There are so many different climbing areas around White Rock, we think we may just spend the winter exploring them. Today we discover The Playground, an almost beach-like sandy bench under a cliff with a lot of crack climbing, much of it top-ropeable. There is one other party basking in the warmth today, and we trade routes with them.

Our routes:

Upper Left Roof 5.9

Great variety on this route – stemming, polished fingerlocks, thin face, and a final strenuous sidepull to the anchor.

Beginner’s Hand Jam 5.9

Beautiful jams at the bottom, with an exciting steep finish.

Fingertip Layback 5.10d

I surprise myself by cranking through the big, thin moves at the bottom. Fun! Then I fall off a little roof midway, and have to detour to the right, still too pumped to finish without more falls.