Wheat Thick
5.11b trad · 100 ft · ★★☆☆
Route 6 of 30 from left to right on Willow Springs South, with High and Dry on its left and The Abdominizer on its right. Willow Springs South has 30 routes, from 5.5 to 5.11b; this is the hardest.
First ascent: Paul Van Betten & Sal Mamusia - 1988
Description
Climb a short arete past two bolts (stick clip the first one!) to gain the namesake flake. Climb the flake with difficulty, passing another bolt and optional gear placements, and execute a big move (crux). Clip a final bolt, move right, and follow jugs and sparse pro to the top of the wall. The anchor is a slung tree set way back from the wall which might make top-roping problematic.
Location
Go to Nadia's Nine. Scramble up a very bushy gully to the right of Nadia's Nine to gain access to a higher wall. There are two routes on this wall - Wheat Thick is on the right.
Protection
A set of cams from small to #2 Camalot. A #4 Camalot is very useful. No stoppers or RP's required.
Access
The 13-mile Scenic Drive requires a timed-entry reservation October to May and has seasonal gate hours. Calico Basin and Kraft Mountain sit outside the Scenic Drive and need no reservation.
Wet rock: Aztec sandstone loses much of its strength when wet. Do not climb for at least 24 to 48 hours after rain or snowmelt, or holds break off and routes are permanently damaged.
More routes on Willow Springs South
- Headless Chocolate Bunny 5.6
- Chocolate Tranquility Fountain 5.7
- Pillar Talk 5.7+
- Fun And Games 5.8
- The Abdominizer 5.11
- New Hips Corner 5.5
- Nadia's Nine 5.10a
- Lucky Charms 5.7
- Geezer's Face 5.7+
- Beyond and Above 5.9
- Honey Combs 5.5
- Cereal Killer 5.7
- Count Chocula 5.8
- Hawk Eye 5.5
- Taking Care of Business 5.9+ R
- N'Plus Ultra 5.10
- Fruit Loops 5.6
- Above and Beyond 5.9
- New Hips Face 5.8+
- Double Pin-etration 5.7+
- Senior Moment 5.6
- Gimpy Arete 5.8
- Above, Above and Beyond 5.9
- Sleeper 5.9
- Little Black Book 5.5
- Chutes and Ladders 5.5
- High and Dry 5.6
- Unknown 5.7+ R
- Well and Good 5.5