Lately, I've been canvassing the Bulge Wall area of the Redgarden Wall. This south-facing wall has a very short approach and is ideal for a quick multi-pitch route after work. The mild winter we've been having has provided the requisite weather and my climbing partners are always available.

The classic route on this wall is The Bulge. This four pitch, 5.7 route is infamous, especially for me. Layton Kor put up this route early in his career and it typifies his skill at face climbing and his bold style. This route, like almost all the routes on this wall, is a runout lead and is given the R (Erickson's) or S (Rossiter's) rating indicating that there is the potential for a serious fall. No you might be saying to yourself, "No wonder there aren't any crowds on these routes - there too dangerous." This is only half-true. The routes on this wall are probably too dangerous if leading at your limit, as I found out on the Bulge in 1981, but if you are solid at 5.10, then these routes are reasonably safe. Plus they offer outstanding climbing in a very exciting setting.

Having gone through the fall and rise of the Bulge early in my climbing career and then climbing The Whittle Wall in 1995, I largely ignored this wall until recently. The one exception was following English Bob up Backtalk and the first pitch of Blackwalk in 1996. Recently I've climbed here on five separate occasions.

My first foray up to the Bulge Wall was with Hardly Manson. We started on Shades of Gray (5.9+ S). I led first and put the first two pitches together. This isn't recommended because of the rope drag. The first pitch climbs a short left leaning, left facing dihedral. Placing the gear here and then exited the dihedral are the crux of this pitch. Above it is runout, but easier. The second pitch goes directly over the bulge above the first pitch of The Bulge and then angles left on tricky runout climbing to a belay. Hardly led the third pitch out left a bit and over a tricky bulge. The climbing is runout and exciting. This is probably the crux pitch. Hardly then, not to be cheated out of a lead, led the fourth pitch, which already I don't recall very well. I've done too many routes up there and they all blend together. The climbing on this wall is all very similar.

I led an easy traverse pitch and we downclimbed into the descent gully. Back at the packs, I wanted to lead Blackwalk. I follow flashed this route a few years ago with English Bob and now I felt up to leading it. The crux 10c climbing is well protected, but immediately above the crux is runout 5.9 climbing and it gets exciting. I climbed up to crux and immediately fell off of it. I was climbing too fast and not thinking. I guess I'd just assumed I'd cruise it since I had been flashing harder climbs and had already climbed this route. Hence, I shut off my brain and just stopped thinking. That isn't going to work me.

My next try went better and I got higher, but then still fell off. I had the same problem on this attempt. I headed straight back up with a lot more respect this time and expecting a struggle. I made it through the crux and was able to get in a tiny RP before moving too much higher. The rest of the climbing is exciting because of the steep, insecure nature and big runouts, but it isn't that hard. There is a tricky section just before the belay, but once through that I was at a double bolted stance.

Hardly followed easily and took over the lead. The second pitch of Blackwalk is rarely done, but it is of very high quality. From the belay the route heads up and left a short ways, turns the bulge and heads back to the right. The climbing here is runout and very challenging. The rating is 5.9+ and that is probably correct, but don't expect to move very fast. This section takes awhile to figure out.

A week later I was back with the Trashman. My objective was a starred route called High Noon (5.11a). This was a one pitch route that started after the first pitch of a route called "To Night." The first pitch starts off with Pseudo Sidetrack and then heads straight up to a ledge with a juniper tree. Here the climbing immediately becomes serious and confusing.