The Flake is a seldom led classic, and a good test piece for those who are up for it. Be warned it is a significant step up in terms of difficulty and commitment from the Watusi and Shotgun, both of which are safe but spicy 12's. Note the Todd Swain Arizona guidebook misrepresents the path of this route and Bach's Celebration in the photo.Begin a few corner systems to the right of Paradise Lost, just right of the "I am the master" graffiti (I recommend reciting this mantra before leaving the ground). Climb up relatively easy but exfoliating rock to a stance below a roof. Under this roof are some suspect wedged blocks - apparently on the FA the huge namesake flake was trundled here - but with care you only need to yard on the most solid of these. Bust a frightening and committing move left around the corner to a sloping stance. This is where Bach's Celebration continues straight up and The Flake moves back right. Much good gear can be arranged here, including a pretty solid #3 Camalot at the top of a flaring crack. That's it for awhile. From the sloping stance reach right and bear hug up twin aretes until it is possible to rock over to the right to another stance. Scary moves lead up to a decent incut where you may be able to place tiny pro overhead. If solid, the crux, a desperate, powerful, and balancey affair, is reasonably well-protected, but if this gear fails, you're in for a long, violent ride. The crux culminates with better holds and gear. Finally, pull up onto a ledge at the base of a final stembox. This section is also cruxy and requires thinking inside the box. The pro is good, but only an attentive belay will keep you from plopping back onto that little ledge.Whew! This route is really good and will expose your mental and technical weaknesses. It could easily command 12+ and have several bolts at many lesser areas. 

The Flake

Three Turkeys

Trapeze

Bushman

The Equalizer

Valentine's Day

Torpedo

Paradise Lost

Australians at the Forks

Queenfolia

Brown Derby

[Redacted]

Girls Route

Bushdoctor

Kingfolia

Bladerunner

Jane Fonda Workout

Bach's Celebration

Scary Larry

Loose Lips

Kingkinkus

Watusi

Bach's Celebration is an awesome route that throws it all at you.  A heady start leads to some long stemming moves to a complete rest on a ledge; this is then followed by steep, athletic climbing up face holds and parallel seams.  It's quite a bit safer than it's neighbor, The Flake, but somewhat harder. 

  Do the same dicey start (PG13) as for The Flake, but at the stance where you get the good, high #3 Camalot, instead of traversing out right, continue straight up via difficult stemming and small wires for pro.  This ends at the top of the obvious pillar with the tree growing on it.  Rest up here, because after this things are full on.  Continuous, physical climbing up the overhanging wall with good gear leads to the rim.  This last section is hard to suss on the fly, and requires traversing back and forth between the best holds of two, parallel crack systems.  Neither one seemed to be climbable alone, but by moving between them, and using the occasional face hold, upwards progress, and gear, is possible.

A right angling flake (about 20ft up) between Loose Lips and Retards Recess. A left facing crack leads to a small roof leading to a right angling flake (classic and good fun) leading to the start of the crux with flared hand jams and holds on the right, leading to only flared jams on a slightly overhanging wall

More of a boulder problem than a route, but a good one.  Scramble up the hill to the right of Girl's Route until you're under a big roof with a crack under its belly.  Jam (or if you're strong undercling) the roof with no feet.  Pretty burly for the grade.  After the roof it's a cruise to the top.

This route is the direct finish to Bush Doctor- continue right up the crack rather than moving left toward the top of Retard's Recess.

The Equalizer has been a test piece for generations, and was THEE hard route to do at the Forks for three decades. This line features bouldery climbing on pretty generous holds, with a dash of decent gear. It’s a strikingly clean line with wide open air.

 Start by a large boulder with a bit of face climbing into a small left facing corner. From here stem, slap, deadpoint, and keep your head together. Very sustained and bouldery. Other known leads by Johnny Woodward, John Mattson, Matt Childers, and Ty Mack placing gear on the run. Brilliant and demanding climbing!

Same start as Kingkinkus. When you get past the broken start and reach the slabby section approx 35' up, you'll see a sharp flake on your right with an obvious jug above it. Protect high in the slabby section (#0 metolius) and climb towards the jug. It's possible to go right and up, or up and right ;). Once you reach the jug there's a nice slot for a #3 metolius (a.red alien works nicely here). Continue up steep climbing, following the seam to finger crack, with helpful little jugs everywhere you need them.

 This climb is stellar, some of the steepest rock at The Forks.

One of the Forks classics. Located on the left side of the Davidson wall, 20 ft left of Loose Lips. Scramble up some easy blocks to a step right into a stemming corner with twin finger cracks. Plug in a piece or 2, and stem and jam up the beautiful cracks for 50 feet. When the left crack goes wide, follow the right crack to the rim.

 There's a variation finish that steps right of the pillar. A thin hands piece with extra-long runner protects the transition. After that, the gear I would want would be purple through orange metolius (.5 camelot). Airy liebacks with solid holds and gear. It ups the grade to 11-, and the quality to 4 stars.

Pull some unprotected, bouldery moves from the left to get to a beautiful right-facing fingers dihedral.  Flared jams, hard stemming, and a bit of power laybacking are all required on this stout, sustained route.  One of the most classic lines at the Forks.

This is one of the two bolted lines at the Forks.  The other being American at Arapalies.  While the question as to whether this should have remained a toprope will continue to be an issue it is a fun, if not short, route.  Start as you would for Loose Lips, after the bouldery start make a blind stretch to clip the first bolt around the corner to your right.  With the bolt clipped ease your way onto the face and balance slap and pimp your way through to the next bolt.  With that clipped a little finese to a very cool throw and insecure mantel will get you to the top section of Loose lips.

Located about 25 feet left of Brown Derby this route begins on face climbing up then right to the base of a nice corner hand crack.  Climb this hand crack to the top of a pillar.  From this point straight up is Kingfolia (5.10+).  Climb up and right out a flake on great holds then exit on a thin hands crack.

First moves up a slab (1st crux), with good holds on the wall to the left. Easier climbing leads to roof, with a nice lieback crack moving left (2nd crux). Roof protects well with .5 and sling. Make final hard moves up crack with prominent ledge on wall right of crack (3rd crux). Nice constricting jam at the top of thin crack helps get you to easier climbing for last 20ft.

Located between Three Turkeys and Paradise Lost, Retard's Recess climbs a sweet right facing dihedral to the canyon's rim.  Face climbing up and left leads to the dihedral.  Twin cracks lead to a short but stiff crux near the top out.

Start up Brown Derby and break right just below the roof at nice incuts and large feet in the broken rock. Climb the clean fingers/tight hands corner above to the rim. Other than the kind of crummy start on Brown Derby, this climbs really well and has an interesting Overlook sort of feel to it. The route's name is pretty lame too (found in Bloom's guidebook).

Climb up a face then traverse right to a fingercrack in right facing corner. Crank up using good locks and poor feet, then rest in the alcove below the bulge. Climb partway out the bulge then reach left to an incut shelf, dangle, and mantle like a fiend!

Same start as Queenfolia and Blade Runner. Start by climbing on face holds up and left past a low roof and shallow left facing corner. Then climb up and right on easy rock to a hand crack leading to the top of a pillar. Climb up steep rock on jugs, then make a move left to some good crimps at the base of a right facing corner with a perfect fingercrack. Fire in some gear and pull up into the corner...  Careful, its balancey! Climb a few moves of rattly fingers to juggy blocks and the rim. Phew!

Bladerunner is a full value pitch and a Fork's classic for the grade. A great one to save for a strong onsight as the gear is good, and the holds are great.

 From where you start King and Queenfolia climb up and left into a right facing dihedral. Work up into double finger cracks with tenuous tight stems and a big move to a distant hold. Finish up hand crack.

This is an awesome stem test problem just left of Loose Lips.  Start up thin crack to sloping ledge, then let the workout begin.  Technical stemming over crimps and small laybacks to double cracks at the top.

Arete to shallow groove. The original FA report doesn't specifically say that it was a TR, but most will probably want to go that way.

Climb up thin crack with faceholds to a ledge, then thin hands & hands up left side of pillar to top of the pillar.  Rest, then jam thin crack to top.

Start 10 feet right of Queenfolia in a corner with a flared hand crack then move up and right to easy climbing on a steepening face into a stem box.  Get a piece in with a long runner and climb the diagonal crack system to the left. Finish just right of Queenfolia.  Not climbed too often, but worth it.

If you are looking for a line which is a little more on the technical side of things, then you just found it. The Watusi (Waugh-tusi?) is a classic dance between 5.12 cranks and small, spacey protection. Its been a test piece for generations.To the right of Equalizer. Climb up right facing dihedral to a slender, detached looking mini pillar just past midheight. Get on top of that and let the fun begin with long, bouldery moves on positive edges. Just when you think its over the bulge at the top will test you one more time.

Named for Arizona hardman, Paul Davidson, this wall is home to a bunch of the hard classic cracks of Paradise Forks. Picture golden brown basalt columns and steep, long, demanding routes. During the summer season, this wall is in shade early in the morning and sun thereafter.

Description

Protection

Routes in Davidson Wall