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North Face - 5.11a popular

Average Rating = 5.00/5 Average Rating : 5.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 1
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (20)
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Rock (Trad)
G
3
Double rack to Rack to 4", stoppers, and an optional #6 camalot. Take 3-8 blue camalots.
350
Consensus Ratings
  Difficulty 5.11a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure 5.00/5
  Rock Quality 5.00/5
  Scenery 5.00/5
  Fun Factor 5.00/5

Description:

Start 40 feet right of the scramble towards N. Chimney at a prominent long right facing corner. (p. 1: 150 feet, 5.11-) This is the pitch you brought all those blue cams for. Jam, stem, and fight up the sustained corner crack to a rest under a small roof. Continue up to a stance, undercling the flake above to the right, and make a committing layback up to a good ledge and bolted belay. (p. 2: 70 feet, 5.10) Watch your ankles on this one. Make hard moves off the belay up a right-leaning calcite encrusted crack to a stance in a pod. Pull through on the crack above, trend left towards a rest at some dinosaur tracks. Continue up to a good bolted stance. (p. 3: 140 feet, 5.10) Walk right to a crack system, climb up to the hanging flake. Continue up an right, following a wide crack system that eases towards the summit chimney.

Descent Options:

Rap the route with double ropes.

Submitted by: joe on 2009-05-03
Views: 2849
Route ID: 5528

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20 Ascents Recorded

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Ratings
  Difficulty
  Safety Rating G
Onsight Onsight ascent by: cracklover on 2015-04-13 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic

I led P1 and 2. Kent (The Sender) led P3. He found the #6 helpful. The P1 crux was an interesting puzzle. I was pleased, and surprised, to find that it was all protectable too!

Added: 2015-05-03

Ratings
  Difficulty 5.11a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: dowww on 2009-03-19 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars North Face

I see David had some extra time in the airport to sign summit logs! Yes I concur, fantastic desert tower route, by anyone's standard. I like OW, but then I drink Coors light beer as well. Like David said, either take a #6 or stop at 4". I carried the damn #5 all the way to the summit on lead. The crux of those last two pitches was really the weird, hard to protect on lead, overhanging 2" crack on that meandering 2nd pitch. The story below regarding the young men who thought they were on the North Chimney as they battled the first pitch is kind of stories I sure wish climbing Mags would print more of, versus who the biggest climbing jock is. (we all know that is David!)

Added: 2009-03-24

Ratings
  Difficulty 5.11a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: lucander on 2009-03-19 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars Castleton N. Face

Wow! More fun than Primrose because there's a little less stress. 3 outstanding pitches. Led the first one with lots of huffing and puffing, even the stances are strenuous. Took 7 blue camalots, placed 6 of them. The crux final move is committing, well protected but difficult to downclimb. Dow led the upper two pitches, I thought this trade worked out because (1) it let me avoid the ankle cracking potential on p. 2 and (2) it let me heckle him while leading the OW on p. 3. A #5 camalot was wortheless on this pitch, if anything big take a #6.

Added: 2009-03-24

Ratings
  Difficulty 5.11a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: flamer on 2008-04-23 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars Great route

....

Added: 2008-04-23

Ratings
  Difficulty
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: franzr on 2001-05-01 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars One of the best tower routes

This thing is insanely good. Exposed and awesome.

Added: 2007-04-26

... Read all 20 ascent notes