Scramble up onto the blocks to the the highest point of the saddle.  We did a shoulder stand from this high point but that might not be necessary.  (We were in approach shoes with puffy pants and there was 6” of snow...).  There was a hueco that looked like it would take a big cam off the saddle but we didn’t have one.  Climb some huecos to a horizontal crack and place some finger to hand sized cams. Continue up huecos to the first bolt in a bolt ladder that will take you to an anchor just below the top. From the anchor you can climb the last 10’ up and down on the chossy rock.

Hip Dysplasia

The Crying Python

Misplaced Lunate

The Hissing Cobra

Climb onto the pile of rocks and clip the first bolt. A few more bolts brings you to a horizontal that takes a hand sized piece. Another bolt brings you to the anchor just below the summit.  Scramble the last 5’ to the summit and back down.

We started up a chossy chimney to the west 150’ and then continued upward and eastward in the chimney until we got to the tower about 60’ up.  This was probably 5.8 and about 200’. There is a little ledge here deep in a cleft that is at the base of a short OW that is the saddle between the tower and the main wall behind. There is a direct line that might be the better option to this point. Matt thought it would go at 5.9. From here continue up the flared OW into the chimney and continue placing some random cams along the way (.5, .4, .75). Stem up until you can reach the first of two bolts. 5.5 takes you from the bolts to the top. The anchor is on the NW side of the tower.  Divide the route into pitches as you see fit. (I soloed the first bit then threw a rope down to Matt who was on the ground and hauled up the gear. We did the route in 1 contrived pitch with considerable rope drag.)

There are two routes on this tower, one on the west side and one on the East.

The route on the East side looked new and appeared to be just a straight bolt ladder after 15’ of C1 in a finger to hand crack.

We did the route on the west side with a stick clip which allowed us to skip some serious hooking.  The top of the west side route requires some free climbing on rotten rock with no good pro for the last 10-15’.  There was maybe 10 bolts on the west side and 20 on the east side. The anchor is two bolts on the south side of the tower.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Heat Wave Area