Best summit routes at Devil's Tower

Hey Tower Aficionados,
If you were only going to do one summit route on Devil's Tower which one is the most enjoyable? With the least amount of wide climbing? Thanks. looking forward to my first ever visit this weekend.

What grade range? There are many routes at the tower that don't summit unless you finish on a different route....the top section is loose and crappy on most sides.

Walt Bailey is a 5.9 fingers to hand crack on the southern part of the tower. Once on top of the route getting to the summit is just a jaunty hike though some boulders in the meadows. There is no wide climbing and it is classic pitch.

B. Climbin' wrote:Walt Bailey is a 5.9 fingers to hand crack on the southern part of the tower. Once on top of the route getting to the summit is just a jaunty hike though some boulders in the meadows. There is no wide climbing and it is classic pitch.

Walt Bailey Memorial (5.9) is one of my favorites, and is usually considered the fastest way to the summit. It's a long finger and hand crack with nothing bigger than a #2 camalot needed. Soler (5.9) is also very good. Two pitches of fingers and hands. El Cracko Diablo (5.8) is a little wider, and I've seen some people take a #4 or even #5 for a wide section up high, but it's really not necessary. Some good face holds help you avoid having to do serious offwidth. Those are popular summit routes that end in the Meadows, a short scramble from the top.

If you are looking for more adventure, on the north side, linking Broken Tree (.10a) with Assembly Line (5.9) is really nice and so is summiting on McCarthy North (5.11a). On the west face, McCarthy West and El Matador are high quality. Finish on El Mat after pitch 2 of Mac West to avoid wideness. Keep in mind that any summit that doesn't use the Meadows finish is going to be dirtier and have more loose rock. Most people rap after the first few pitches on the above routes, but topping out is still a great time on all of them.

Second the votes for Walt Bailey, Soler, and Cracko Diablo as the best/quickest summit routes. Seems like I do at least one of them per trip!

Solar and El Cracko are great but can be a little sandbagged if you aren't a good crack climber

Drew Layman wrote:Solar and El Cracko are great but can be a little sandbagged if you aren't a good crack climber