This thing is EPIC! The Carderock Low Traverse is a ~400-foot endurance climb with two 5.12 cruxes, three 5.11 cruxes, and endless beautiful 5.9/5.10 climbing. ...and it almost never gets more than 4 feet off the ground!

 Here is a video that summarizes the route: youtube.com/watch?v=ZgOm9l9…

 The Carderock Low Traverse is my best attempt to traverse as much of the Carderock formation as possible, while staying as low to the ground as possible. Currently, it doesn't traverse the entire cliff, but is crosses about 50% of Jungle Cliff and the entirety of Hades Heights, for something like 400-feet of fairly sustained climbing. The crux is perhaps v4 or v5, but I think of it as a mid 5.12 due to the length.

 While I have sent the currently described version of this traverse (starting from the X-face and working right), The Complete Carderock Low Traverse (a traverse of the entire cliff) is still a work in progress. However, I am not sure that it is possible to climb it in the same "bouldering style" of the climb described here. The terrain to the left of the X-face has one section that seems impossible to climb (at least for me) without a rope.

 Anyway, here is the beta: Start at the left side of the X-face (just left of "The X") and start traversing to the right. Stay low around the corner, climbing the awesome v4 boulder problem, Tea and Scrumpet (the first crux of the route, and perhaps the crux for those who don't have it mercilessly wired). Continue across the face, staying reasonably low. Shortly past Beginner's Crack, round the blunt corner, passing the tree. Traverse right and upwards, climbing an awkward boulder problem called Shinbone. We call it 11+, but it's never once felt that easy. Your feet get very close to the boulder, but keep then from touching it! Round the sharp arete and rest for a while. Continue traversing right across somewhat blocky terrain. There is a ~5.10 crux here with difficult-to-find holds. Also, there is a steep section where you cross over a deep pit with some fall potential (5.9R). Finally, right before the walkdown is what I consider to be the crux of the traverse. You round a corner and scrunch down very low to the ground, slapping a flat ledge (5.12c). Then climb upwards and kick back to the boulder behind you. After this, continue traversing right to the end of the cliff. Basically, you just follow the Hades Heights Girdle Traverse, but staying as low to the ground as possible. I go kinda high at the rounded corner close to the river (Cripple's traverse crux), and it feels about v3, but lower variations exist at harder grades.

Carderock Low Traverse

Crippling Paralysis

Easy Layback

Serenity Syndrome

Norris's Nipple

Krypton

Camp Daze

Golden Staircase

Bulging Crack

Nubbin (Nubble) Face

Billy Goat Boulder

Photogenic

Wish Come True

If You Have to Climb in Maryland

Face To Right

Iron Cross

Not So Gneiss

Crucifixion

Pincushion Boulder Problem

Flutterby

Pre-Kindergarten Boulder

Desperation

Biceps - Var: Thumbthing Else

Chris Wex Don Traverse

Sterling's Double Cracks

Biceps - Var: Right Wall

Leonards Lunacy

Top Roping at Carderock with Tots

Slot It Out

Bad Rock

Yellow Jacket

Talk about a view

Can't Permit

Friction Layback

Incipient

The Laundry Chute

Eliminates

Zig Zag

Norris' Nipple

The Crack

The Garbage Chute

Pincushion Face

Trudie's Terror

Fifi

Fingernail

Kindergarten

Triple A

Hades Heights Girdle Traverse

Butterfly

Spider Walk

Green Bucket

Crystal Ship

Make A Wish

Biceps - Var: Thumbthing

Don't Fall on the Hikers

Biceps

Walk On By

Pincushion

Silver Spot

Camp Permit

Mad Dog

Merv's Nerve

The Bulge

Chris's Goat

Silver Sucker

The Nose

It is possible to boulder traverse the entirety of the Hades Heights formation (with feet no more than 4-6 ft off the dirt).  Begin down the Kindergarten face as the usual descent between Hades Heights and Jungle Cliffs, and keep going until Trudie's Terror.  There are difficult - 5.9 or 5.10 - moves between the Nose and Spiderwalk, between the Crack and Nubbin face, between Chris's Goat and Cripple's Crack (crux), and stepping across the bottom of Merv's Nerve. (The crux section between Chris's Goat and the Laundry Chute passing the Cripple's Crack area is known as 'Cripple's Traverse.') If the water is low, keep going to the base of Sterling's Double Cracks and exit up the off-width (5.3 highball) or if it is high, wander up Norris's Nipple (5.4 deep water).  Slightly easier going right to left, though.

Start on the face just left of Cripple Crack.  Don't use the crack.  Beyond the arete on the left is definitely off.  I think the arete is off, too, but I'm not positive.

Climb the left face of the corner.  The arete is on.  Holds around the corner are off.

Climb straight up through the bulge, onto the face, and up to the 3 foot ledge. Proceed to the top.  

  The crux of this climb is moving up over the bulge (at the nipple). The face climbing above the bulge can be made harder by moving left or skipping holds.  

Start Low on the left side of the face with a jug and crimp. Cross to a side-pull and pull-through to a another side-pull. Match and get a heel on the edge of the boulder and throw for a sharp sloper. Use slots to get up to the very tip of the boulder and top-out.

Kinda a choose your own adventure and maybe a bit harder than 5.3 depending on how you go. Its easier to the outsides of the line and harder up the gut. Start about 10 feet left of Green Bucket and Bad Rock.

Golden Staircase is a somewhat contrived but really fine moderate toprope problem going up the arete or buttress formed by the right side of the Green Bucket-Desperation overhang.  Start on the face just left of 'The Crack' and climb using neither the Crack or the corner to your left straight up until it is possible to traverse 15 feet above to the left side of the buttress.  Climb the small face holds straight up until one can layback right onto the buttress underneath 'Desperation' on the obvious flakes which keep breaking off until one can mantle a big leaning shelf near the top.  The way is partially revealed by the 'golden' lichen giving the climb its name. 

  Variations can be had by continuously trending right onto the steep face above 'The Crack' without touching the crack, and going up that face to the top of golden staircase.  Several 5.8-5.9 problems will be discovered.

Start same as The Bulge.   #1. Climb the crack to the left of The Bulge

Nubbin Face is a classic beginner's problem.  Wander up the composite face filled with quartz crystals on these and the various face holds to the top.

I'm not sure if this boulder has a name or named routes.  Perhaps someone who knows can pass on the info and I will update this.  It clearly had chalk from previous climbs on it.  There's maybe 2-3 routes on it.  It's the first large rock you come to heading west on section B of the Billy Goat trail.  Not far from where the trail leaves the C&O Canal and right when you get down to the river. 

  The main route starts on the climbers right as a sit start.  Work up the small incuts and ledges working up and left.  Find a place to top  out.  It gets reachier at the top and much harder the further you try to work left. 

  On the far left side of the boulder there might be another short route.  Use the two obvious ledges for some dynamic moves up to a grippy sloper on top.  Topping out is a bit nasty.  I tried to clean up some of the vines on top. 

  Any info on this area would be appreciated.

Start between Sterlings Twin Cracks and Trudie's Terror.   #1. Climb up from the river through the bulge and to the top.

Start same as Leonards Lunacy.   #1. Layback the left edge of Make A Wish face; keep feet on the face.

Done with a jump start. Thin, technical face climbing up to the ledge. Easy finish to the top. 

Start same as Golden Staircase.   #1. From the low angle area climb up the steep face on the right.

Layback a small and rounded left facing corner about ten feet left of the Sterling's start. Climb up and right (keeping downstream and out of Sterling's Double Crack) towards a hanging tooth overhang, and surmount this overhang (crux) just left of the tooth.  (A more difficult - 5.10 - start can be had by bouldering through the overhanging face further right.)

Start: Low feet with hands on the cubed corner. Work up and to the right on the overhang using crimps and pinches. Once you hit the crack, head up and over to top out. Topping out brings out the V4 in this route. 

Start same as Incipient.   #1. Climb the overhang and pull it using handhold 4 feet right of Incipient. This is done by using ubderclings and pinches to pull onto the face above.

Climb the face using toe holds while laybacking the outside corner of the 'Cripple's Cube'.  Continue up easier rock to the tree alcove below Leonard's Lunacy.

A variation of Butterfly. Hands on the left face of the dihedral with feet on the right. Use hand and finger pockets to layback and jam your way to the top on slick footholds.

On the left as one approaches the Kindergarten descent is the 'Pre-K' boulder.  The 20 ft traverse of this boulder includes at least one 5.7/5.8 move, and three or more passes will begin to tire out the boulderer.  More interesting when there is a big muddy puddle below the boulder.

There are two distinct moves on this route. First get into the upper undercling (two positive slots right next to each other). Then, working your feet up above the flake, go for the crystals directly above. Don't use anything on the arete. This is a short problem, but rewarding.   A variation is to go left for the bucket of Green Bucket from the undercling.

Start same as Biceps.   #1. Step up below the lip of the overhang. Step right, and use an under cling to pull the overhang and reach the crack.

This historic traverse was first completed in the 1940s by Chris Scoredos, Don Hubbard, and Arnold Wexler. Today this route is an R rated adventure. The leader and follower will be exposed to ground fall potential and a fall on gear on this rock is questionable at best. There are multiple incidences of trad gear failing due to rock quality at Carderock.  

  Start: Garbage Chute Corner 

  P1: Climbing 20 feet up the Garbage Chute corner, then traverses right across the the cliff (downstream) at the obvious horizontal break in the cliff. Continue past the corner of Trudie's Terror. Belay at the scrubby pine. (~150ft) 

  P2: Down climb the easy ramp/corner. Make an exposed move over the water to gain the foot ledge. Continue out the ledge until you are below a licheny, slightly vegetated crack (V1). Climb the crack to top of the cliff.  

  V1: from the vegetated crack, continue traversing right and turn a corner.  (this variation is the historical description but has not been climbed/verified recently)

Just right of the big 5.4 off-width fissure, carefully climb the groove.  To climb the right crack, go straight up as the groove turns into an  obvious crack above to the top.  To climb the left crack, angle left about 25 feet up following the slanting layback crack-flake. 

  This enjoyable route is long by Carderock standards, and along with its left variation and the two adjoining more difficult routes makes a good option when the rest of the crag is occupied.

Start at the lower edge of the Biceps overhang.   #1. Move right, up face, using laybacks and a mantle finish.

Thought to have originally escaped left onto what is now the top of Cripples.   Start right of Cripples, scramble to an off balance ledge below a white streak in the rock above.   #1. Climb the left face of the groove onto the ramp. Undercling the overhang; step right and pull the overhang using a thin right crack. Reach the high for this with a balance move.

Carderock is great for little kids, as the descent makes a good challenge for any sized person, and the base is relatively benign, as long as there are firm rules about going near the river bank.   

  There are several excellent places to top rope at Carderock with 3-5 year olds who are just starting out.  (Note that many of the easy regular routes have holds spaced too far apart for tots.)  

  Here are three slightly less than obvious ones:  

  1) Broken Crevice. The Broken Crevice between the Silver Spot face and the Biceps buttress.  A good spot to begin as it starts with ledgey steps, and gets progressively steeper and the last bit can be deceptively challenging for a three year old.   2) Kindergarten Face Easy. Kindergarten Face just left of the nose.  An easy traverse leads to a small left facing groove corner.  Set the carabiners just right (looking down) of this groove, as the final moves above the groove break left slightly to the top of the face.   3) Meenehan's No Hands Slab. A largish very low angle slab just right of Meenehan's Staircase in the alcove up and right of Beginner's Crack alcove.  This low angle face makes a good first challenge for the littlest ones; and if they make it, have them try the steeper face above, as the ledge in between provides a point to stop and regather totlet karma. 

  [If you're hoping to climb with grown-ups on the same rope, it is possible to combine Kindergarten with Spiderwalk; or the Laundry Chute and Yellow Jacket.  Another helpful combo is Green Bucket - Golden Staircase, as the 30 foot section below Green Bucket is easy 4th.]

Start on a ledge and a sidepull about four feet off the ground. Grab a great crimp on top of a triangle block with your right hand. Slap over the arete and find a decent sloper. Cross off the sloper to a great slot and use other slots to top it out.

Start on the face left of the vertical crack on the Green Bucket.    #1. Climb over the bulge past the small left facing corner to the top.

Climb up to and over or around an overhanging block. Then climb the left to right groove that features yellow lichen 2/3 the way up on right facing flakes and edges. If torqued into the groove correctly you can manage a no hands rest at the crux.

Again a nice an easy boulder a couple of obvious holds and easy top out. Enjoy the view!

Start at the crack in the slab and climb up the arete to the top. Steep and mildly desperate. This is basically a boulder problem 15' off the ground. 

Climb up into the hole, sometimes wet, to the right of the incipient overhang, and fiddle around until you can get a hand on the obvious right-facing flange above. Yard on this and layback delicately to the top.  Keep going on the rough rock above.

Start at right-facing flake, cross an overhang, then use only hands and feet within a foot-wide zone centered on a hairline crack. Good slabby footwork and balance practice. Locals called it a Carderock classic, thus the rating.

Climb the broken low angle crack/slab behind the large tree. This is a good climb for someone who is just starting out.

Start same as Easy Layback.   #1. Climb the face to the right of the Easy Layback crack.

Darn if I know.  Zig, zag, finish the same as Triple A.  Then show me how :)

Start at Trudie's Terror and move right and up through a bump. The traverse will be on big quartz footholds until you are directly below the overlap (this is the nipple). Climb up and over the initial overhang on beautiful quartz crystals.

This is a great leadable climb. Don't be fooled by that 5.3 rating though, due to heavy traffic the holds are all polished and slick as marbles. 

  According to the guidebook, the first part of the climb you should head up the face climb to the left of the crack, then move into the crack once you're on the easier ground. 

  If you head right up the crack though, it is definitely quite challenging, and feels more like 5.8ish for the first few moves till you're up it. 

  Enjoy the harder start, then scamper up the low angle ramp to the vertical exit. Good fun.

An excellent and easy climb for beginners. Climb the corner.

Start on the face just to the right of Cripple's Crack.  About 2/3 of the way up, the rock slants up and to the left under a roof.  Follow that slant and finish on Cripple's Crack.

Climb the crack and corner.  Good holds all the way up.

Start below the bolt(and scar) between TripleA and the corner, same as Mad Dog.   #1. Climb straight up and to the top (and not right like Mad Dog)

From AFALCON GUIDE by Eric J. Horst:   "Climb along the hairline crack located just right of Easy Layback and finish up the corner above to the top." 

  The first handful of moves are thin and very crimpy. The crux is a single move about 12 feet up and is what gives this route a 5.10b rating. After reaching the corner, holds are good and it's smooth sailing to the top.

Easy climb with nice holds.  Starts at the base of a tree.  Good climb for small kids - 5, 6 and 10 year olds climbed it with no problem.

From AFALCON GUIDE by Eric J. Horst:   "Begin at a 12 foot-high, right facing flake 15 feet to the right of Easy Layback. Climb the flake and face above to a stance. Finish up over the bulge to the top."

Fun climb that poses a couple of little cruxes, mostly thin with crimpers: Note the holds on the corner are off.  A common variation of this climb is to use only hand holds on the corner, and feet on the slab.

Start at the left diagonal crack, and climb via layback.

Climb the block left of Nubble Face to a ledge below underclings and side pulls along with slick feet. Move up to the "green bucket" hold and then up and over the overhang. This route at Carderock may not live up to its rating compared to some other classics.

Make some difficult moves up past the crystal knobs - using the rib to the right to make it easier - until one crosses Sterling's Double Crack.  Keep climbing past a few pockets straight up the face about 5 feet left of Sterling's Right Double Crack.

Start same as Yellow Jacket.   #1. Climb the groove stemming wide, between Leonards's Lunacy and Yellow jacket. Half way up, move left and follow the thin crack to the top.   Some variations can be done.

Start same as Bicep.   #1. Climb the left side of the overhang, 50 feet down-stream of the walk down.

Pretty easy just dont hit anybody if you fall

Easy climbing to the overhang just left of The Crack at Hades Heights.  This route is really a boulder problem 15 ft off the ground.  Pull through the center of the overhang.  Climbing is much easier on the right (exploiting the arete).

Start same as Incipient.   #1. Climb the face between Incipient and Friction Layback.

Climb the crack (the left of the two here).  There's a small, triangular roof about 2/3 of the way up.  Go around the right side of that.  There's another roof about 3/4 of the way up, and stay to the left of that.  Then it's a slab climb to the top.

Climb the face by attaining the slight j-shaped groove and smearing in this until it runs out, using progressively smaller face holds to make progressively harder and shorter moves on the face above.  Though the last portion is ridiculously delicate and involved, the lower sections are worth working on anyway. 

  (Little Dave has reputedly done this ankle breaker w/out a rope...)

Climb up the short slab to the undercling and onto the face. Follow the quartz bulge to the top. One of the coolest holds in all of Carderock is found on this route imo.

Start to the right of a right-facing flake, under an old bolt.  Head straight up the wall.

Climb a narrow path between Butterfly and Easy Layback.  The crack is off.  So is the left side of the face.  What's on?  About 2 feet in the middle.

From the hole five feet up climb straight up over the bulge above on face holds without using either the flange formed by Friction Layback to your right or the crack angling up to the left which divides the Bulge from Nubbin Face to your left.  Challenging high steps on little crimpers and nubbles. 

  The crack angling up to the left from the hole is called 'Bulging Crack' (5.6), and makes a good escape or easier line of ascent worthwhile on its own terms.

Chris's Goat is a Carderock (aka sandbag) 5.7 that ascends the curling edge of the buttress dividing Incipient Crack from Cripple's Crack.   

  Start is the same as Friction Layback, but traverse right under the Incipient overhang to the buttress edge, and carefully layback this to the top, drifting slowly with your feet onto the steeper Cripple's face in order to avoid barndooring your rear end and the rest of you into an undesirable bass-akwards pirouette across the same. 

  (A slightly harder start is possible by beginning on Cripple's Crack and working up and left to join Chris's goat where it reaches the buttress from its traverse under the overhang.)

Silver Spot the common way.Climb Silver Spot to the crux, then use 1/2 pad horizontal flake top to step left away from crux.So, pull up into and step on right facing half moon. Work liebacks at moderate grade to crux, instead of blank right facing super slopers, use left flake top, attempt to match gracefully; like you meant to escape, (throw a Janja kick flare?) finish easy ground (5.11b), and wonder if you will ever climb the straight up slab finish. (5.12d) 

Climb the rounded arete at the base of the walkdown between Jungle Cliffs and Hades Heights.

Carderock’s downstream end. Beginning at the scramble down and Kindergarten, Spiderwalk and Silver Spot and ending where the river meets the rock at Trudy’s Terror.  At Biceps overhang, shade trees give way to open skies and warm south aspect faces of Hades Heights. Routes continue down with Green Bucket, Nubble Face then turning a corner at Cripple Crack, finishing with Merv’s Nerve, Easy Lieback and Finger Nail. Hades Heights is adjacent the Potomac River offering views up and downstream and across to Vaso Island. Generations of climbing has rendered the base of the wall bare ground and some of the holds polished. A 15 m length of anchor rope protects the top roping with tree and block anchors.  

Description

Routes in Hades Heights