Plumb Line Walls, 5.9-5.12a

Overview/Approach

The local guide (only current published guide available as of 2019) is the worst guide of any I have ever used.  Some areas get more abused than others in terms of missing routes, bad topos, etc., and Plumb Line Walls and the Citadel are two areas not covered well in the guide.  Several good routes are completely missing from the book and some routes/topos are completely wrong (i.e. Heads of the Valley on the Citadel).  Of this group of features located east of Vedauwoo Road, Plumb Line Walls is my favorite destination/collection of good trad climbs.

Two of Plumb Line Walls best moderates that are missing from the guide are Breez, 5.9+***, and Someday Kids This Will Be Yours, 5.10***.  Both are stellar off-width climbs.  The namesake for this formation, Plumb Line, 5.9***, is one of the purest steep hand cracks in the park, but is short (30’).  It is a great crack to teach on because sport climbers have to embrace the jams with few other features to be had.  Breez offers all kinds of variety, stemming, hands and OW.  Someday Kids is a pure wide corner that protects with a C4#6’s despite MP.com leading you to believe that you need larger gear.  You just need to sink them.  There is a lot going on regarding such a small formation.  The rock is aesthetic in both color and texture.

Take 700L east off of Vedauwoo Road and park at the dead end.  Go through a gate and follow the trail on the left side across a creek and follow the creek/fence line east.  Mechanical Transmission Crag shows up on the left first and sort of looks similar to Plumb Line.  Keep on the trail until you reach Citadel, a large formation right in front of you and close to the fence.  Head up the hill on the left and before Citadel via a discrete climber’s trail that leads to the reddish towers that make up Plumb Line Walls.  Plumb Line, the route itself, is south facing on the lower level, an obvious hand splitter.  Breez is essentially stacked on top of it, so bring the 2^nd up and continue up Breez.  You can rap Someday Kids off the summit by meandering northwest at the top and locating an older fixed rap down into a cave like alcove, pull the rope and you are ready to lead the OW corner that is Someday Kids.  When done, just circumvent back southwest and rap Plumb Line back to your packs.  There are plenty of other routes, but following this path and sequence gets you access to the better ones.

Lower Tier, Left to Right, South Facing Wall

Big Pink- 5.11b****/

Plumb Line- 30’-5.9***/ Gets a recommendation in the guide despite being so short because it is such a pure hand splitter.  Slightly overhanging hand crack on the lower level.  The crux is the steep start and finish.  Good hands the whole way.  Medium pieces to fixed anchor.   Dow 

Upper Tier, Left to Right, South Facing Wall

Damage Done- 5.10+/

Breez- 50’-5.9+***/ Not listed in the local guide, but one of the better routes on the formation for sure.  Climb Plumb Line, 5.9***, and then walk up to the obvious lower chimney that pulls out and over via hands to an off width-squeeze finish.  The OW to Squeeze is best climbed via a left chicken wing and left heal and toe.  Good clean and varied route.   Single from #1 to #4 and a #6 adds you a few more feet of pro before it widens.  Medium gear belay.  Can rap Someday Kids, This Will Be Yours, 5.10, behind and to the left.  Takes an exposed scramble move to reach the rap.  Rap Someday Kids and walk back to the front of the wall and rap Plumb Line to return to start.  Dow

The Spins- 5.11b*/

Silver Dollar- 5.10c*/

Lady’s Night- 5.10c*/

Arete- 5.12a**/

Closing Time- 5.10c/

June Bride- 5.12a**/

North Side of Plumb Line Walls, West End

Someday Kids This Will be Yours- 35’-5.10***/ A fun OW climb in a cool setting.  Around the left back side of the formation is a corridor.  Hike into it and climb the obvious wide corner, mostly #6.  A pair of #6’s would do the competent OW leader.  I turned around at least once, maybe twice.  There are quite a few helpful face features in the crack and to the outside.  Mostly arm bar, heal-toe with features.  MP.com talks about a #6 being too small for the final 15’, but it isn’t.  Fixed rap.  Supposedly this route has been featured in Alpinist.  Dow