Serenity Now is a great route to get on when folks are waiting in line for the "classic" 5.7s at the Meadows. You can normally get on this route on a busy day, and I'd say it's one of the best routes of the grade close to the parking lot.  

  You start up the same slab as Apocalypse Later (5.11c), but head left around the corner into the wet gully. Without wetting your feet, climb up on to the right hand wall of the gully and follow the bolts to the quick clips. The crux is on the upper part of the climb and is done in a few different ways, all of which give you your money's worth for the grade. Kinda tricky.  

  When lowering, keep the rope moving because the rope tends to run over some kinda sharp rock.

Serenity Now

Captain Fingers

An Elephant Never Forgets

Bad Seed

Good Earth

Supreme Onion Sacrifice

Kate's Arete

Corporal Punishment

They Come and They Go

Apocalypse Later

The far left route at the wall, just left of the left gully, Supreme Onion goes up the slightly over hanging often wet wall. There are a few tricky moves at about 2/3 of the way up the route, as the route heads right before going straight up to the top. A good rest can be gained near the crux.  

  People who don't figure out the beta say the route sucks. Those who figure it out say it's fun. Which one are you? 

  The only down side to this one in my mind is the wetness. Bummer.

Another awesome 5.11c not quite as perfect as its neighbor of the same grade, Apocalypse Later, but still not to be missed. "Holy crimpers" this thing will make you work your fingers (hence the name). The hardest moves are at the bottom, and it's just a matter of not pumping out your crimp muscles as pretty much every hold is crimpy. There is however a creative rest toward the top that will put the route in the bag for you, find it and love it.

I thought I should post this climb although it has not been technically led. I soloed it on a top rope with harness rope knots and an ascender. Complicated to explain, a climbing workout to get up on 2 top ropes. The tree became involved as an anchor and posture to make drilling easier. Anyway the bolts are close together except for the first one is way out of reach. You'll need to climb 'They Come and They Go' to clip the first bolt. Then go back to the ground to start up it wary all of the time a short pendulum towards the off width would hurt.    The rock is weak and not torquing it much will preserve the hand and foot holds lowest on the wall. After that scenario, rest or go up and pass over a small overlap.  The overlap top is where the complexity of choices begins at the third bolt. The climb can  be done left or right? At this bolt energy can be wasted away and I think it can be done both ways. It can be very difficult left or possibly not difficult right depending on how you approach it to what you do best. Hint, How would you approach an Elephant? Right on or take a left. The bolt is up and left. Going right, means going higher up than the bolt and not clipping it down left of you. Trad gear up in the off width higher than the second and third bolt is recommeneded. No room fors screw ups on this climb. Left is excellent rock and there's something of nothing to hold onto. Going up and left is not for me anymore, It looks radical and safer than going right. No way I can do the up and left way. I'll try to lead it right. I might get up the left side on a top rope?

Bad Seed was originally rated 5.12a, but due to some unplanned hold exfoliation, it is now considered to be 5.12d. Climb the crimpy face to a low crux- a big move off an undercling of questionable size. Finesse, slope and undercling your way up for a few more moves and punch it to the chains. 

  Holds break off this thing like the plague...the beta changes faster than a runway model. In any case, get the tendons working and have at it!

Crux is protected by the 3 hanging draws. Shares the start with Bad Seed but stays right. Shouldery moves with two decent rests followed by a hideously sharp finish when clipping the anchors

This is a great first lead for some one just learning the mechanics of sport climbing with comfortable stances to clip from and an opportunity to learn how to run the rope through the anchor to retrieve your draws. The route follows a series of steps up the arete to a few face moves at the top.  

  Great beginner fun. May be wet sometimes.

Corporal Punishment is steep and crimpy like the other routes at the crag, but not as memorable as the other 5.11's there in my humble opinion. It's definitely worth climbing; just make sure your fingers are all warmed up, because it is crimptastic.  

  Start from a ledge right of Captain Fingers and climb crimps that are pretty good to a crux just before the chains.

Climb right side of off width by a tricky move up right that's not actually in the off width crack. After mounting ledge move further right to head back left to off width to do another tricky move to gain decent foot ledges. Above this is a small oak tree in the off width dirt now. Standing on the outside edges move up and clip tree. Go left onto knobby face and run it out to a bolt (5.4). At bolt moving left carefully on blocks is easiest way up here and awkward. Climb has gotten very lichen dirty now, move right up past bolt to small diagonal downward facing corner to move up to reach a 2 bolt belay. Climb filthy rock for 70ft with 2 protection anchors (5.2) to trees and rappel back to the bolt belay. Nice view and a very large, very dirty slab. There are fragrant ferns in this area that can be easily avoided.

What a great climb. I can't get on it enough. If you are looking for a project at this grade or just looking to warm up before a day of hard projecting, this is a must do.  

  The route climbs the 45 degree overhang with killer huecos, then breaks right on to the vertical crimp fest.    

  Start up the short slab and on to the steep inverted hueco covered face. Move quickly and fight the pump, because you need to make a move to the right to gain a crimpy face and it can be a pumpy experience if you wear out your arms on the first section. On the top section, sequence is important so plan ahead.

Just left and slightly up hill from The Meadows is a small crag made up of three mini walls and in the middle is one of Rumney's finest 5.11s (Apocalypse Later 5.11c). This area contains sport routes from 5.4 (Kate's Arete) to 5.12d (Bad Seed). It shares many of the qualities of the Meadows, being shaded in the summer, and having the same rock quality since it is part of the same band of rock. The big difference is that it is much steeper than its close neighbor making the routes a bit harder. This area is the place to go for 5.11's if you don't like to hike.   

  I personally like that it is close to the parking lot but doesn't seem to get the traffic that the Meadows gets. So if I'm doing a quick session on a busy day I can run over to Apocalypse, warm up on Serenity Now (5.7) then run up some quality harder routes and be back in time for tea.  

  The left most side of the cliff is usually wet so I suggest a rope bag or tarp.  

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Apocalypse Walls