The Totem Pole 

You better like bushwhackin' to do the approach for this one. Bring small stoppers for the end of P2. I linked both pitches with no problems using 2' runners and a 60m rope.

As of Oct. 2007, both anchors need attention. One bolt at each belay is either spinning or flexing.

The access road has been greatly improved and is now accessable with a high-clearance 2WD vehicle all the way to the Hackberry Creek turnout parking.

Need a #4 nut to protect the top portion of the 2nd pitch. There was a little bushwackin' but the approach was only 15 minutes from vehicle.
Directions to Lower Devil Climbing area: From US 60, exit south on Oak Flat Road Campground road, travel 1.3 miles on paved road, take left on a gravel road. Drive about 2 miles on gravel road, at the bottom of the meadow, take a left at the old windmill (still there as of 01/17/09). Drive appx 1 mile to the road end. (Gravel road is rough, high clearence 4 wheel drive recommended!)

Just one or two small nuts for the top! And, a 00 cam just doesn't work that well...A truly exceptional climb.

climbed this summer of 09 and thought it was a great route. a bit of bushwacking to get to it though. nice shade though when you reach it.

Fun climbing to a terrific summit make this a classic for me!

Most of the climbing is straightforward - maybe 5.9. The moves after the final bolt feel 10 to 10+. A medium stopper works well to protect the crux and I a found a bomber black alien placement after the crux.

Marcy and I took a pair of clippers with us on the approach trail and pruned back the vegetation, so the climb is much easier to get to now. Just go to the rock gully at the edge of the canyon, turn right, and follow the cairns toward the pole.

Route length is ~115 feet. Straightforward to rap the whole thing with a single 70m rope. Bats in summit crack chirped at me when I got to the top!

A great route for sure. The summit is amazing.

What a blast. The summit, the view. Just about perfect. Did it as one pitch on my 70. and one rap to ground no problem. For me the crux below the first belay felt 10d? The top crux felt 10-. Plenty of places for pro above the last bolt.

I was asked to do a quick trip report for this route because one of our friends took a pretty sweet fall and walked away!

When Austin was attempting an on-site ascent of the original Totem Route, he took a fairly substantial fall, and subsequent swing, of about 30 feet. Austin was pretty much at the 4th bolt, and stopped falling well below the second bolt on the route! It was a pretty scary experience for everyone because as he was falling, his rope ended up catching on a sharp flake or rock, which severed the outer sheathing completely, and also destroyed a few of the core strands which give the rope it's strength. His fall was stopped about 8 feet above the deck, so close I was able to reach up and touch his foot while standing on the ground.

This was his rope after the fall. You can still see the rope where it went through the sharp flake at the top of the image.

This was his rope after the fall. You can still see the rope where it went through the sharp flake at the top of the image. Submitted By: Nate Young on Dec 31, 2012

This is a pic of Austin at the bottom after he was lowered to the ground. The green/blue portion of the rope is the protective sheathing, and the white strands are the dynamic core that gives the rope it’s strength. Submitted By: Nate Young on Dec 31, 2012

This is where he started his fall. Submitted By: Nate Young on Dec 31, 2012

This is where his fall finally ended, 8 feet above the deck. Submitted By: Nate Young on Dec 31, 2012

Just an FYI the rope was a Monster 10mm.

Wow, that's impressive on all counts. Close call indeed, and good recovery. Will get on you'lls new route soon!