be sure not to drink too much coffee...Thanks to Jayson for all the great bolting at the garden, and for generously sharing these open projects!

This route laybacks up the large flake feature. Stepping into the corner left of the flake prevents any bad falls near the first bolt. The crux comes between the third and fourth bolts reaching to a jug from a slopey hand then mantling onto a slab. An extension and a route to the left are in the works.

Starts in the right facing corner and pulls through a small roof to an easy crack. The holds through the small roof are a bit gravelly. There are often blackberries in the cracks.

This goes straight up from the start of criss cross. It probably needs another bolt. It can be TR's from the criss cross anchor.  It looked fun until the tombstone got trundled and some holds were cleaned. Now... If anyone wants to add bolts I'm happy to help out.

The route is a bit of a one move wonder that may be height dependent. It starts out very easy on large steps, moves through a short crux, and then up a fun easy slab. The anchors can be reasonably accessed from the route to the right

This is the furthest left bolted route on the platform made with the treated timber 4 by 6. It starts just left of A Garden Called Peace. Make reachy and technical moves upward using the vertical moon shaped edge. Move slightly right of the gully and continue up and left, passing by the Hive. To clip the last bolt on the outside face I go right and make a long reach to clip it then make the fairly easy traverse to the left and around the arette. You could bail out right here to the anchors on nest very easily. After stepping left to the arette, I hug the arette to clip the next bolt with the permadraw then step down move on to the left face to climb the slab to the top. A hidden hold way left (left hand side pull) makes the moves at the bottom of this slab 10c.

This route starts about five feet right of A Garden Called Peace and moves straight up through a series of small roofs with high step mantles. The crux is at the first bolt. 

  Depending on the length of your draws they may hang with the biner over the edges of the roofs, which could put some nasty forces on them if you fell.

This is super cruiser but some of the rock is a bit soft. It will take a little while to clean up. I cleaned it in the hopes that it will be a nice first lead or a pretty chill route for families. 

Very tricky start then goes up an obvious corner.

Technical, powerful climbing on big moves and small holds on a vertical wall, but the real business is after 4th and 5th bolt establishing on to better roof holds.Tricky boulder problem, at least V7.The last 10 feet of climbing after roof can be dirty. 

This is an extension to castle black. Climb Castle Black through the crux then traverse right to the bolt line.  There are several cruxes. The first is getting from the ledge to the arete; then, there are a few others on the way up. Climb up the arete trending right. The anchors are now easy to see as they were extended over the lip with chains.

 With the bolting of Castle Black this route is now g.

This route starts on the platform at the top of the stairs on the left side of the Fairy Tale Wall. It starts in the off width behind the giant block and climbs up on to the ledge then up the obvious weakness. The crux move is finding a few hidden holds that allow pulling on to a second ledge. It is too ledgy to be all that great of a climb but adds a nice easy climb to the cliff.

Super easy slab climbing up the open book that separates the far left side of the cliff. It starts in the middle of the flake with a low and convenient bolt and stays a bit right of the book proper, which is often wet.

This short little trad line holds the distinction of being the easiest line on the wall. It could be punched through the roofs, but we've elected to consider it done where the trad protection ends, and keep it at a easier grade.    This proud line features two (that's right, TWO) hand jams at the start. Otherwise it's mostly face climbing protected by gear.    The anchor currently is the fixed steel draw of the 5.12 to the right, clipped off an undercling under the roof below the draw.

4 bolts to anchors. Easy moves off the ground that need some cleaning lead into trickier slab climbing and some technical moves at the top. I'm hoping to move the last bolt lower and add a bolt above it, add a bolt to clip from the ground, and drastically improve the landing. Just right is a monster block that seems pretty stuck.

This is the 5 star route here and a must do!    Climb up good holds on the right side of the "cave" to a large hold about 30' up. Pull a quick cruxy move, and shake out. Work up to a high clip and then figure the unique crux out, requiring both technique, power and compression. Get a final shake on the jug, and then finish the last pumpy moves to the anchor. A surprisingly sustained route, despite the several good holds and (mostly) vertical terrain.

Route directly to the right of the pod of snug as a snail. Boulder a quick crux (V2ish) off the ground to a ledge, then move up and left on technical and thin moves (another V2ish crux) through the next bolt. Then head up to good holds and a quite dynamic crux getting to a weird "bulb" jug. Then immediately pull the hardest, and last crux (look for a nifty kneebar) to a good hold and easier moves to the top.The grade of this route is still very much up in the air. So give suggestions once you climb it!

Crux move is exiting the pod. Reachy moves higher up that are fun throws to jugs. I had hoped the route would go on mostly gear but I do not like the quality of the placements behind the flakes in the middle and decided to bolt the whole route rather than having just one gear placement.

The crux is probably between the second and third bolt. There are many smearing feet and friction hands. The top out after the third bolt is pretty mellow. The summer of 2019 this route was wet in the mornings but still climbable at the grade.

This is the only completely bolted climb from before the current wave of development. It goes up this super beautiful looking arrete feature that is quite overhung and quite blank looking. I do not think that it has been climbed before because it had single biners on every bolt and a rotten rope hanging from it. You should give it a go.

This is the left line of two routes that start on the left side of the cliff about 30 feet left of the stairs below Criss Cross between the two large trees. The two routes finish on the same anchor at the ledge. The two routes share the same finish. It moves up the crescent-shaped feature via a nice pocket and big undercling and then pulls through the roof at the top. I found the sequence to be very cryptic. The feet to the left of the crescent are tiny. There are several ways to pull through the roof, some are much harder than others. The route finishes on the ledge.  

  There are two more bolts heading up to the top of the cliff. The climbing here is okay but I think there is potential for a hard fall onto the roof feature so I never finished this line. The holds end before the anchors.

This route shares the start with John Henry's Hammer then veers left. There are two cruxes between the third and fourth bolts and between the fourth and fifth bolts. Be mindful of the tree behind you if you take whippers. The finish is a little tricky but goes straight up. It looks possible to cut right and finish as for John Henry's Hammer but I don't think that would make the route any easier. Because I climb John Henry's Hammer just right of the final bolt I didn't use any of the same holds.The tree is particularly vulnerable to erosion. If enough people disrespect the tree by climbing on its roots, it will no longer provide the shade that lets us climb the route all year round.Yggdrasil is the rotting tree that binds the universe together.

The route is short and closely bolted. It may be possible to z-clip. All the bolts prevent bouncing off of the tree right next to the route. Like most of the routes in the area, the route is defined by short sequences that are broken up with really good rests. The middle of the route has a reach to a huge jug that isn't too bad. Moving off of the jug, I used a shallow right hand pinch, a left hand gaston, then a right hand crimp gaston to move my right foot onto the jug. From standing on the jug we used two different ways to pull over the top. I used a jug/side pull that is way out left and is reachy. Or you can palm with the left and smear with the right foot.

My Empire of Dirt starts as for Nachash. At the bottom of the stairs, at the lowest level. Cimb through the lower crux of Nashach. Clip the sixth bolt then head out left through overhanging terrain. The route goes straight up following the bolts from there. It is a long sequence of moves with very marginal rests to a V3/4 boulder move before it eases off. The second to last bolt is tricky to clip and may be moved.

 There is the possibility of linking up to the project to the left, but please don't do that until that project is opened up.

This is the obvious crack between Anaphylactic Shock and Learning to Fly. Follow the crak in the back of the flare up then escape out right and up to the next crack that leads to the anchors. The firs crux comes a few moves into the climb when the crack narrows down. The last crux is the lack of feet on the top crack before the long clip to the anchors.

A short but fun moderate face climb! Use nice side pulls and underclings to move up a less than vertical face, then a slight left on a series of ledges for the finish. Manteling the last ledge may be exciting. 4 bolts and quick clips at the anchor.  

This route starts on the bottom and climbs up to the long ledge. Moves up through the overhanging section of gray rock then out left and up the black rock. The top of the route is equipped with permadraws. The technical crux is between the second and third permadraws (the two long ones) the redpoint crux is much higher. Many of the holds on this route are not obvious and the climbing can be very difficult until they are found.

Cool 5.10 climbing up to the overhang. Work out and up to the start of the steep moves at the 2nd hanging draw, and power through pretty good holds to a large fin jug. Once there, figure out the final technical crux to the anchor! This climb has a large variety of different styles packed into it. Rad route and well worth sending!! 

  FYI: At the start of the overhang is a large block/jug that may move if grabbed wrong. I've tried multiple prybars to get it out, and had no luck, so it's in there good.

Fun slab climbing. Climb up the right edge of the big flake then take a small step right and head straight up the slab. There is a big crystal filled dish just above the flake.

This series of cliffs lies about three hundred feet north on Quartzville Drive from the bouldering area. The cliff is 30 to 70 feet tall and can be seen from Quartzville Drive through a marsh of blackberries just north of the boulders. The cliff consists of three areas separated by gullies: the garden cliff, the fairy tale wall, and the cabbage patch/Johnny Cash's Thunderdome. Most of the established climbs are on the garden cliff, which is the first cliff that you come to.

 Parking: There is a small parking area directly across from the trail. If people park at an angle it can hold six cars. Parallel parking drops it down to three cars.

 Toilet: You'll pass several opportunities to poop as you drive to the cliff, use one of them. Please do not create a new trail to find some privacy for your needs. Do not pee next to the cliff. It overhangs enough that much of it is dry all year long.

 Most of the routes are sport climbs with high first bolts meant to be stick clipped.

 Top roping. Two routes on the Fairy tale wall can be accessed via a 5easy off width. A Garden Called Peace (10a) provides access to top roping several other climbs. John Henry's Hammer (10c/d) provides access to top rope several harder climbs.

 Trails: Please stay on the trails and try to keep all of your stuff in worn areas. Do not step on any vegetation. The developers have worked hard to build sustainable trails that minimally impact the land. There are several zones of flat ground that are nice spaces to hang out in and organize gear in: Scorpions, Fight Club, Slithering, Nachash, the ledge of 5.10s and way out left on Johnny Cash's Thunderdome. Use these spaces and don't create any new ones. Do not use any hammock or damage any trees in any way. The trees make climbing in the summer possible. There is a community set of hedge trimmers and the battle with the blackberries never ends. Please trim the blackberries back from the trail. The clippers have now walked off.

 There is a guidebook that is updated at the cliff in a crack. It comes and goes.

 Routes with ropes hanging on them or red ribbon tied to the first bolt are closed projects. Please respect the closure until the routes are listed here, not all of the closed projects are listed on Mountain Project but all of the open ones are.

 Feel free to contact the route developers via MP.

 The Garden Cliff   This is the first cliff that you come to,  has the majority of climbs, and has the best climbs. Many shady climbs throughout the day.   About one-third of the routes will be dry 24 hours after it has rained in the winter. Several of the climbs are wet well into the summer. The Fairy Tale Wall   The second cliff with only a handful of rather short climbs, but maybe a few more to come. Not much shade. The Cabbage Patch/Johnny Cash's Thunderdome   The third cliff, currently under development with a handful of routes. No shade. Right of the waterfall is the Cabbage Patch, left is Johnny Cash's Thunderdome.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Garden Cliffs