The opening moves set the tempo for this exposed and sustained classic. The crux is through the bottom moves but does not jump out at you as a crux at any time. It is pretty sustained, balancy, and thin climbing from the get go. You have to move like a serpent would in S shapes and have good footwork. Very interesting and a must do, but not on a wet day.

Lichening The Serpent

Luna Lumina

Airbus

Diablo Standard

La Naris

Solar Eclipse

You're Scaring the Horses

Goodnight Moon

Soul Sacrifice

From the belay/rappel anchor start up the arete, work your way over the roof and fire for the chains.

This is the burly wide hands crack in the right-facing corner just right of La Naris.  (I'll only describe the 2nd pitch here... the original first pitch apparently sucked before it was thankfully cleaned and basically replaced by the line Start the Machine, described on its own page in the Runway section.)Approach by climbing either of the Runway routes Start the Machine or Mocos Locos or Boarding Pass and keep going above their anchor to gain blocky terrain and set a belay below the corner on ledges that are big enough to feel comfortable on.  The Mocos Locos anchor is a little bit higher up, so my gut feeling is to recommend that (but it is rated a little harder than Start the Machine).  There's an old fixed line/hand-line above the anchors.  Other Runway ciimbs might also work.  Or rap in, which is what I did.The first half of the pitch is not steep nor hard but kind of dirty; the 2nd half is clean.  Expect hard wide hands and fists in a flare/slot in the back of the big dihedral.  Due to the flare, it climbs more like an OW than a hands crack, at least at what I felt was the crux.  Anchor off trees set back on the mesa, or build a belay on the ledge 6' below the rim and dfu getting out.  Walk off (left); the La Naris anchor is too far below the rim to be reached to rappel from.

La Naris is an extension/second pitch to Mocos Locos. Climb Mocos Locos and work your way up to the base of La Naris. Pull very steep moves off the block and right of the arete, then steep juggy climbing around to the left side of the arete. Once on the left side of the arete climb straight up the arete, right hand on it (out left on the face looks tempting but seemed to dead end). As the angle lessens make moves out left then back to the arete and around it onto the right side and up a shallow corner to the anchor.

A beautiful splitter crack throught the middle of the Observatory Ledge.  The whole gamut of climbing styles from tricky face to finger and hands to tips through the crux.  Finish left at the top.  For the harder "Lunar Eclipse" finish variation(10d), finish right. 

  Lots of lichen on the rock off the belay but improves as you ascend.  Makes for beautiful rock!

You're Scaring the Horses is a second pitch Ergo and ascends the arete above and to the right of Ergo. Move the belay from the top of Ergo up two bolts to another set of anchors at the base of the arete to make the route 100ft, allowing the leader to be safely lowered using a 200ft rope. Classic arete climbing on beautiful rock with increasing exposure and difficulty culminating with ~20ft of sustained 11+/12- moves near the top. Rick Smith convinced a group that was testing their guns in the canyon below that they were scaring our horses on the mesa top when the route was being established. They said "sorry" and left.

This is the super fine line from Observatory Ledge that follows a crack until it disappears into a face-climbing finish.  Great hands and fingers climbing, place a few small but obvious and bomber pieces, then game on!!!!

The Observatory Wall is the tier of rock above the Runway, on Early Wall. North-facing and shaded (good in summer). Reach these climbs by climbing the Runway (Lower Tier) routes below them, usually continuing past the anchors through a blocky section to a higher belay at the base of the Observatory Wall routes. Due to loose rocks, you can't easily/safely traverse very far along the base of the upper tier.  

  To descend, some climbs may require a 70m rope, 2nd rope, or shenanigans, or walk off to the left. Check the route descriptions to see the best approach pitches, and to see if you'll want a 2nd rope.  

  It's worth it, the rock quality and views are great.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Observatory Wall (Upper Tier)