BETA PHOTO: Eyetooth from downhill in the Spire Four-Five gull...
Description
Eyetooth is an unmistakable spire that looms at the top of the Spire Four-Five gully. The tip of the spire is curving and produces a massive overhang on the uphill side. The routes to the top are fairly bold, and should not be taken lightly. Bring gear for any route, although a few bolts are in place. Also, a two-rope rappel is recommended. A one-rope rappel may be possible, with the addition of a downclimb in a 4th class chimney.
Getting There
Take trail #4 towards the Cathedral Spires. Take the climber's spur trail to the right before reaching the spires. Start counting major gullies. Pass the first 3 major gullies, and head up the 4th. This approach can be confusing. Tend leftwards, and identify the Spire Four-Five gully by being the most wide and open of any of them. If you have chosen correctly, Eyetooth will be very obvious sitting in the center of the gully. Do not attempt to find this from the uphill side because it cliffs out and you will not be able to reach the base of the routes.
Walk around the front of Eyetooth to enter the Chimney on the Southeast side (separating the main mass from the large outer "flake"). Climb easily up to the top of the chimney and belay on the South West Shoulder at the crack leading up and left.Follow the Obvious Crack up and left on to the South West side of the spire. There is a fixed pin in the crack up high if I remember correctly. Move up out of the crack and right onto the south face to...[more]
There is also a route that goes up the flake on the upper south face and steps left at a piton to more or less the same face. It felt about like 5.8 too and just as spectacular.
I believe the classic or original line follows an east facing chimney to a prominant horn (you can barely wrap your arms around it). From there, climb the crack to connect to the diagonal seams, which contain hidden pins. Classic Needle's traverse. Scramble to the top, with the final exam being a test on smearing skills. Great view of the final pitch of the east gruesome conn route.
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