Straight line up the left face of Foothill Crag. Ruthless Poodles goes directly over the round hole halfway up the wall, just to the left of the crack that splits the face. The first clip is high, but the climbing to it isn't very scary. The crux is well-protected with bolts. This is one of the few routes at Foothill Crag that most people will be comfortable leading without gear.

The climbing is slabby on small edges, almost vertical at the crux with some larger edges and pockets.

Ruthless Poodles

Sob Story

Teetering

Big Bolts

Chummin' for Splatter

Magic Feather

The Crack

From the Ashes

Moon Doggies

Clean Sweep

I Love L.A.

Blown Out

I Love L.A. follows a line of bolts immediately left of Ruthless Poodles and tackles the steepest line on the wall.

Super fun and reasonably-protected 5.9 face climbing past two bolts gains an obvious ledge.  From here, the difficulties begin.  Reach high, stem wide and pull yourself off of the ledge.  Follow insecure holds to a DESPERATE clip at the roof.  The clip itself is the clear crux of the route--blow this clip and you may deck on the aforementioned ledge.

Strenuous and balancy moves on positive holds (5.10a) lead up and right out of the roof and onto the upper headwall.  If on lead, keep your cool because a slight runout on 5.8 terrain leads to the next bolt.

Finally, traverse either right or left to your choice of fixed anchors (also 5.8).

To many, this route feels harder than Ruthless Poodles.

The first half of this route is marked by long reaches between good holds on excellent rock (at least by area standards) and goes at solid 5.8.

The second half of the route follows easier moves up softer rock.  The finish is airy and exposed.

All in all a fun route!

When setting a top rope, be sure to clip quickdraws to the top two bolts as directional protection for the climber.  Historically, a few climbers have taken scary wings off the route to the right.

Teetering follows a line of subtle features on the face between Moon Doggies and From the Ashes.

To locate the start, look for a hangerless bolt 15 feet off the ground and above the horizontal break (look carefully, it's hard to see).  From this bolt climb straight up over a bulge to a second hangerless bolt (5.10a).  Head up and left, following the lowest-angle part of the face (5.10c/d).  The moves above the second bolt involve delicate friction and are quite beautiful.

This is the oldest (and easiest) line at the cliff. It is also the easiest way to the large cave/ledge halfway up the main face. The ledge has a great position with an awesome view of the canyon.

Start on the ramp that slopes up and right, and look for the steps hacked into the face.  Follow the steps left and upwards, past a couple huge metal rods (the 'Big Bolts') sticking out of the rock.  At the second rod, follow the obvious line up and back right, into the cave.

Many people solo this route to get into the cave and then down-climb the same way.

Chummin' follows a line 15 feet left of I Love LA.

Super fun and reasonably-protected 5.9 face climbing  past two bolts gains a massive ledge.

A reachy, 5.11 move gets you off the ledge.  A few more moves gains another smaller ledge (and a good rest before pulling the roof).  A couple of balancy moves (5.11b), with your left hand on the arete, lead to easier ground and then to the anchor.

This route was top-roped at 5.10, and Reese Martin apparently had plans to bolt it. In the style of Tim Coates (on Clean Sweep) and Martin (on From the Ashes & Roothless Poodles), this route was first led on roped-solo.

The route starts with 5.9 climbing on good edges past the first bolt.  The crux (5.10a) is passing the second bolt on subtle features.

After gaining an obvious ledge, climb the left side of the blunt arete to the top (past two more protection bolts).

A few tricky moves come right off the deck.  Ask for a careful spot from your belayer.  Then, an easy wide crack with good pro leads to a ledge with a bush.

Place gear high as leaving this ledge and the bush is the crux of the route (perhaps 5.7).  Look for face holds on either side of the crack.

Steep crack and face climbing (5.4) with good pro take you to the top of the route.  Look for the fixed anchor immediately atop the crack on the left.  Be very suspicious of the two older bolts in the summit boulder.

Fun route, although a bit of a one-move wonder (and many beginners' first 5.10 TR). The crux of the route is leaving the obvious hole.  High step with your left foot and simply stand up.  Use a decent crimp for the right hand.

From atop the hole, 5.9+ face climbing leads up and left, to the top.

According to the Tucker/Steele guidebook, Reese Martin put this route up as a roped-solo and nearly met his end while doing so--Martin peeled off the route in a head-first fall and was stopped by his self belay just inches above the ground.

Fun and aesthetic little crack, although dirt seems to continuously funnel itself down the route.

A huge roof (protected by a 3 to 3-1/2" piece) is bypassed to the right on great holds.  From here, delicate climbing up a thin crack leads to the summit.

The actual crux is near the top, on a tricky finger-lock.  Place a decent nut and lose the finger lock, or take the finger-lock and forego the protection.

Clean sweep is the mostly-bolted route to the right of the crack that splits the left side of Foothill Crag. There is a run-out section that isn't too difficult, but if you were to slip near the top of the runout before clipping you'd probably deck. The runout section might be protectable with a cam or two.

The climbing is sandy slab climbing, clean at the bottom, kinda dirty in the runout section and near the top.

This route is marked by an eye catching splitter at the top of the wall.  Although the crack looks cool, you can skip the tape.

Start down and left of a large roof.  Make a few steep, heady, unprotected moves on jugs and clip a bolt on the crest of the roof.  Turn the roof and gain a ledge (5.9).  From the ledge, a splitter finger crack rises to the top of the wall.

Description

Protection

Routes in Foothill Crag ("The Foot")