Note: It needs a bit more cleaning but all the holds you need are clean.

 For years I have looked at an old rust piton half driven into the seam above Machine Head (5.11d). This drew my attention but the line is pretty obvious even if it's solution wasn't. Listed as a "project" in Ward's older books it was a matter of time. I took that as a challenge.

 Id describe the line as technical, powerful and exciting. Some very controlled movement with an explosion or two for character. 

 Initially I went after it as a layback on a series of side-pulls but it quickly became clear that there weren't the proper feet to make this work at a reasonable grade. I ended up combining those side-pulls in the seam with my left hand and a couple of holds out right to create a tenuous sequence that is technical and powerful leading to a dynamic move to finish the crux sequence. As the steepness eases off compress your way through another powerful sequence into some 5.10-ish moves and on to the old intended anchor you should be able to celebrate a little at this point and romp into the end of Tumbling Dice (5.9) to the anchor at the very to of the cliff.

Practical Magic

Blue Sky and Rhino Horns

Swedish Girls

Prudential Off-Width (LYLALTI start)

Bright Eyes

Ugly Crack (aka, sandbag crack)

Mission Accomplished

Nice Land

Short and sharp

The Full Premium

Cranky Pants

Midget Tricks

Losing Your Life and Living Through It

The Practice

El Funko

Machine Head

Horned Behavior

Prudential Crack's Finish (unfinished)

Finland

The Half Premium

Stoned Temple Pilot

Tumbling Dice

Measured Doses

Soft Machine

Wiggler Wants It

Hard Drive

Soft Job

Prudential Crack

This is basically an extension to Soft Job (5.12c+). You can access it from Soft Machine as well or traverse in along the ledge. Any way you slice it, Climb the slightly inverted wall above Soft Job following seams and a line of bolts. Rally fun powerful technical climbing. The steep face makes you power up but the crux comes as the angle eases up and it gets trickier.  

  this one rarely gets climbed... so you should show it some love. The top is very dirty but the holds you need are clean.

This is the route on the far right starting from a wide chimney and climbing the long wall on the left. I heard rumor that Keith B put it up, I guessed at the grade after climbing it and watching a couple of friends on it. I haven't heard a name for it. Please inform me and I will update the information. 

  A really fun addition to the cliff! varied terrain and techniques up a highly featured piece of high quality rock. I was really surprised this one had been hiding in plain sight.  

  It is now clean and well bolted so I thought people should know about it.

A really fun route that is worth the hike out to the "far" reaches of Rumney. not your classic, Rumney climb. The crux is slopey and the feet are poor, but somehow it's so sweet.

 Belay from the belay bolt at the left side of the ledge. Alternatively you can do the new start from below and add a few bolts of more moderate climbing up to the ledge before jumping directly into the crux 

 From the ledge, traverse left to a small corner and layback up carefully. Lots of opposition and body tension involved. After this mindbending section, you get a nice rest. Step right and climb up and left to finish left of the chains. The upper half is not as strenuous but not to be dismissed.

 This route is a good warm up for the best 5.11d in the world (OK maybe not THE BEST, but it kicks ass), Stoned Temple Pilot, so you may as well hit that while you are there.

This crack makes up the first 1/3 of the route Losing Your Life and Living Through It. I thought it could do with its own description because it ends on a defined ledge with an anchor (just a bit to the left, the Pru Crack anchor) and it can be quite dry when other routes and the upper half of this one are wet. With a directional or two it could easily be top roped after leading Pru Crack. 

  Climb easily for the first few feet on good holds and good feet before things get a little awkward in the wide section and down right hard as the crack thins out. Kneebars are helpful for the last of the business section. Take a little rest at the ledge and move left easily to the Prudential Crack anchor.

Though it didn't jump out at me as a route the first 20 times I looked at it, I recently scrambled in to this chimney and found myself pleasantly surprised. A few hidden holds on the left wall drew me up the beginning of the chimney over varying rock. when things run out on one wall you can turn around (bright eyes) and find what you need. Over all I find this little hidden climb to be so much fun! Another well protected easy climb that will entertain everyone and teach the beginner climber new techniques. In this case the ways of the chimney

 Start on a set of stone steps. Climb a short slab to get to the chimney. Reach across to the left wall to make the first clip. Scamper up to the next stance for another clip (all bolts on the left wall). Tunnel deeper in to the chimney on good feet, face the left wall and chimney up to the third bolt. Navigate some interesting 3D climbing past the last 2 bolts and eventually step across the void and up to the anchor.  

I put in 30-45 min cleaning it today then climbed it. 2nd ascent? It felt pretty hard for the grade. I can't believe it got the 5.9 grade when it was totally covered in filth, nice work Mark. The moves involve lots of balance and a bit of crack climbing skill. The good news is it's now a bit more clean and it protects quite well. 

  Climb the discontinuous cracks up the face between 2 crappy sport routes. Fingerlocks and face moves get you to an anchor on the left just below the big ledge.

Stick-clip, then climb past the abandoned Raven's nest and up a steep crux section to anchors below the big roof.  Good rainy day route. 

  The route was partially bolted as an aborted attempt at the big roof, possibly previously climbed to the high point by Brady Libby and friends.

This is a nice, technical 5.10a with a variety of styles and moves that will test your route and sequence finding abilities as well as your physical skills. 

  Belay from the eyebolt on the left side of the ledge or suffer the wrath of the cliff behind you. 

  The start can be done a few ways but basically do a few steep moves to establish your self on the steep slab and get your feet working. The climbing continues like this for a while till you approach the top and you get back in to some interesting, steeper moves to the chains. The last moves will test you, so don't count your proverbial chickens, so to speak. 

  The best warm up at the crag for sure.

Yup the name says a lot. 

  In short... not recommended. I was on it on a very cold day so i might have been grumpy but the movement didn't flow and it was very dirty. 

  This is the bolted route on the right side of the lower cliff. Climb a tricky boulder problem to get to a hard (for 5.10) move on sharp holds. Take a rest and then continue up the slighly less challenging second half to the anchor.

(Note: The route known as "The Premium" has been divided into two route submissions: The Half Premium and The Full Premium. The Half Premium ends at anchors on the midway ledge, and the Full Premium continues past those anchors to the top of the cliff.)

  The Full Premium follows a towering inside corner up the center of the Prudential. Start with technical and thin stemming moves up a clean gray dihedral. These moves lead to rounded jugs and eventually the midway ledge. The Half Premium ends here.  

  Above the ledge, climb the orange dihedral by using powerful and technical moves. Once you top out the dihedral, continue up 20 more feet of slightly easier rock to the top of the cliff. 

  The Full Premium is one  of the mega-lines of Rumney and should be in the same conversation as Predator, Beat Junkie, Urban, and Giant Man as one of the best pitches on the hillside. The upper dihedral is often wet; therefore, a tick of the Full Premium is an elusive one. Many who attest to having climbed "The Premium" have only done the first half.

Climb the face / arete on the right side of the gully shared with "Blue Sky and Rhino Horns"

Ward Smith says "short and brutish."  I'd call it a crumbly, awkwardly bolted, short climb not worth your while.

Start up the short offwidth just right of Prudential Crack  and just around the corner left of Wiggler. Continues slightly left and straight up to a bolted anchor, following a discontinuous seam.. pumpy and powerful. Feel proud if you get this one.

Recent revitalization of this climb has made it much more attractive even if it still is a little bit funko haha. Stick clip the really high bolt (there is a stick clip at the cliff). Climb up on to the ledge. Zig and zag up the cliff as needed following the path of least resistance along the line of bolts. A few tricky spots will be overcome by using underclings and good footwork.Keep the weight on your feet and have some fun.Very interesting.

Machine Head is a short but kick ass climb with a technical less than vertical start, a steep jug haul bulge and a scary balancy mantel finish. All in a route that is only 5 bolts long. 

  I recommend clipping the 2nd bolt due to an awkward clipping stance and ground fall potential, but that's your call. The first moves are like the moves you find at the bottom of many routes on Waimea. not steep but all the holds are facing weird directions. After overcoming this section you hit the jugs of the Red River Gorge like central band. And now that you are pumped, head up to the dreaded mantel finish. After working it out the grade seems reasonable but on the onsight attempt it feels hard in the grade. 

  They only give it one star in the guide book but I think it is worthy of full marks.

This is a quality, full value 5.12b (hard) that is often considered one of the best routes at the grade at Rumney. Be prepared to work hard right up to the heart breaker crux before the chains. Enjoy. 

  Start just right of The Premium with your hands on a well chalked Ledge sort of thing. Throw a heel up and pull in to a lay back so you can stand on the small ledge. Work up the face above stemming then moving out right to a distant hold and a good slab rest. Continue up good holds and even a hand jam to the horn above and a really nice welcome rest sitting on the horn or standing on the ledge. Above is a nice steep face with a crux looming at the top. Climb a mix of crimps and good holds to gain the crux just below the lip that marks the top. a powerful move up and left to a bad-ish hold and one final move to a jug. From here a funky but not too hard move gets you to the anchor. Careful of a very loose hold out left, i used it but warned my belayer to stay out of the way in case it blew off the wall.  

After the Prudential Crack continue up inclining wall on arduous aid until belay ledge is reached. We exited the cliff here by rappel. There is an incipient crack to climb vertically up from here.

Hard. I found it to be hard for an 11a. However that's a little refreshing since many Rumney 11as are a little soft. Just show up with your A-game and it will rock you like a hurricane. 

  Start behind the birch tree on the steep wall. Climb bouldery moves on underclings and sidepulls  to a super tricky and somewhat sandy couple of moves to the midway ledge. Here you can rest off the pump then move left and up into a left leaning corner. Stem your way up the corner using some hard to find holds and on to the anchors above. 

  As with a few of the routes at this crag, some spots can be sandy but over all it's nice quality and fun moves.

(Note: The route known as "The Premium" has been divided into two route submissions: The Half Premium and The Full Premium. The Half Premium ends at anchors on the midway ledge, and the Full Premium continues past those anchors to the top of the cliff.)

  The Half Premium climbs the beautiful gray dihedral in the center of the cliff. Stick clip the first bolt and crank a technical and powerful crux sequence. Sandy jugs lead left, after which it's possible to topout on the midway ledge. Clip the anchors on the left and lower off, or, if it's not wet and/or you aren't already knackered, continue up the towering orange dihedral above to complete the Full Premium.

This is absolutely a must do climb.  

  It is a steep intimidating line up beautiful rock, passing kneebars and other interesting rest spots. Use the rests, you will need them. It has been said that this route is reminiscent of the Red River Gorge and I fully agree.  The first 10 feet is low angle and more moderate. When you reach the steep stuff, move left and over the first bulge finding a few choices of kneebars. After a good rest you move up in to the crux involving a few fairly bad holds and a high, right foot to a huge undercling. This where it gets pumpy for me. Take an awkward rest in a corner and hang on through the last few steep moves and mantel to the left to finish.

This is a branched off route from El Funko with its own anchors that looks like the highest point of Prudential.   Follow up El Funko for the first 5 bolts.   At the fifth bolt there is a steep ramp that trends left.   Go up and make a committing super exposed move (for a 5.8 move)  and clip a bolt on the moderate grounds of Hard Drive.   Cross Hard Drive and up and clip another bolt and then slightly run out to an anchor on a left facing corner.   7 bolts to the chains.  Be aware that the last two bolts cover the same amount of ground as the first 5 bolts on El Funko.   It may feel run out but it's never unsafe, just not the tight bolting that Rumney climbers are used to.

 The traverse is wild and really fun.   It's easier IMHO than the move around the 4th bolt of El Funko, so I would give the traverse a 5.8.  

Don't bother, at least until you have climbed a few hundred other routes at Rumney. It's finer points include an interesting low angle start, exactly 2 cool hard moves and it's very safe (if a little over bolted).   The down sides include gross, wet, dirty, sharp rock and an overwhelmingly inconsistent difficulty. 

  If you do get on it, look for the funky anchor (bolts not parallel) in the middle of the lower left (filthy) part of Prudential. Climb the pretty interesting low angle start past 4 bolts at which point you will be looking up at a really steep wall about 10 feet high. Side pull Left crimp right and hit the sharp lip. Traverse jugs right to clip the strange anchor.

This is a link-up between the start of Machine Head (5.11d) and the top of Soft Job (5.12c). A fun route but the traverse left to the easier finish is just as awkward as the Machine Head finish is hard. The true line is more fun. However, if you are looking for variety on a wet or snowy day, you will want to do this for sure. 

  Start up the balancy moves of Machine Head to the roof for a good shake. Traverse left on good but strenuous holds to an exit up a groove to the ledge and chains.

A burly layback and kneebar section off the ground leads to a good jug and more moderate but really enjoyable climbing leads to a few moves that are shared with Premium (5.12c/d) then a ledge. On the ledge step left to an anchor. 

  The hard starting moves are well protected but beyond that there is a seam that looks very sketchy to fish in protection. Once you join Premium you can clip a couple bolts.  

  I decided I was happy just to toprope it, which I set up by climbing the first half of Premium and clipping the Wiggler anchors.

This seldom climbed route starts on the elevated ledge on the right side of the cliff. You will see the line of bolts above and to the right of Machine Head (5.11d).  

  A steeper start gives way to a lower angle but technical face. A bit bouldery in the lower stuff but if you think footwork and hit the holds right it's not too bad. you then get some easy low angle climbing and a thin crux at the top. 

  the whole route could use a good cleaning of both plant life and loose rock (small stuff only), I took a good ride on my onsight attempt when a hold broke.

This is the route in the middle of the right side of the cliff that follows the shallow right leaning corner to a set of quick clips at the halfway ledge. Soft Job ends here and there is another route that continues. 

  Start on a huge jug just left of the start of Machine Head (5.11c/d). You won't get many more of these big holds so enjoy it. Make a long move off of a nice undercling to a good crimp. Let the games begin. Ultra technical moves on small crimps and invisible feet get you up the steep face using tiny sidepulls and gastons, and some fancy footwork. Then make a move left to a good rest at the halfway point. From here pull the roof using a really cool rung hold and get up on a really awkward ledge for a rest. The final section heads up a shallow groove and isn't bad after you figure out the feet and where the holds are. 

  The bottom and top are harder for shorties and the ledge rest is wicked awkward for tall people (serves us right I suppose).

The short hand crack in the middle of the Prudential cliff. Thankfully the nice practice crack is situated underneath the large roof in the center of the cliff so it is almost always dry. The gear is good but take care in your placements as the stone is a bit soft. 

  You will likely be wishing it was 2 or 3 times it's length. Once you get in to the flow you are at the ledge and clipping the anchor.

The Prudential is a beautiful mostly overhanging cliff that is a little out of the way (meaning not crowded). Located west of the more popular (and populated) Waimea area. Though it's only about a 15 minute walk from Waimea it sees only a fraction of the traffic that it deserves.  

  The cliff faces south and many of the routes are steep and normally stay dry. These things make it a great winter crag, when the sun hits it on a cold winter day you would think it was still autumn. It should go without saying that it gets hot in the summer so plan accordingly. 

  There are some killer routes here including one of my favorite routes at Rumney, Stoned Temple Pilot (5.12a), this route and a few others at the crag feel a bit like climbs you would find at the Red River Gorge thanks to a band of honeycombed rock and the super overhanging nature of the climbing. Other faves include, The Premium (5.12c/d), Horned Behavior (5.12b), and Machine Head (5.11c/d). The mantel finish on Machine Head is worth the hike all on its own. 

  All "super classics" aside there are great sport climbs here from 5.10a to 5.12c/d. Even a few trad lines like Prudential Crack (5.8+), Wiggler Wants It (5.12a R) and the newer addition Losing Your Life and Living Through It 5.12c. The grades at Prudential tend to be solid "honest" grades, in other words you will have to earn what you send at any grade. So be prepared to work! 

  So next time you want to spice it up a bit, take a walk and check out this beautiful piece of schist. The routes are like nothing you've climbed at Rumney before and afterwards you will find yourself spraying to your friends about the sick routes you did without the noise and distraction of the everyday cliffs.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Prudential