Follow discontinuous crack system between Open Books and Gothic Pillar.  Likely crux low on the route, with another passing the bulge at the top.

Lean Green Machine

Gothic Pillar

Yellow Wall

Skewed Right Up

Pure Vida

Aussie Avalanche

Take the Plunge

Easy Gully

Black and Tan

Dirty Corner

Black Streak

Open Books

Comales Tamale

Tranquilo

Another quality line on Water Wall, Open Books starts up 3 open book features, then turns a roof at the top. 

  Start in the first open book, step right on a ledge, head up the 2nd open book (still easy), step right and enter the 3rd open book.  A technical crux guards the exit stepping left out of this last corner, which is followed by easy climbing to the headwall.  Clip a piton with a big reach (can be backed up with gear), and turn the tricky steep section- the 2nd crux of the route- to the big ledge and the anchor.

Gothic Pillar is a nice 5.6 climb at Comales, with enough features to make it beginner- and kid-friendly.Start right of an alcove/indentation in the rock. Gear is kind of tricky or hard to find for the first 20', which may worry some 5.6 leaders. But soon enough you reach a crack in a left-facing corner. Follow it, and the pillar it forms, up to a low-angled, featured face.

Good climbing with tricky pro to a cruxy bulge shortly before the anchors.

This bolted line right of Black & Tan isn't in the book. 

  Climb a committing lieback start to reach the first bolt.  This first hard part can be protected with a small cam.  Move right under a small overhang, then head up to reach the second bolt.  Pass another roof and climb thin face to the top.

A fun route on good stone with a sustained section of climbing through the middle.

Crux at the start. Then pretty much cruiser to the top with fun climbing.

Take the Plunge is a nice direct way up to the next anchor left of Comales Tamale.  Jay's book shows 4 different routes reaching this anchor, this is the leftmost of these options.  It's presumably named for the springtime starting conditions... in the creek. 

  Start just left of the black streak, boulder through a steep bulge off the ground (crux).  Enter a shallow right-facing corner with two cracks.  These cracks turn into seams as the difficulty eases.

A vegetated alternative that shares anchors with "Aussie Avalanche" and "Take the Plunge".

Black & Tan is a fun 5.10 climb on the Leaning Boulder/Water Wall.   Climb an easy start to a single hard move before clipping the first bolt (can place a cam first).  Step right and pull on positive holds on a bulge/prow. Above, you'll turn a small roof and reach a technical face to one last bulge [had a fixed pin, now missing] before the chains. 

  The clean tan face to the left can be toproped at a slightly harder grade.

I did not find this to be particularly dirty, but I can see how it got the name.  Fun climb and more worth doing than the name suggests.  I have found all routes on this crag to have solid rock for placing protection.

This is a toprope problem between "Take the Plunge" and Aussie Avalanche". The crux is about 1/3 of the way up. It involve dicing your way a blank-looking bulge in a black water streak.

Comales Tamale is the tallest and probably the most aesthetic line on the Water Wall. 

  Fun moves in a shallow right facing corner as you step right past one roof, then turn a second roof on good hand jams with many features.  The steepness eases for a short section before a steep final headwall with 2 bolts, which can be avoided to the left, keeping the route at 5.8. "5.8-climbing topropers" will be happier with a directional piece protecting this variation.

Great holds lead up to a few bulges that are protected by bolts with great clipping holds.  Look for some great side pulls and have fun. Little run out up to the chains for some spice.

The lower wall in Comales Canyon. The stream/river runs right by the base of the wall in places. West facing so a bit of afternoon sun, though the hang at the base stays shaded and some routes are shaded by trees. The wall is up to 100' tall and mostly lower angle with many easy to moderate mixed routes. 

  The first wall the the stream runs along also has a handful of routes on it as well as another wall further up stream from Water Wall.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Water Wall