Devil's Tower, Durrance, July
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I'm looking for a cool, confident climber to help me meet a cool but tough goal in July. |
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Have you been training with the lights off and headlamps? On wider cracks? |
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John - two big challenges will be crowds and heat. Definitely do this mid-week. With two kids and a larger party with some inexperienced climbers, I would plan for a pre-dawn start. You may be criticized for mucking up a classic route with slow beginners (the route is crazy popular), but hopefully folks will be cool. Make sure to take plenty of water, study your descent options carefully, and don't be afraid to bail if you guys are moving too slowly, the water starts running low, or ??? |
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Probably wouldn't hurt to rig up a haul system if they start struggling. Durrance may be only rated at 5.7, but the offwidth sections can be pretty strenuous. As others have stated, I'd get a headlamp start and personally, if I were guiding 2 young kids, I'd take the bowling alley approach. It may add an extra pitch to an already moderate climb, but it would give you an easy pitch (5.4) to bail from if you realize they are struggling. If they struggle there, the rest will be a nightmare. Take a swimming pool full of water....July is a real cooker. How old are the kids? |
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Either start really early or late. I recomend early. I climbed it in August and with a 530 am start it was hot but not unbearable. Do it mid-week and maybe watch for a lull in temps. |
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Hey! Thanks for all the valuable feedback... (this being my first post, I wasn't sure what to expect.) |
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Man as much of a cool dad you are, I wouldn't do that. If your kids are climbing sport 5.7, they're probably only used to face climbing. Add on the fact that Durrance is a tough 5.7 and the long double rope rappels, it just doesn't seem like anyone would have fun. |
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I second the Custer/Rushmore suggestion. You're only 1.5-2 hrs away so if the Tower doesn't work out, you can still have a good climbing trip. Rushmore even has 5.4 sport routes. Kids that age have prob done Durrance(very few), but I'd wait until it's cooler. Crack/offwidth is a different animal, and the 2nd pitch requires stemming from 2 cracks that their legs might not reach. It's def not a beginner friendly climbing area, but hey...adventure is what adventure is! |
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Getting passed by Jim Herson with a couple kids in tow and the wife simulclimbing all on the same rope will certainly alter your ideas of what kids can do. Do a web search for "Jim Herson" and "NIAD jumarless" or "RNWFHD in winter" or "Steck Salathe with my daughter". Those kids have done more big climbs by age 10 than most of us do in a lifetime. |
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Kinda like Loyd's suggestion of September, if that's an option for you. |
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csproul wrote:Getting passed by Jim Herson with a couple kids in tow and the wife simulclimbing all on the same rope will certainly alter your ideas of what kids can do. Do a web search for "Jim Herson" and "NIAD jumarless" or "RNWFHD in winter" or "Steck Salathe with my daughter". Those kids have done more big climbs by age 10 than most of us do in a lifetime.I was multipitch leading at 12....but I'm an exception, not a rule. So are the kids you mention. MOST kids are not going to love being on Durrance, but you'll never know until you do it. However, counseling someone to do just that based on a handful of kids out of millions is not something I'm eager to do. My 7 yr old is a climber and he's not going anywhere near Durrance for a few more years. |
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Loyd Wofford III wrote:Not only is kids on the durance route a bold idea but the July/August timing is not the greatest as said earlier the route is always super busy almost 85% of climbers at the tower go up durance also the guides will be in full swing and the heat will be almost unbearable. Took and inexperienced climber a few years ago in July and it took him an hour to climb the durance crack pitch alone and he drank 1.5 liters of water. Also if you are not a good off-with crack climber the climb will definitely feel way harder than 5.7. Look at the route description also it is 6-7 pitches to the top depending on what finish you take. I live about 20 minutes from the tower and if you do get in the area let me know I will help out anyway I can. September is absolutely less crowded and not nearly as hot.Look not only at the description here on MP, but also the comments by others at the bottom of the route page. A good number mention it being harder than they expected. |
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As a new father myself I find this inspirational and like others have said post a TR either way. I'm most certainly help if I still lived in the hills but unfortunately I'm in flat MN. |
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WyomingSummits wrote: I was multipitch leading at 12....but I'm an exception, not a rule. So are the kids you mention. MOST kids are not going to love being on Durrance, but you'll never know until you do it. However, counseling someone to do just that based on a handful of kids out of millions is not something I'm eager to do. My 7 yr old is a climber and he's not going anywhere near Durrance for a few more years.Yeah, I agree with you for the most part. The Hersons are clearly not "normal". My only point is that sometimes kids are way more capable than we give them credit for. I think it is jumping to conclusions a bit to automatically assume these kids are not capable of Durance. Hopefully the parent has a better idea of their real capabilities than random internet strangers. The warnings are appropriate, but in the end, we, at our computers really on't know anything about these kids. Hell, my dad took me on a cross country bike tour when I was 10 years old. Lots of people then said that was ridiculous. I even heard people accuse him of child abuse. It remains one of the best memories of my life. |
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BTW..If you do it, I hope your kids don't look like this (picture taken from MP Durrance page) |
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Putting all this excellent feedback together, here's my take: definitely September (I'll have to pull them out of school for a week, but it's worth it). Go straight to Durrance and make some fun attempts without great expectations. Upon failure, we'll head to Custer/Rushmore for some more realistic challenges. Good plan? |
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PM sent |
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Follow up: not only did we try, we succeeded. Not only did we succeed, both kids had an absolutely excellent time. 14 hours round trip, fearless boys, 6 and 8. We had to haul the scrambling younger boy for 60% of the route, while the 8-yr old clean climbed 99%, needing only a couple of assists on p2. 9/9 was perfect weather. Thanks again for the good advice offered here. And I won't hold anything against those who tried to talk me out of it. But you did underestimate. :-) |
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Glad it went well. Sept was definitely a good choice! I can't imagine 14 hrs on that thing by myself....let alone with kids. Good for you! |