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joepuryear
climber
Leavenworth, WA and Talkeetna, AK
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 5, 2009 - 02:41pm PT
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I just got back from another fun-filled tower climbing adventure. This trip was a bit shorter than the last, at only 3 weeks, but I still managed to squeeze in 24 towers.
Here are the links to the last two SuperTopo trip reports I did on tower climbing:
Utah Desert Tower Tour
I love the Desert
My wife Michelle and I drove down to Moab in early October and decided to warm up with a couple towers in Arches National Park.
First off was Dark Angel, West Face (5.10+), a very prominent tower in the north of Arches, with a pleasant and scenic 3-mile approach.
The next day we met up with our friends Steph and Drew and hopped on the Three Penguins, Right Chimney (5.10c) a cool 2 pitch tower right over the road.
An enjoyable hand crack led to a fun off-width.
The next day we headed down to Valley of the Gods, a remote and desolate canyon just north of Mexican Hat.
The first day we all climbed Petard Tower, Hurley-Rearic Route (II 5.10-). It's a fun little route on a truly freestanding tower.
The next day Michelle and I climbed Putterman on the Throne, Supercalifragilisticexpialiputterman (III 5.9 C1) and Putterman in a Bathtub, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Putterworld (II 5.9 C1), while Steph and Drew climbed Eagle Plume Tower across the way. Both routes were super-cool and had awesome summits.
Here's another shot with Eagle Plume Tower for perspective.
The next day we climbed the ultra-classic Eagle Plume Tower, South Face (III 5.10), the Castle Tower of Valley of the Gods.
While not as solid as its northerly neighbor, it offers thoughtful, sustained and varied climbing right to the summit.
No trip to this part of the desert would be complete without a run up Mexican Hat, Bandito Route (C1)
On our way back north we decided to have a look at Magic Man, Prayer Stick (III, 5.10+) on Comb Ridge, a cool propped-up tower in the middle of nowhere.
The 2nd pitch is the crux, a brutal wide crack that goes from 100' of fists and larger to a crux 10" section up high. Overall a super high-quality pitch though and a fun route overall.
Michelle had one more day to climb before flying back home from GJ, so we revisited Colorado National Monument for a quick climb of Sentinel Spire, Fast Draw (II, 5.10).
The first pitch is a splitter 100' hand crack, then two fun chimney pitches lead to the summit.
After Michelle left I took a rest day before meeting up with my best tower-climbing buddy Stoney and the infamous Tom Payne.
We warmed up with a blustery morning climb of Dolomite Spire, Kor Route (III 5.9 C2) and Lighthouse Tower, Lonely Vigil (II 5.10-).
Dolomite was a nice mix of free and aid climbing.
Lighthouse started with a nice long 5.10 pitch, followed by a steep chimney.
The summit of Lighthouse is pretty small, just big enough for the three of us. The fun part was downclimbing back down off the summit, since there are no anchors on top.
The next day we headed out to "scout" the route for the Doric Column out in the Mystery Towers. That afternoon we came back and climbed The Hindu, Maverick (II 5.9 C2), an excellent 2 pitch route on one of the best looking towers.
Later that evening we headed on over to the Fisher Towers and took a few laps on Lizard Rock, Entry Fee (5.8) and the other variation to the left.
The next day we climbed Echo Tower, Phantom Spirit (IV 5.9 C2). This was one of the best aid route's I've done in the Fishers. It's pretty much all natural gear (no bolt ladders) and goes clean easily.
That afternoon we took some laps on some of the towers beneath Ancient Art. We climbed Boxtop (5.10), The Cobra (5.11), and the two shorter towers just west of the Cobra, one of which was just a boulder problem, the other actually had some hard, loose climbing. (Edit: Anyone know the names of these two?)
A warning to all about the Cobra: the Cobra shuttered and swayed twice, while we were on it. I've never heard of or had that do that before. Fun times...
The next mission was River Tower, North Face (III 5.8 C2), a really cool tower just north of the Fishers, made of the same Cutler sandstone. The route is a good introductory to this type of climbing with no real difficulties, but a nice location and great views.
That afternoon we drove down the road and climbed Crooked Arrow Spire, Longbow Chimney (III 5.8 C1). This has got to have one of the funnest (and easiest) chimneys in the desert.
Next it was another quick visit to Arches. Both Stoney and Tom had already climbed Tower of Babel, Zenyatta Entrada (IV 5.8 C3), but agreed to let me short-fix them up it. It was a great 3 hour session of excellent straight-forward clean aid climbing.
Another rest day, then our final destination was to be Canyonlands. First order of business was Charlie Horse Needle, North Face (5.10 C1). Wingate climbing is nice too.
Next we ghost rode the whip around the White Rim to do Tiki Tower, Brave Little Toaster (III 5.9 C1). Tiki is a little known tower that sits on the western end of a ridge of forming towers behind the larger Airport Tower.
One of the main objectives of this trip for me was Islet in the Sky, Original Route (IV 5.10 C3), one of the best looking towers out there and with a real big-wall feel.
After a wandering and sustained 5.10 hand/fist crack on the first pitch, the climb does a horizontal traverse left out onto the north wall of the tower, giving it a real airy feel. It then climbs a 2 pitch splitter seam, then a short free pitch to the summit.
Another huge objective for me was the Pixie Stick (III C3). My friend Dougald (who made the first ascent with Paul Gagner), turned me on to this slender little spire in a remote section of Monument Basin.
I got to lead both pitches, Tom belayed, and Stoney took the photos.
What a really cool climb - and still awaiting a free ascent...
While we were out there we found a splitter 200' hand crack on the White Rim that we each took a turn soloing...
Finally it was time for some free climbing on The Mock Turtle, Mud Wrestling (IV 5.10+). The Mock Turtle is the highest free-standing tower in Monument Basin, and is uniquely capped by five feet of the white rim sandstone.
A got sandbagged into linking the first two crux pitches together into one mega 190' mud fest. "Yeah Joe, just keep climbing, you can make it to those next anchors..."
Stoney led the next pitch, a super-squeeze chimney. He ended up having to remove every last piece of gear from his harness, helmet off, and retie his rope below his waste to fit through.
We were treated to some cool wildlife while down there.
And for a parting shot, I went around and took some photos after climbing and took a shot of Six Shooter Lake in Indian Creek:
Desert Towers rule!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Damn, dude, that's like a year's worth of climbing!!!
Badass indeed. Nice shots.
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Hoots
climber
Toyota Tacoma
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DOOOOOOOOOD! You get it done. I love the pics of these obscurities. Thanks for sharing.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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VERY nice!
Great pics of some cool out of the way ones too...
Thanks for posting up!
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franky
climber
Davis, CA
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Man, utah is great.
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MH2
climber
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Deserves some kind of climbing/photography biathlon prize.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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UNREAL!!!!
thx much!!!
Pixie Stick looks amazing! WHat a prize!
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schwortz
Social climber
davis, ca
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awesome
and i thought 7 towers in two weeks was a pretty good road trip...nice slice of humble pie....
awesome stuff
great photos
i love the desert
thanks
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Dang, that's a lot of towers for one trip! How many days?
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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Awesome!
That's a lot of climbing in that 3 weeks. Thanks for sharing.
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Dirka
Trad climber
SF
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What an adventure! Thanks for posting up!!!!!
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Redlands
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Beautiful pics. Love that ancient art in profile.
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Tea
Trad climber
Behind the Zion Curtain
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Proper! Thanks for sharing! Islet in the Sky is proud!
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Barcus
Social climber
San Luis Obispo, Ca.
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Awsome trek!
thanks much for sharin.
Marcus
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Since when is Charliehorse Needle an obscurity Hoots?
Easy to get to, reasonable.
The desert holds stuff far more obscure.
Nice job, Joe.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Hoh man!. I'm out the door to eat, but i will be back to comment. Short story; nice work!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Islet looks phenomenal, and the pic of the traversing pitch is a wild one. Thanks so much for sharing.
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