Stemming a dihedral eventually leads you up to the overhanging crack that constitutes the crux section on this work of art [okay, a little hyperbolic]. From here, you will utilize lie backs, finger locks, and even a hand jam to surmount the bulge. This is an engaging route with a great overhanging finish and is at least as fun as the over hyped edging of The Soft Parade.

Mona Lisa

Mistaken Identity

Young and Reckless

Ninja School

Pockets Are Stronger Than Partners

Nothing's There

The Crosses Are Free

Is Nothing Sacred

Space Hog

The Warden

Chutes and Ladders

Arete Horizon

Easy Pool

Blisters in the Sun

Unknown

Gatekeeper

Out on Parole

Pony Express

Interloper

Casting Shadows

Nothing Shocking

Return From the Great Mormon Experience

Takin it to the Street

Nothings Right

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Pocket Pulling Pansies

Loc-Tite

The Big Weld Show

Dreaming of Chocolate Bunnies

Pocket Warmer

Pocket Puzzle

Close Call

Winds of Change

Endomorph Man

Pocket Pow-Wow

Liquid Sunshine

Noah's Ark

Sappy Love Song

Rock Lobster

Nothing But Air

Desert Devil

Adventure Quest

Unknown Route

Hot Line

Kitty Litter

God Save The Ta Tas

Beer and Dead Animals

Hot House

Follow Your Heart

In Seam

Just Can't Get Any

Dead Pool

Youth is Beauty

Cowgirl

Next To Nothing

Cowboy

Clueless

Great Short Route

The Casting Couch

Time Share

Nothings Left

Princess Jordini and Her Magic Flute

Death Row

Pompasfuc

Leave Your Money On the Dresser

Nothing Lasts Forever

Main Squeeze

The Soft Parade

Nothing Becomes Her

Fat Boy Goes to the Pond

Christmas Chocolate

Weak Sister

Crazy Fingers

Deet

Nothing To It

Natural Wonder

Pocket Party

Adamantasaurus Flacciphallicus PhD

Wild Wild West

The Emerald

Bouldery start onto a technical face and up various interesting bulge-like features. Pull over last bulge on dark, solid rock. A bit crispy in spots due to newness. Belaying off of the large boulder at the bottom is possible once the leader is well off the ground. It can be started from the direct bottom via the jug or by traversing in from around the corner to the left; same rating either way.

Yet another crimpy, slightly overhanging face climb.

Start on the same first bolt as Easy Pool and proceed to the left and up.  The route goes straight up from there.  Be careful not to scrape yourself as the rock contains edges which can be sharp enough to draw blood.  Nice view from the top, scary getting there.

This route starts at Pocket Warmer, but instead of moving up, step right onto the obvious jug foothold and head right to your first bolt. Once you are even with the first bolt head up on good holds to 2 chain anchors with carabiners (Don't take the carabiners, I cut the chain length to run with the biners).  This route was bolted with the 1st time leader in mind, aka - big holds, close bolts, and short.   As with any new route some holds might still be a bit crispy, but it felt solid on my last cleaning.

Head up and right along a seam using a pod-like feature here and there. Cross back over left and up to finish along and about the bolt line.

Face climbing to a two bolt anchor w/ quicklinks. 

Thin pocket moves to slightly overhanging face and more pockets.

It's hard to call this one more difficult than the two 10b's framing it, but it is easy to say that this is a fun route. A bit crimpy down low (like the other two routes) and then you just keep flowing up the pockets to the final horizontal break for a brief rest before the slightly overhanging finish. If you keep the momentum going, it will be easy. If you stall, maybe not so much.

Quite thin face climbing past the first bolt to a break and many pockets on a vertical face, then past easier and steeper jug climbing to the anchors.

cool looking bolted line right Great Short Route

A great climb; similar to Pocket Puzzle and Pocket Party in style.  Getting off the deck (first 2 bolts) is the crux.  I stayed left at the beginning, which is easier, but may not have been in the spirit of the climb.

Fun route, thin at the start getting easier towards the top.

Follow bolts up crispy face to anchors. Tough on tips but the falls are good.

I couldn't find info on this, so I am posting the route here in hopes someone can help. Starts with hands high and virtually no feet.  Lots of choss came off as it was climbed and hardware looks new.  First few moves are hard until you gain feet.  Overcome a bulge to access much easier climbing.  Ends at rap rings.  *If you know anything about this route, please chime in or go to the appropriate channels to get the correct info here on it. 

This route was intended as an alternative access to the three 5.12 routes above, but it can be climbed by itself as well.  Stay to the right on the face if you want more of a challenge.

Climb the slab to a bulge. Break right if you are going for the .12

Short route, but fun.  Low angle pocketed face to ledge top out.

Awkward belay stance. Traverse left about 3 bolts before heading up and right. Bolt hangers are old leper style. There is only 1 anchor...an old hanger with 2 rusted chain links. In Marty's guide it says this was done in 1995... probably hasn't had anyone on it since then, ha.

Thin face moves up bolted face to anchor.  Sustained for bottom half or so.

Fun climb with bomber holds.  As with the other climbs nearby the crux is the start (first 2 bolts).  Stepping to the left significantly eases the sequence but may not be in the spirit of the climb.  While nothing broke off for me, some of the rock was loose.

One of the better routes at the Pond! 

  Start by stemming over to the first bolt, then proceed up through a few increasingly difficult sections to the technical crux deadpoint.  Get a good shake and blast up the route's second half, which is comprised of fun jugs on solid red rock. 

  There is still a bit of loose rock on the arete at the bottom near the 3rd and 4th bolts that should probably be cleaned off, since it is right above the belayer. 

  It is possible to set up a TR on this climb-- there's a bolt a few feet above the anchors to which one can clip a long runner so that you can safely climb down to the anchor hooks.

Getting of the ground is much harder than the rest of the climb.  Long climb with huge hands and feet the whole way.

Start up an overhung series of moves to gsin B1 and pull over the bulge to B2.  Continue up a sloped face trending left with the bolt line.  Pull another overhang and continue up the headwall to the chain anchors.

Technical burliness awaits you from the start of Loc-Tite with small footholds, monos, and general pocketed goodness. Above the initial crux section, there is still a somewhat heady slab/bulge move that needs to be surmounted before claiming this quality route. Marty (the FAist) once told me the kids team at PRG were calling it a 5.10. Damn kids and their tiny fingers.

Left of Sappy Love Song. Climb face to arete past 6 bolts to Fixe ring anchors. Be careful of rock at base that is being held in by some roots. 

Nice little pocketed climb with plenty of big holes to hang from.

Excellent climb up steep pocketed face.  Great holds, fun moves, sustained with one good rest.

Steep crimping to pockets, moving slightly left, then a short traverse right and up vertical wall to chains.

Bolt to ledge. 5 bolt face to top. Route #84 in MK pocket guide.

Climb open book to face. Crux is before 2nd bolt and before 8th bolt. Before clipping the 8th bolt there is ledge fall potential, heads up!

Relatively new route, barely to the right of "Next To Nothing" and climbing to its anchor. Pretty easy climbing. Let's say 5.6 for now.

 If you have any info about this route, please submit an edit or drop a comment.

Another overhanging crimpy/pocketed line. This one is a little shorter.

Similar to the Warden at the top, but with a much easier start. Both routes get early afternoon shade.

Bouldery start following bolts to Chains.

A short and stout route. Climb small pockets and slopers past a couple bolts to a cold shut anchor.

Another crimpy overhanging line, to the right of Hot Line on the main overhang.

Well-pocketed route. A bit tricky up near the finish, going over a bulge that might get your attention (@ fourth bolt)

Nice route.  The crux is just above the first horizontal.  I liked the variation in the moves on this climb.

3 Bolts to Rings at the top. The line starts on a pinch and moves into a small lip and then you pull on crimps to a jug while fighting the slight overhang and finish.

Starts with a step across over the water on to a two bolt face up to the ledge where the other two routes start.  Then somewhat thin climbing the rest of the way past 8 bolts to the top.  No real crux unless you think the first move is the crux.

Overhang begins about halfway up the climb, but good sized pockets make it a fun pumpy climb.  Crux is around the 3rd clip.

A short climb that can be a bit thought-provoking for the beginner leader up to the 2nd bolt.  The 2nd bolt is a bit high and the climb can be scary for a beginning leader between the 1st and 2nd bolts. Above the 2nd bolt, the climbing eases to slab past 2 more bolts.

Ledge right to 9 bolt broken face. Route #82 in MK pocket guide

Head up the left arête or go straight up the face using the crack/seam for right hand and left arête for left hand. Straight up the face might be a bit harder than 5.9. 

  Note, this route isn't in the Marty's map of the area. It is two routes right of #23 Christmas Chocolate and on the left arete just left of #24 Casting Shadows. God Save The Ta Tas (another newer route) is the route left of this. 

  It's cleaning up more, but still a good idea to watch out for loose holds here and there.

Starts out on a nice face. Gets crispy and has an interesting finish. (* FA info: This line on the Bartuni face was originally bolted by Greg Varela and Chad Cooper. I reconfigured it to its current form. FA)

Between Nothing Shocking (arête) on the left and Nothings Right. Start by pulling up over a small roof.

Fun moves to good pockets and a bunch of small crimps. The route is overhung and gets pretty pumpy. 

  There are a few pockets have epoxy on/in them that make them a bit slick when you use them as a foot.  

  FA: Craig Keaty (so says my guid book)

The route is pretty fun and a bit overhung but not to bad. 

  Crux: Theres a V3 as soon as you head right on the route and break away from OUT ON PAROLE. Small crimps but if you get your feet set you're money. After that its just pumpy and sharp with good holds to the finish.

Slightly overhanging, short climb that's worth the time.  A bit tricky to get right, but plenty of different options.  Crux is between 2nd and 3rd bolt.

The crux?  IMHO I thought that there were three of them; one minor one at the second bolt and two leaving the horizontals.  Fun route, but harder than a 10c (I think). This is a fun route, but a bit crimpy and a bit of a head trip near the top.

A fun route with a couple of cruxy parts.  Follow 10 bolts to a 2 bolt anchor

Bolted climb facing west, around the corner from Nothing's Shocking.

A fun route!  Fairly sustained and well-protected.  Go up the face past a couple bolts, then out right past several more bolts.  Great holds right where you need them.

3 bolts to anchor. Easy hands harder feet.

A short and pumpy route.  Climb the overhanging pocketed face to the top.

Obvious large curving crack that widens to OW toward the top of a prominent buttress in the Upper Pond.

Start by climbing up and easy ramp to a break.  Clip a bolt and make some pumpy moves to get over the overhanging crux section.  After the bulge the route eases off past another bolt or 2.  Short climb, but a pretty fun sequence through the crux.

The harder line to the left of Desert Devil. Apparently holds have broken...

The Pond is one of the most popular destinations at Queen Creek, and for good reason. There are a multitude of good moderate routes here, mostly on good pocketed rock. The area faces south is generally in the sun and warm, so plan appropriately.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Pond