Directly up the center up the face, left of Yellow Spur, are two exciting and thought provoking pitches up immaculate and progressively changing banded rock.
Sometime in the late 80's the now first bolt was added, eliminating a scary stretch to the next bolt. This addition, however did not eliminate the RP placement at the start protecting a tricky 5.10 move up the stacked flakes. The crux is getting past the third bolt, and traversing right under the roof...There are some very cool, intricate moves on some small, razor-like hand and foot holds...After the roof traverse the climbing eases past one more bolt, a bashie and then the anchor.
Pitch two moves left, out the roof, to the lip and requires a an inobvious pull up and over (11+). Tiptoe up the awkward, meandering slab past bolts and an ocassional nut placement to the easier left facing corner with gear. The big tree atop the ledge has a bunch of slings and rings to rap off of (2 ropes).
Protection
QD's for bolts, Micro brass (#4RP at start only) and sm-lg nuts, 2-bolt anchor atop P1, tree with slings atop P2 (165' rap!)
It is possible to rap with a 60m rope in 2 raps, but you need to swing over to the triple bolt anchor atop pitch one to get to those anchors for the second rap. Not too bad.
Make sure you tie a nice BIG knot in the end of your ropes or you'll be hating in when you try to swing over and find yourself plummeting earthward instead. The rope barely reaches the triple bolt station.
Intricate balancy face climbing with sequential foot work. An Eldorado classic. A fall getting to the first bolt would be dangerous and probably warrants a semi serious rating. FYI, the first bolt was in place when I first did the route in '85 or '86.
There was no lower bolt when the route was freed-climbed. Somewhat devious moves (5.10) up a hard to protect shallow corner got you to good gear (bolt) and then the crux moves. Some one added a bolt to the lower section sometime in the mid-to-late 80s.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Feb 2, 2006 rating: 5.12a
Good route, tricky move just before hitting the overhang and going right. Insecure, but not difficult down low. be careful indeed. This route would be much easier to beta-flash than to on-sight, I wager, because the crux move is not that hard, just hard to read and anticipate.
Redgarden - Tower One
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