Making a trip to the mecca of crack climbing. We are going to be climbing the durance route and would like to know what to expect at each belay station. The only thing that we know is there are bolts but specifically how many bolts at each. Any other info to help a small group enjoy a fine day on the tower is appreciated. Thanks all!

Big ledges with at least two bomber bolts at each station. If you are competent enough to get up Durrance you'll have no issues with any anchors.

Have you done any multi pitch climbing before? Typically if a belay ledge has one bolt its going to have two...Your question makes it seem like you have not done much multi pitch.... So gotta say....Yer gonna die!

Edit: Do you also know how to use the search or guide section of this site? The page for the durrance route on this site says "belay at bolts" for almost every pitch of the climb. I would take bolts to mean more than one, are you expecting there to be like 6 bolts or something? You doing some hauling?

Ah, internet vitriol at its finest. Two Petzl glue-ins every 30 meters, except for the first anchor, you can use a tree or a large boulder there. You won't die if you can tie a knot, place gear and use a locking carabiner. Go for it. If it doesn't work out, well, I could use another rescue ...especially if it's at night. Just kidding, you'll be fine. You do need 2 ropes to get down though.

Thanks for the added info Andrew. We have researched this climb thoroughly but know that some people always have added insight from doing the climb themselves.

Keith, we are all experienced climbers just none of us have been on the Tower. I think we are going to be ok without the need for rescue. But if we need it I hope you come fast!

As for the troll....go fuck yourself.

Well Played sir....Dexter,I guess I'm one of those who did not know that all climbs must be researched and all boxes checked before proceeding.

Ah, the Durance route, the non-flat-landers here should realize that this is usually the first multipitch climb for a lot of us in the flatter states. It is also not a route that gets climbed much by more experienced teams, mostly having guided parties and groups of 3 or 4 where maybe one person leads forming a conga line to the top.

It is also the first epic for many of us, I know it was for me 15 years ago. We brought way too much gear, not enough water and 55m rope and a 45m rope, didn't know where the route started and didn't know that the little pyramids of stacked of rocks marked the rappel anchors. More experienced teams gave us the "these-guys-don't-have-a-clue" look, and holy-crap were they right. We survived and look back at it with a what-were-we-thinking wonderment.

So my advice is:
Bring lots of water,don't try to string pitches together, over-protect as much as possible, wear comfortable shoes, walk a big cam up the wide crack on the crux pitch and leave a dense string of gear in the left crack. The odds of epicing are good, but you'll have a blast!

Oh yeah, cairns, the piles of rocks are called cairns.

When are you going? FYI, the Tower has a voluntary closure through the month of June. If you go anytime after that it will be way too hot until September as that route gets a lot of Sun. My advice is to be patient as there will likely be a herd of other climbers on the route.

Devil’s Tower the “Mecca of crack climbing”? Really good crack climbing yes, but Yosemite, Indian Creek, and a slew of the other places might win the “Mecca” award.

I'm guessing mecca in this sense of the word is within a long days drive of Iowa. Yes Yosemite and Indian Creek are amazing and certainly have more routes, but the Tower is an amazing place and the crack lines there are top notch.

There are no bolts at the start of the first pitch, the base of the leaning column, but there are good gear placements to build an anchor. Each belay station after that all the way up to the top of the Chockstone Chimney pitch is on a nice ledge, and has at least two very solid bolts. If you do the direct finish, there are bolts at the top of that, then a short scramble to the summit plateau. If you do the Jump Traverse, there are no bolts after the traverse but there is a boulder you can sling a little ways past it. Neither the start nor the top of the Standard Meadows Finish has bolts, but both have good gear placements. Unless the wind is right, you usually cannot hear shouts between the start and top of the Standard Meadows Finish. Use radios or have some pre-arranged rope signals. All of the rappel stations have at least two bolts. Get an early start. Bring extra water, headlamps, and a rain jacket/windbreaker.

The Bowling Alley rappels (aptly named, by the way) require two ropes.

If you have a 70m rope, you can do a series of single rope rappels, with an awkward hanging stance, past El Cracko Diablo. It shares a lot of belay bolts with El Cracko Diablo, so try to be courteous. I had to wait about an hour at the top of the first pitch of El Cracko because a rappel party monopolized the Meadows bolts and wouldn't let my leader set up on them. During that same period of time, they threw both ropes on me, failed to clear a stuck tagline on rappel then whipped me with it as they tried to unstick it from below, then wouldn't listen when I explained that the next anchors they wanted were 30' below me. Fortunately, one of the climbers is a user on here, and we got things straightened out later. The point is this: yell "rope", share the anchors, consider paying the rope from a lap coil or rope bag instead of tossing it, and clear your stuck ropes from above if possible.

You can do the same rappel in one shot if you have two ropes, and then rap to the ground from the base of El Cracko (this "Exit-Us" rappel requires two ropes). Alternately, you can walk climber's left back to the base of Durrance, right past the Bowling Alley (which is ALWAYS a total shitshow).

Orenzak's book, while being utterly bereft of any other useful advice, has really good topos of all of these rappels on removable cards on the front and back cover. Really though, everything else in that book that isn't a picture is almost certainly wrong, from grades to gear beta to pitch lengths.

Dexter you do sound like a dick.
Adam you do sound inexperienced.

Happy Wednesday

Curious about the guidebook comments. Some people rave about that book. What's with the strong opinions about it from both sides? If that one sucks which one should I buy? There's few things I hate more than a guidebook full of bullshit. How'd the author get it so wrong?

where did you find information about the closure being lifted? I would like to know more about it. thanks!

Get an early start. Bring twice as much water as you think you will need. Do the direct finish. Have fun!

I don't think the closure is lifted. On MP, it says "the closure has been lifted", meaning that July has started. Do not plan on climbing there during June.
ps. consider hiring a guide for your first time there.

Ambiguity about "lifting" the closure

I was under the impression that since they'd seen an 85% decrease on climbers during June, they'd lifted the ban for all time, since apparently, we'd learned to be respectful. However, the National Parks Service states quite plainly that the voluntary closure is still in effect.

I don't really agree with the closure (for a variety of reasons not worth exploring in this thread), but in the interest of continued access, we should still respect it if is still, in fact, in effect.