Geowatt, 5.7-5.10c

Overview/Approach

There are no overly impressive routes on Geowatt and most are bolted.  Rather it is a good crag to combine with much better climbing on nearby Lion’s Head for a full day of climbing.  Both of these walls are west facing and run parallel to each other, just meters apart.  Eviction Crag features better routes (particularly Eviction, 5.10c***) than either of these walls and is normally the attraction to this general area of North Creek at the City.  I have climbed on all three features in a single day, offering easy access on mostly bolted routes void of the boom boxes, crying babies, Mormon hipsters and dogs than the main area at the City. 

Carolyn in the City, 5.8** and Low Voltage Left and Right, 5.7*’s are all relatively secure solo’s via bucket holds making them soft for the grade relative to most climbing destinations.  They are the first three routes you come to with decent morning to mid afternoon shade and solid rock.  Further right on a different feature, more of a pillar, is Never Leave Home  Without It, 5.9*, which although short, offers a fun and steep bolted climb at the grade to its own fixed rap. It is the lone route in the middle of the wall essentially.  At the right end, turning an arete, is Continental Drift, 5.9**, Geowatt Left, 5.10a** (the arete itself) and Geowatt Right, 5.10c* (south end).  None of these routes are anything spectacular except to say that Geowatt Right is relatively sandbagged for the grade.  The other two routes at this end are quite soft in comparison.  Geowatt Right has bad hardware and the crux is off the deck.  As alluded to eariler, Eviction Crag and Lion’s Head both feature better climbing overall.

Park at the Circle Creek trailhead and follow the road west through the gate.  You come to another gate with a fence line taking off north from the gate. Follow this fence line via a narrow trail past Eviction Crag on the left and up to where it intersects an east-west trail.  Head west on this trail and Geowatt will be the first formation on your left (well signed in 2019).  Head south on Geowatt's trail and trend right to reach the west face of Lion’s Head which is just west of Geowatt.  All the routes for Geowatt are on its west face.

Routes Listed Left to Right on this West Facing Wall

Carolyn in the City- 50’-5.8**/ Soft for the grade.  Climb the bolted arete to the left of the obvious chimney at this left end of the formation (west facing wall).  There is an opportunity for several pieces of medium gear to supplement the bolts.  A secure solo by my standards.  Fixed rap or can downclimb the chimney on the right (5^th class).  Dow

Low Voltage Left- 50’-5.7*/ Secure solo.  Fully bolted.  Typical easy City 5.7 jug climbing on really good rock to a shared fixed rap with Low Voltage Right.  Climbs out of the base of the chimney on the right side.  Descend the chimney if soloing, 5^th class.  Dow

Low Voltage Right- 70’-5.7*/ Secure solo.  Fully bolted.  Same as the Left variation except starting 20’ lower (guide has the length wrong).  They both finish on the same bolt or two to a fixed rap.  Dow

Never Leave Home Without It- 30’-5.9*/ Fun route for the grade on stellar rock, but even shorter than what the guide suggests.  Fully bolted on a pillar in the middle of the formation.  Lone route to tag between the left end routes and the right end routes which are both grouped together.  Fixed rap.  Dow

Continental Drift- 40’-5.9**/ Not sure about the two-star recommendation?  Fully bolted left side arete via huge jugs to one finishing move, a reachy crimp at the grade.  Fixed rap.  Dow

Geowatt Left- 50’-5.10a**/ Opportunity to supplement the bolts with a piece of gear or two.  Right side arete.  Nothing really at the grade but more of a solid 5.9 lead.  Turn the arete out right to finish up Geowatt Right.  Dow

Geowatt Right- 40’-5.10c*/ The only real sandbagged 5.10+ I have found in the City of Rocks.  Perhaps some of the “potato chip flakes” have gone missing, but this is a serious bolted route off the deck. Layback a leaning finger dike out right and either make a desperate dyno move up to sloped fingers or use delicate foot work on the overhanging minute edges out left.  After the 2^nd clip, you are safer to make a fun dyno to a more positive hold.  Then finish below the grade to the top.  Both sandbagged and vaguely bolted by City of Rock standards.  Dow