Northwest Branch video

I was really excited yesterday to hear that Shawn Seifert had finally finished editing a bunch of he's been shooting at Northwest Branch, and even more excited once I saw how well it turned out!  Unquestionably the most comprehensive video documentation of the area to date.  Click here to check it out.  Problems on the video are:

Right Hand of Thor
Unknown problem by Secret Garden
Gabor's Vee-Six
Crimptastic Sit
Unknown problem on Long Wall
River Dyno
Doom
Unnamed?
Bloody Buddy
Unknown problem left of River Dyno
Anklebiter
Anklebiter Left (I think actually Ankle Biter Further Left)
The Feature
Crimptastic Variation
Mikey Likes It
Secret Garden
Suspended Disbelief


Thanks Shawn!

Northwest Branch- The Cracks

On the south side of the river at Northwest Branch, roughly opposite the Chaos Roof area, is a cluster of boulders that gets a bit less attention than the main boulders on the north side.  One of these, known as The Cracks (not to be confused with Crack Line), is tall enough to blur the distinction between highball bouldering and free-soloing.  With rocks at the base and the large pipeline just past those, and a few holds that may not be as solid as you would like, a rope would be well-advised here.  Even if you're going to boulder it, rapping down with a brush wouldn't be a horrible idea.  I went out a few days ago, and was completely covered in dirt, moss, and lichen by the time I finished scrubbing the holds.

To get there, walk back to Route 29 from the parking lot, cross the river via the sidewalk, and hop over the guard rail to access the dirt trail.  Walk a few minutes downriver on the dirt trail until you see a large boulder by the exposed pipeline.  Here's what you're looking for:

The "established" routes on this are basically the cracks.  The lefthand route is pretty obvious, but the righthand one is a little harder to locate.

1.  Dirty Crack (5.7):  Climb roughly along the lefthand crack.  If you happen to use holds in the cracks to the right, whatever.  Done as a bouldering problem, this has been listed as Crack Solo (V1).

2.  All My Heroes Are Heroin Junkies (5.10a):  Haven't done this one yet, but I think it follows the thin crack that starts a few feet right of Dirty Crack, rather than the one that branches directly off it.  There are a few crack lines here, so find something that looks 5.10a.  Or just climb whatever looks good at the time.

There's also supposedly a 5.10d crack on the right side, but I have a feeling this is the same as the 5.10a crack with a different opinion of the rating.  Anyone know?

Arm deep in Dirty Crack.  Still frame from video by Mark 'Indy' Kochte

Northwest Branch- Roof Area

The Roof Area at Northwest Branch is located almost directly across the river from the main parking lot (see map).  It has several good lines on the three main boulders, though landings can be a bit dangerous so pads and spotters are highly recommended.

Norhwest Branch- Chaos Roof Upstream Slab

The Upstream Slab section of Chaos Roof at Northwest Branch has a nice variety of difficulty levels, with decent topouts, an easy descent back to the trail, and a flat dirt landing area.  To reach this area, walk down the trail past Tulip, Uphill Slab, and Crack Line boulders, and the Chaos Roof boulder will be on your right shortly afterward on your right (see map).  The Upstream Slab is the face you'll see as you approach. 

Chaos Roof Upstream Slab (explanation of number symbols here)

1.  Damn Tree (V3):  Start matched on a sidepull in front of the tree, then move up through the vertical crack to top out.

2.  Center Face (V3):  Starting on a small crimp and a tiered hold, move through a small undercling rail and top out straight up.  A good problem for those with tiny fingers.

2a.  Genetic (V6):  Same as Center Face, but the right hand gaston is off.  Again, small fingers are a plus.

3.  Don't Fall Right (V0):  Start on opposing undercling sidepulls at the right end of the flat area, and climb straight up.  Looking at the drop to the right, the reason for the name should be pretty obvious.  Also, the flake sounds a little hollow, so I wouldn't recommend pulling too hard.  Otherwise, a decent problem for newer climbers.

3a.  Go Left (V0):  Start same as Don't Fall Right, but when you get to the small horizontal cracks traverse left without using the lip until you reach the vertical crack on Damn Tree.  Follow the broken line on the picture above.

Northwest Branch- Bloody Buddy

Scared of heights?  If so, Bloody Buddy at Northwest Branch may be just the boulder for you!  To reach it, head down to the Chaos Roof Downstream Slab area, then look for Bloody Buddy just a few feet downstream (see map).  It's a long, low boulder with pretty decent landings, though I did still manage to bruise my heel once when I took a 1 foot fall onto a pointy rock. 

Bloody Buddy boulder (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- Pyramid and Anklebiter boulders

The Pyramid Area at Northwest Branch can be a little confusing to navigate, but has a few boulders worth checking out.  After walking down the trail past the Tulip area (see map), you'll see a jumble of boulders between Uphill Slab and the river.  One of the first you'll find, just downhill from the trail and partially hidden by other rocks, is the Pyramid boulder.  While the problems on this are relatively moderate, this is another boulder I probably wouldn't touch without a pad and spotter.

Pyramid boulder (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- Chaos Roof

One of the most impressive, and intimidating, areas at  Northwest Branch is Chaos Roof.  To reach this area, walk down the trail past Tulip, Uphill Slab, and Crack Line boulders, and the Chaos Roof boulder will be on your right shortly afterward on your right (map).  You can't miss the big roof jutting out toward the river.  While I feel comfortable bouldering in many areas of NWB with one pad and no spotters, this is NOT one of them!!!  Bring your friends, pad it up, and enjoy.

Still waiting for the snow to clear long enough to get decent photos of this area, so I've used an older one for now.

Chaos Roof (explanation of number symbols here)

1.  Chaos Roof (V9):  Starting on a pinch under the overhang, work out the left arete using crimps and heel hooks until making a big move to the starting jug of The Edge of Chaos.  Finish straight up using the arete.

1a.  Full Chaos Roof (V9/10):  Starts two moves further into the roof.

2.  Ultimate Doom (V10):  Starts same as Chaos Roof, but moves right under the overhang to the start holds of Doom, and finishes up the jugs on the lip.

2a.  Ultimate Direct (V11):  Same as Ultimate Doom, but after reaching the start holds of Doom, finish straight up and right without using the juggy flake.

2b.  Ultimately Doomed Snowflakes (project): Follow Ultimate Direct to the face, then traverse right to finish on Snowflake.

3.  The Edge of Chaos (V3):  Jump to the jug and finish straight up using the arete.  If you can't jump, there's no shame in stacking pads to reach the start!

Northwest Branch- Gumdrop and Floating Pyramid Boulders

Two of the easier boulders at Northwest Branch are the Gumdrop and Floating Pyramid boulders.  As you walk down the trail (map), you'll pass the Crack Line boulder on the left, and see the Gumdrop boulders on the left shortly afterward.

Gumdrop Boulders (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- The Tick

The Tick at Northwest Branch is another good area for the solo boulderer.  The landings are flat, and all of the problems are low enough that falls aren't bad in any case.

From the parking lot, walk down the trail until you've passed Chaos Roof and the Trailside boulder, then go down to the river.  Look for a place to cross just above the falls and make your way to the flat rock at the base of the Tick (map).  Can't miss it right now with the spraypaint!

Tick Boulder (explanation of number symbols here )

Northwest Branch- Chaos Roof Downstream Slab

With its relatively flat landings and some great traverses, the Downstream Slab in the Chaos Roof area of Northwest Branch is one of my favorite places to go when I'm out bouldering by myself.  From the parking lot, walk past Tulip, Uphill Slab, and Crack Line boulders, and the Chaos Roof boulder will be on your right shortly afterward (map).  There are several problems on the downstream side, so I'll show them on two pictures to reduce confusion.

Downstream Slab (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- Tulip area

When walking down the Northwest Branch trail from the parking lot, one of the first boulders you'll come to is the Tulip boulder (map).  This is a great spot for beginners, and has some harder climbs as well.  The "Warm Up Problem" section of the boulder is particularly good for practicing beginning footwork, especially with a small shallow crack near the top that allows an easy toe jam.  Admittedly, I've had trouble matching up some of the problem descriptions to the holds on the rock, so I've just made up several problems for my own enjoyment.  In the photos below I've just highlighted the approximate starting areas of the established problems that I'm unsure about, rather than attempting to guess where they go for sure.  If anyone knows and wants to show me, I'll happily update this with more detail.

The first two photos show Tulip boulder itself, and the other two show the nearby Tennies Mantle boulder.  The best downclimb, at least in my opinion, is between the two boulders.  Note: the water level is currently pretty high, making the first 4 problems a bit riskier at the moment.

Northwest Branch- Uphill Slab

The Uphill Slab at Northwest Branch is located on the left side of the trail shortly after passing the Tulip boulder (map).  This area has four established problems, including one of the best warmups and one of the hardest lines at NWB.  Pads and a spotter are a good idea for the first three problems.

Uphill Slab (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- Trailside (a.k.a. Riverside) boulder

Just uphill from Chaos Roof at Northwest Branch is the Trailside boulder (map).  Most of the problems on this boulder are characterized by difficult core-intensive first move, followed by a bit of a gimme finish.  With a flat landing, it's another place I feel comfortable bouldering by myself, so it tends to be part of my regular circuit.  Since all of the intersecting problems can get a bit confusing, I've marked the numbers at both the beginning and end of each:

Trailside Boulder (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- 495 boulders

While many people have heard about Long Wall at Northwest Branch and wondered where it was, most people I talk to don't even realize that there are any boulders further down river from there.  Well there are!  Keep walking until you're close to the I-495 overpass, and you'll find another small collection of boulders.  Although most are too small to really be worth climbing, there are two before the overpass that I like to climb, and one further down that I'll address in a future post.

I haven't been able to find any references to established problems on these boulders, so I've just marked the things that I do when I'm down there.  But hey, it's not like there's any neon tape telling you where to go, so do your thing and have fun.

For the first boulder, start looking across the river as you approach the overpass.

 (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- Crack Line Boulder

While the Crack Line boulder isn't the first one you come to on the trail from the parking lot, it's the first one I remember getting on at Northwest Branch.  Walk past the Tulip Boulder from the parking lot, and shortly after you'll see Crack Line up the hill on the left.  Click here for a handy map.

Crack Line Boulder (explanation of number symbols here)

Northwest Branch- So you want to find Long Wall...

"Where the heck is Long Wall?"

This is a question that many climbers at Northwest Branch, even some with plenty of experience there, have found themselves asking.  I think I was climbing there for two years before I figured it out.  Long Wall, Easter Egg Boulder, and a couple other nearby boulders, have 13 climbs listed on rockclimbing.com, but no information about the approach.  To remedy that problem, I now offer the official step-by-step guide to finding Long Wall: