After climbing at E-rock, it can be a bit decieving heading into an area full of aparment complexes and houses when you are actually trying to find the rockclimbing crag, but welcome to Austin's Greenbelt. After a few hours on the road and some U-turns, the faithful Neon made it to the entrance way to the "New Wall/Great Wall" area. At the time I went (May-June, 2002), there were construction signs marking the entrance to the pathway, but if these are no longer there, the entrance is right across the street from a small shopping center. I've added a link to full directions below. Oh, and don't forget the water, you will need it. When you get onto the path, it will hook right and go for about half a mile before you see a cliff line. Listen for flailing climbers, it takes you right to the spot...right Ken? (Just kidding).
As for our day at the wall...
As soon as I found the break in the trees opening up the view of the wall, I saw Gary, Elisa, and Keith all looking up. Following their stares 20 feet up I see my buddy Ken, arm's with veins about to burst, asking for some sympathy from the wall. Knowing the guy can do pullups like I can push the remote control button, I had a distinct feeling that this might be a tuff crag. After a quick warm up with some bouldering to the left of the main wall, I hopped on "Meet the Flintstones (5.9)".
This is an excellent warm up. It is full of very secure, bomber holds, but has a nice surpise near the top right when you think the climb is over (You'll see). Keith, a new addition to the climbing world, tried his hand at "School Boy Indirect (5.9)". There is an incredible flake starting about 10 feet up that begs to be grabbed. The picture to the right shows Keith traversing under a roof to grab the flake. Here's where the clincher is, if you are toproping, as soon as you unclip under the roof before grabbing for the flake, you are committed or else you will swing out from the wall too far to get back on. Get the flake, you're set. This wall can definitely be pumpy.
This is an excellent wall for the advanced climber with mostly routes ranging from 5.10 to 5.12. TexasClimbers.com has directions to the trailhead and an Adobe Acrobat topo of the wall.
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