Red Sky at Night climbs the overlooked, thin and improbable, seam and tips crack on a blunt arete between Sail Away and Jolly Roger.  

  Start on Jolly Roger and climb out roof. On sloping ledge step left and climb through a unprotected boulder problem onto face holds and directly into thin seam. Follow the thin seem through a series of technical and powerful moves into beautiful tips to the top. Finish between Sail Away and Jolly Roger.

Red Sky at Night

Rumbleseat

Mutiny on the Bounty

Mayflower Direct

Lacuna

Shittin Bricks

Yardarm

UKD (Unusual Killing Device)

Americans at Arapiles

Shotgun

On The Edge

Crow's Nest

Mayflower

Pilgrims Progress

Black Panther Party

The Prow

Ship Of Fools

Fool's Game

Sail Away

Cheeseball

Jolly Roger

The climb starts with a some face climbing, finger and hand jams to a ledge(5.11-).  Traverse right on the ledge to the obvious crack. Climb the crack(tips to hands) to the rim.

Start to the right of Shotgun in a tight notch.  Work up the face to a show stopper move on thin crimps.  Continue up into a shallow dihedral at the top.

One of the classic forks tips cracks.  Start just right of the Prow OW, at a thin crack in broken rock.  Climb this finger crack (5.10+) to a ledge.  Move to the left side of the ledge, then up the clean steep tips crack in a tight stemming or layback corner.  Eats up green Aliens/.3 Camalots.  Some people move left into a slightly wider (yellow Alien?) splitter crack.  5.11+ either way.

Mayflower Direct starts just to the left of the 5.9 Mayflower, directly under the hand crack.  The 11+ section of this variation is stemmy, smeary, slippery, and hard to protect!  With that said it is still very enticing.

Lacuna climbs a colorful face with a sawtooth seam just to climbers right of Rumbleseat. The climbing fits in nicely with its classic neighbors to the left.  

  A slightly intimidating unprotected start leads you into engaging mixed crack and face climbing on interesting rock. Climb up into the head wall placing small cams and set up for the crux bouldery sections ahead. Make several delicate moves through a mail slot and to a wobble block. Keep calm and carry on through easier face climbing while placing specific gear to the top. 

  Although only slightly more difficult than Rumbleseat but less sustained than Shotgun, the crux sections are better protected with small cams. Just might be the perfect mental warm-up for Rumbleseat. PG rating because of the unprotected start moves and delicate finish above particular gear.

Shittin Bricks is one of the tallest 5.11d/ 5.12a routes at the Forks and is a full value adventure. Start off on a thankfully short chossy band of sandstone. Work the tight finger jams, positive small edges, gastons, and some burly stemming to reach easier though physical climbing. Smaller than average fingers might be an advantage on this one.

 The rest of the route is really fun and varied with all sorts of different crack styles. Although the grade backs off it certainly keeps after you to the top! A long, tenuous classic if you are looking for such.

 This is also a good one to save for a strong onsight attempt as the gear is good and straightforward.

Yardarm is the second route left of Crow's Nest.  It would be an instant classic if it were only a little longer.   

  Rap about 40' down to the start ledge and build an anchor at the base of a splitter finger crack.  Climb the straight in finger crack with the occational foot hold back to the rim.

Inbetween Fools Game and On The Edge lies this neglected but nice route.  I think UKD stands for Ultimate Killing Device because it was led before the TCU.  It now protects well with small aliens at the crux.  Scramble in from either side to the stance at the start of the steep tips crack.  Crux comes quickly with a very strange and off-balance mantle thing.  After that just follow the jams.

Americans at Arapiles climbs the outside face of a column by first moving up the left arete, then transitioning to the right arete before moving back left to finish on easier ground. The crux comes while slapping up the right arete and reaching left. 

Shotgun has some of the best technical 5.12 finger jamming at the Forks, and this sawed off, double barrel line is loaded with good gear. Better keep your eye on the target and your trigger finger at the ready for this one.

 This route is to the right of On The Edge. Climb up a short vertical band to a gravelly ledge. Shotgun follows the seam/finger crack up the slender right facing dihedral with some tight, steep moves down low, severe stemming and thin jamming in the middle, and nice long moves at the top. 

 Though a bit on the short side, this pitch really packs it in. It’s also a good, solid 5.12 to save for an onsight because the gear is rather straight forward, and there are not a whole lot of straight forward routes around at that grade. Despite this fact it doesn’t see a whole lot of successful onsights. Ask whoever is riding shotgun to rap down first and brush the surface silt off.

On The Edge is a short, thin hands crack route on the right side of The Prow Area.  Easy 5th class leads to the base of an arching, right-facing corner with a nice crack.  Jam your way up and through a brief crux and out the top of the arch.

Crow's Nest is located on the left (climber's left - south facing) side of The Prow in a corner system that doesn't reach the ground. It's sort of right below a scrubby pine tree on that side at the rim. To lead it, you rappel down to a ledge about 20 feet up, set an anchor and climb back out from there. A nice finger crack gives way to dicey intense stemming on slippery walls, then easier off the top.

Mayflower is located on the right side of the Prow area, in the second to the last big right-facing corner (left of Fool's Game). I think this is the best 5.9 route at The Forks! First climb a short pillar with a finger crack in it (shared with Fool's Game) to gain a big shelf. Move left, place some gear, and make a big stretch across to an arete on the left. Climb the blocky holds on the arete (don't fall!) to gain the big right-facing corner above. Beautiful hand-sized jamming above takes you to the rim.

good starting hold to flared chossy crack w/ #00's in the back, then some good finger locks, pull a small roof then hands and off hands to the top.

A thin and technical black crack/seam. Fairly engaging the whole way. Named after my favorite scene in Forrest Gump.

The Prow is one of the classic routes at the Forks and Northern Arizona.  Protected by almost all .75 or green camalots this route starts at the base of a good ole fashion OW. From there the well protected small hand crack heads up and up, finally turning into a decent hand crack and then topping out at the top of the cliff.

Ship of Fools is located in the middle of the right side (east-facing) side of The Prow.  A boulder problem up steep rock deposits you into a shallow left-facing corner above.  Follow this up to the rim via easier climbing.

Fool's Game is located on the right side of the Prow area, in the last big right-facing corner. First climb a short pillar with a finger crack in it (shared with Mayflower) and then move straight ahead and climb the right-facing corner. Tough moves if you take the corner straight on. Above, some off-fingers stuff makes for surprisingly interesting climbing to the rim.

Just around the corner to the left of The Prow. If starting from the ground up, climb a loose blocky section just behind a large and living tree (I don't remember what kind). Gain access to some thin hands before moving into a very thin finger crack in a left-facing corner.

Between Mutiny On The Bounty and Ship Of Fools.  Begin at a sharp flake hold.  Face climb up to a large flare/groove with difficult pro (a purple TCU is bomber, but you have to go a ways).  Pull the cruxy roof halfway up with good gear, and then follow twin cracks (fingers on the left, wide hands on the right) to the rim.

Not surprisingly, The Prow, is the pointed intersection of the two canyons of Paradise Forks. There are lots of good, long routes at The Prow and it's popular with climbers. During the summer season, it's mostly sunny in the morning, but in the shade later in the day, at least the side facing the Sine Wall.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Prow