Sal y Limón are a pair of good moderate cracks on Wilson's Lower East Side crag. Limón is the right crack - it's slightly easier and is a good one to start with.

 An early crux presents itself where the crack pinches down and one must move confidently up to tantalizingly large chickenheads. Varied climbing (some jams, some face moves) on progressively easier terrain brings you to the anchor tree.

 Anchor tree is equipped with fresh cordalette as of 4/20/2019.

Limón

Ten Dollar Toll

Uptown Hustler

Canal Street

Delancey Street

Working Class Heroes

Clifford Route

Great Wide Way

Battery Park

Lincoln Tunnel

Brooklyn Bridge

Movin' On Up

Seventh Avenue Express

Bowery Bums

Sal y Limón are a pair of good moderate cracks on Wilson's Lower East Side crag. Sal is the left crack - it's slightly more difficult and sustained.

 The crux is served right off the ground. The variation Ante Up climbs unprotected dishes (5.8 R) to the left of the regular start, joining the crack about 25 feet up. From there, it's good jamming with abundant face holds up to the anchor tree.

 Anchor tree is equipped with new cordalette as of 4/20/2019.

This route goes up the crack directly up the middle of the varnished face to the left of Lincoln Tunnel.  The first pitch is on pleasant varnish to a perch beneath the overhang.  The wise belayer will move his stance to the right, as the overhang above is strenuous and loose, and falling rock would threaten a belayer below.  (In fact, the really wise belayer would probably move all the way right to Lincoln tunnel and continue on that route.)  In any case, continue to the obvious rappel points and descend.

 For the true masochists, the original start was up the loose lower buttress near Bowery Bums, but this has little to recommend it.

From low in the approach gully, scramble up and left to a small niche below a left-slanting jam crack.  On the right side of this niche is a clean wide chimney leading up and right.  Follow this to ledges beneath a highly featured dark wall. An alternative start is to climb the wide crack in the corner to the same ledges.

 Climb straight up the highly featured wall on surprisingly easy rock.  Continue to another varnished headwall with a short clean jam crack in its lower right corner.  Climb the jam crack and move up and left on crispy varnished holds with limited protection.  Alternatively, climb the easier crack system above the jam crack.

 From the ledge at the top, scramble (3rd class) up and right to the summit of the buttress and rappel off to the north.  (A descent to the west into the gully behind the buttress is also possible immediately after topping out, but is not too pleasant and doesn't make it any easier to get back to your packs.)

About three quarters of the way up the approach gully is an attractive wall with a band of featured varnish on its lower section.  Three crack systems go up through this varnish.  This route follows the leftmost (southern) cracks.  Climb the discontinuous crack system until it ends. Then move up and right to a chimney leading to the top.  Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

About three quarters of the way up the approach gully is an attractive wall with a band of featured varnish on its lower section.  Three crack systems go up through this varnish.  This route follows the central system.  Climb the cracks up to the left side of the upper varnish patch, then straight up to the exit chimney on the Clifford Route.

 Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

Just below the top of the approach gully is a crack system marked by three obvious bushes.  Climb these cracks until progress is blocked by a big overhang.  Though improbable, the overhang is not that hard, and leads to a short third class gully and the top. Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

About three quarters of the way up the approach gully is an attractive wall with a band of featured varnish on its lower section.  Three crack systems go up through this varnish.  This route follows the rightmost (northern) crack.  Climb the crack up through the right side of the upper varnish patch, then up and left to the exit chimney. Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

Just below the top of the approach gully, and just to the right of Working Class Heroes, a wide crack system curves up and to the left.  Follow this to the big overhang which is the top pitch of Seventh Avenue Express, and continue to the top of that route. Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

From low in the approach gully, scramble up and left to a small niche below a left-slanting jam crack.  Climb the crack and continue up for a few more pitches to a large ledge below the prominent varnished headwall.  Climb the left side of the headwall on varnished holds and occasional cracks.  Continue to the top as for Uptown Hustler.

Start about halfway up the approach gully.  Scramble (class 3 or 4) up into a left-leaning gully.  Follow this up to a vegetated alcove where progress is blocked.  Above is a darkly varnished wall with a white buttress at its lower right.  Climb the crack on the right side of this buttress to a ledge beneath the ominously wide crack on the right side of the varnished face.  The crack is climbed by going inside until an opening appears allowing exit onto the main face at a tiny belay stance.  Continue up the crack and muscle over the overhang above.  Easier climbing leads to a big ledge.  The last pitch goes up the obvious crack in the corner at the back of the ledge.

 Descent is by rappel directly down Ten Dollar Toll.  Note that the first landing spot is not on the big ledge beneath the top pitch, but rather on the steep varnish directly below.

About three quarters of the way up the approach gully, and just to the right of the Clifford Route is a shallow, left-facing corner with dark varnish on its left wall.  Climb this corner to a belay position above a small roof.  Continue up rounded rock, eventually reaching and exit ramp up and to the left.  Follow this to the top.  Scramble right to the north shoulder rappel.

Start about halfway up the approach gully.  Scramble (class 3 or 4) up into a left-leaning gully.  Follow this up to a point just below the start of Lincoln Tunnel.  Climb up and right to gain an obvious vertical crack system.  Follow this to a good ledge beneath a varnished off-width.  The off-width is not hard, but you won't get much protection without a large cam.  Continue up the crack system until you can traverse left to Lincoln Tunnel for rappel.

At the top of the approach gully, thin friction moves gain a crack that goes upward and curves over to a good ledge on the right side of the buttress.  Continue up the steep varnished crack until you can move left and up onto the ledges beneath a big overhang split by an ominous chimney.  Follow this chimney to the top. Scramble up to the north shoulder rappel.

From about a quarter of the way up the approach gully, scramble up and left onto ledge beneath a triangular "sub-buttress."  Follow discontinuous cracks up and left on deteriorating rock to the top of the sub-buttress.  Continue up less-than-stellar rock to ledges beneath the headwall on Uptown Hustler.  Move slightly right and climb a reddish crack to the top, or follow one of the Uptown Hustler variations.  Scramble north to the summit.

This major buttress is located on the lower east side of Mount Wilson.  It is home to a variety of moderate trad routes.  Although there are scattered signs of early exploration, not much ativity occurred here until the 2000s. 

  North Shoulder rappel:   This is the "standard" exit from the top of the right side of the crag.  From the large ledge area, make one short (single rope) rappel to an exposed, hanging stance from a pine tree on the wall to the north.  From here, a long double rope rappel reaches third class terrain on the Lady Wilson approach.  Scramble down to the notch and continue down the approach gully. 

  Summit Rappel:   From the summit of the buttress, one can scramble west (toward the main wall) and do a short rappel to easier ground from which one can go north and join the Lady Wilson approach "path."  Scramble and down climb this (following many ducks) to reach the notch at the top of the approach gully.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Lower East Side