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bull
Sep 10, 2003, 10:06 PM
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This is my first post so please let me know if I am asking a foolish question but here goes.
I want to climb Devils Tower I have a little gym experience how good do I need to be to pull this off and not get killed or maimed?
I read that some of the routes are like 5.6 so if I can climb 5.9 in the gym am I good?
Thanks for any help in advance
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telluryan
Sep 10, 2003, 10:14 PM
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any experience climbing trad, placing gear, multipitch routes?? any experienced partners? I would recommend against it until getting some more outdoor experience, unless you will be following every pitch w/ someone who knows exactly what they are doing. IMHO
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vertx
Sep 10, 2003, 10:18 PM
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Have you ever done any trad climbing? Leading? Devils tower is not the gym. Its all crack climbing and route finding is critical. This is not the ideal first lead climb. I would recommend that you start with something a little easier and gain some experience with trad by climbing with an experienced climber.
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climbingspaz
Sep 10, 2003, 10:58 PM
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the route you are thinking of climbing is known as the Durance route. no pitch harder than 5.7. the thing is, if you've only climbed in a gym, you'll need either a guide (recommended if this is your first outdoor experience, regardless of where), or a couple experienced friends.
DT is multi-pitch heady goodness, but with that comes a lot more responsibility. you need to know how to set pro (if you are leading), clean pro (if you are following), and also know how to rappel (among other things).
you can swing by the needles in south dakota and get some decent leading experience in before you hit the tower. but regardless, you are going to want to travel with experienced multi-pitchers.
weather always seems to be a factor on the Tower and it never hurts to have experienced climbers with you in any event.
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redpoint73
Sep 10, 2003, 11:26 PM
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In reply to: I want to climb Devils Tower I have a little gym experience how good do I need to be to pull this off and not get killed or maimed?
You either need to be able to lead trad and have some multi-pitch experience, or go with someone who does. If not, you will die or be maimed.
Most people learn how to lead, then get comfortable on 1-pitch climbs, then move onto longer multi-pitch routes.
I took my friend on a 10-pitch climb at Cannon in NH ( a pretty serious undertaking) during his first summer of climbing outside (I've bee climbing for 8 years). It was his first multi-pitch, but I was pretty comfortable he could do it. He's a fighter, and tough -- I knew he was going to get up the thing one way or another. Plus, I knew we could bail-off/rappel at any time if we needed to.
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renobdarb
Sep 10, 2003, 11:39 PM
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There are about three guide services that will take you up Durrance (5.6) and make sure you're all safe and secure. If you do it on your own with the experience you have you're likely to be talus food.
-brad
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renobdarb
Sep 10, 2003, 11:46 PM
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In reply to: you can swing by the needles in south dakota and get some decent leading experience in before you hit the tower.
holy Christ, man, are you joking??? the Needles is no place to learn how to lead! freakishly runout with sketchy protection... for the love of God, do you want to kill this kid???
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inflight
Sep 10, 2003, 11:47 PM
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In reply to: I want to climb Devils Tower I have a little gym experience how good do I need to be to pull this off and not get killed or maimed?
If want to lead, you need to have the entire free climbing protection skill set mastered- placing passive and active protection on lead, building an anchor with rope/slings/cordelette, rappelling, self-rescue, how to bail.
Where you learn this is up to you. There are books, guides, other climbers, and websites. Question everything you come across and things that have been proven should have more weight than conjecture. It's your life so be certain.
In reply to: I read that some of the routes are like 5.6 so if I can climb 5.9 in the gym am I good?
You posses the physical ability to climb 5.6 but there are other skills associated with climbing to keep you alive namely protection. There's also climbing techniques that are only gained from experience in the outdoors. You cannot learn all the climbing techniques/moves in once place. It's takes time. Indoor climbing compliments climbing overall but plastic is no substitute for outdoor rock. Then there's mental acumen. The mind can be overrun by emotions such as fear when you first start outdoor climbing. And this can distract you from the task at hand or even the real enjoyment of climbing.
Inspiration is where it all begins. From here, build a foundation of knowledge, skills, mental tenacity, techniques and fitness, to ensure your safety and that of your partners in the unforgiving outdoor vertical world.
Peace!
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herm
Sep 11, 2003, 1:45 AM
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subtle. Is this a good one? T?
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neadamthal
Sep 11, 2003, 1:56 AM
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In reply to: subtle. Is this a good one? T?
ahhh, not that subtle. T3
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gblauer
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Sep 11, 2003, 2:13 AM
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Call Frank Sanders at Devils Tower Lodge. He is an expert in guiding beginers up the Durrance route. He is also a great guy.
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tradmanclimbs
Sep 11, 2003, 2:16 AM
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Judgeing by the number of serious replies from experinced posters (not nessicarly the same thing as experiences climberz) I would say that this one was at least T4+ 8) I witnessed a couple of 5.12 spurt climberz from the New, have an all day epic on the 5.6 Durrance rt and after getting totaly spanked and rasberryed from head to toe they tucked their tails and ran back to west virginny leaving both their lead rope and trail rope stuck in the rope eater cracks of the durrance rap :D I asked them how their climb went after noticing that they were a bit slow that day and they mumbled somthing about not topping out and haveing a bit of trouble with the ropes :roll: The needles will teach you next to nothing about trad leading but it is a fine place to get solid on run out face over 1/4 in. button heads :D
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renobdarb
Sep 11, 2003, 4:05 AM
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In reply to: you can swing by the needles in south dakota and get some decent leading experience in before you hit the tower.
This statement alone is T3.
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bull
Sep 11, 2003, 1:48 PM
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I really am the rookie who has big dreams of greatness and I see that I need to get my stuff together if I want to achieve this goal. I didn't think I that I would be taking this trip any time soon I was just wondering if this was an attainable goal thanks for all the direction I will learn everything that I can and may be in a year or two I'll give it a shot.
other than the gym where is a good place to try to get some experience in or near Denver where i wont kill my self?
thanks again
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tradmanclimbs
Sep 11, 2003, 1:56 PM
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If your goal realy is to climb the tower that is a good dream and you should stick with it. Find a mentor who is an experienced trad leader and climb outside as much as possible. When you have been a rope slave to this hardman long enough for him or her to trust you they will probobly bring you up some pretty good stuff. Maby even the climb of your dreams. Totaly possible, it just takes finding a good teacher.
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mustclimb69
Sep 11, 2003, 1:56 PM
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Being "good" is hard to judge. Gym climbing and outdoor are very different. I would reccomend taking a lead course and then a rescue course and than a trad course and then....
In other words you might be killed.
Experience and good judgement rank ahead of climbing higher grades.
Find a dedicated partner and practice untill you are comfortable then take a trip.
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floridaputz
Sep 11, 2003, 3:25 PM
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Devils Tower is Not a good 1st Trad lead. The Durrance route (5.7) is the easiest way up. All other routes are significantlly more difficult. This route is one of the 50 classic climbs, which in my experience, means that it is not a suitable first trad lead. Just a note on the rating. The climb was originally rated 5.6, I climbed in in 1976 and have photo's of the Durrance crack. I've climbed it many times since. All the old chock stones that use to be in the right side crack are gone. There also used to be chock stones near the top in the wide section of the crack. I would say it's clearly a 5.7 pitch now. Also the jump traverse if done clean is rated 5.8. All the hot shots don't care, but I think that begininers should know that.
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jen_c
Sep 11, 2003, 4:28 PM
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In reply to: Call Frank Sanders at Devils Tower Lodge. He is an expert in guiding beginers up the Durrance route. He is also a great guy. |
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el_capitan
Sep 11, 2003, 4:35 PM
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I agree with pretty much everything that everyone else has said. I have climbed at the tower multiple times, including Durrance, and have taken my friends who are less experienced on it. If you are a solid 5.9 gym climber, you could make it up Durrance with a guide or an experienced leader. It won't be as easy as any 5.7 you have done in the gym, I can guarantee you that. Chances are, you haven't had experience climbing cracks and off-widths, which is the main type of climbing at the tower. I have taken others who were 5.9-10 climbers in the gym who have outdoor experience on Durrance, and they had to work to get up. Get experience climbing outside and learn to place gear from someone more experienced. There are plenty of good stuff just north of you around the Boulder, Estes Park area.
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jen_c
Sep 11, 2003, 4:43 PM
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In reply to: you could make it up Durrance with a guide or an experienced leader. It won't be as easy as any 5.7 you have done in the gym, I can guarantee you that. |
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holmeslovesguinness
Sep 11, 2003, 5:47 PM
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Make a trip up to Vedauwoo, WY for a weekend if you want to get some practice on off-widths and cracks in general. After you flail up a 5.6 or 5.7 there you will have a better idea of what everyone is talking about - much different than anything you will experience at the gym.
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killclimbz
Sep 11, 2003, 7:31 PM
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First off, get outside and go climb. Devils Tower is a great rock, a lot of fun to climb, and certainly one of the great areas in the US. In case you haven't noticed Colorado has loads of areas that are considered great. Eldorado Canyon is pretty much stop #1 for anyone visiting Colorado and has some of the Grand Classic trad routes in America. The Flatirons, South Platte, Rocky Mountain National Park, and other areas all sport classic trad lines. All of these areas in practically in your backyard.
Eldo is probably the easiest to troll for partners at, and you may find a few people on this site willing to take you up some routes. Try Windridge, Ruper, The Rewritten, to name a few. All 5.7 and under, get your feet in air and will be good practice before you go to a place like DT and get spanked because you don't have enough experience.
By doing trad routes locally you'll gain the experience you need to get up areas like Devils Tower and hopefully be capable of doing more than one route. Especially when you've got areas like Eldo in your neighborhood.
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jcinco
Sep 11, 2003, 9:22 PM
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In reply to: I read that some of the routes are like 5.6 so if I can climb 5.9 in the gym am I good?
Sure! Absolutely!
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piton
Sep 12, 2003, 1:53 PM
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hey,
i haven't done the durrance route but have done others on DT. From my experience DT climbs tend to be sustained and you need alot of the same protection ex 4 #2 camolots..
route finding is pretty straight forward but yet again i haven't done durrance. also i thought for the 1st time finding the 4th class to top and the rapp down tricky.
before you go up DT have more trad experience under your belt or go with someone who does.
be safe and have fun
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rocknut1
Sep 12, 2003, 3:13 PM
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Get a good guide and you will be fine. For someone with your experiance, the guide will climb the pitches and belay you as you climb up to him. If you do not mind a little exposure( ie. Hanging belays and rappelling down ) it will be a hardcore trip for someone just getting started.
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