Water Spirit

Water Spirit is a one star route currently verging on being a bomb due to dirt and vegetation. Even in the unlikely event that this route gets popular and cleans up, it would still be just one star due to the inconsistent climbing and the skirting of moss and a gully. But I enjoyed it. The climbing is not unpleasant, and the roof is interesting.

As for rating, Rossiter calls this 10d on his site, but I think there are harder 9+ and 10a trad climbs in Boulder Canyon. Water Spirit felt a bit harder than the nearby

Kama Sutra

, also a hand crack through a roof, which I rated 10a. That rating for

Kama Sutra

was confirmed by another party that climbed it the same day I did (accidentally, thinking

Kama Sutra

was

Crack of Dawn

). Water Spirit is a bit less straightforward. So I'm calling it 10b for now, trad rating.

Start: Water Spirit climbs the "Left Pillar" as does

Jungle of Stone

and

Black Rain

. After the scramble up to the left edge of Ledge 2, walk left a short distance and step up onto some blocks. Cut back right past the right side of a horizontal dead tree to a nice alcove with a large tree. This is the start of

Jungle of Stone

and

Black Rain

. Walk right on the ledge to the base of black roof with a hand crack and right facing corner through the roof.

The climb: The roof is in black rock and very ugly, but the climbing is better than it looks. The crux roof moves can be toproped with excellent high cams. You can climb up, place the gear, and downclimb, and leave the rest of your bigger cams on the ground. The roof can be climbed at least two ways: with a high step to the lip or straight on. If you climb it straight on, you may need to fist jam. Excellent buckets await you after the roof move.

After the roof, the climbing is 5.9 in a few places but mostly easier. Step left, leaving a piece to protect the second, then climb a thin crack just left of a small, bushy, left-facing corner. This leads to a ledge and another thin crack that continues up into the left side of the gully that separates Left Pillar from the main wall. Continue up the thin crack, stemming when you can, until it runs out. At one point here, my right foot slipped on some grass and I fell, but I stopped myself when my right foot hit a small ledge. So it's still an onsight, right? As long as you don't weight the rope? Step left around the arête onto the dirty slab at the first bolt. The slab gets cleaner above. Pass a tiny tree and climb the easy slab staying at the right edge past 2 more widely spaced bolts. You can place one or two pieces of gear. The climbing is easy, so the bolt spacing should not be a problem. Step left at the top to the anchors.

Single or double small cams from micro to red Alien. Singles above that. After the roof you only need the smaller cams. Single set nuts. 12+ slings including full length slings and a few draws. There are 3 bolts on the upper easy slab. The climb shares the two bolts with rings anchor used by

Jungle of Stone

and

Black Rain

. Tape or crack gloves are useful for the roof crux.