The Tower of Babel is the huge impressive fin just north of the Courthouse Towers parking lot. Its most striking feature is the narrow vertical face leading directly to the summit, which is only a few steps from the road. The classic aid route Zenyatta Entrada links thin cracks systems on this stunning feature.
Getting There
This couldn't be easier. Park at the Courthouse Towers lot, and walk about 200 feet on the road to the base of the tower. Done. I doubt there is an easier approach to a Grade IV anywhere in the country.
When I climbed this route, it still hadn't gone clean, so I nailed some on the upper pitches. The gear list I submitted came from a guide, so it should be pretty correct as to what gear it requires now.P1- Lots of good stoppers and cams in a nice (although heavily pin scarred) crack. The first pitch climbs 115 feet to a nice ledge. (C2)P2- More of the same as pitch one except in a left facing corner to another ledge. (C1)P3- Continue up the c...[more]
This awesome yet brittle route has gone clean since 97'. I last did it in 2001 for the third time and found that knuckleheads are still pounding pins on P-3 and P-4. I am afraid to say that the original LA slots that would have taken a #4 or #5 HB OFFSET, turned out to take a #6 FAT MET! This is ridiculous! A week later, I got on "WIDOWS TEARS" and found on P-1, that the original RURP crack at the top of the pitch was now so blown out and destroyed, that I had to BEAK above the original slots that should have taken no more than a #4 or #5 HB OFFSET. Let us start practing the fine art of CLEAN AID and if one does not have the talent nor the nerve, please do us all a favor and retreat to come back another day to do it properly. This goes for oh so many AID routes in the desert. Help us preserve the right to climb. Our freedom may one day be taken away with due right by the caretakers who see what only one could determine as blatant destruction. Any comments, feel free to share them with me... Rick "WALLRAT CHIEF" Poedtke pdhman@aol.com
By toddgordon From: Joshua Tree, California Apr 27, 2007
I believe we (Al Bartlett and I) did a rather early ascent of this climb (Zenyatta) in March of 1989, as the first ascent was done in Oct. of 1986. At the time, the route did not have many pin scars on it. We used pins on our ascent, as, at the time, it was mandatory (for us, anyways..)...The most difficult part of the whole climb was the nailing of baby angles in shallow manufactured drilled holes on the traverse;....which I found funky;.....(Why not just put in a bolt ladder, or at least drill the holes deeper?). I led that pitch and found it challenging and one to catch my attention. Up higher, I remember we banged pins in a beautiful hairline crack; and I was painfully aware of just how fragile sandstone is, and how easily pin scars are made; I also remember telling myself that future generations will be placing aliens and small cams in OUR pin scars;.....just the nature of the beast. Throughout the 90's, I always looked up at this route, and each time I looked at the route, the pin scars were more noticable each time. A very cool climb to a beautiful summit in a wonderful spot; something this cool THIS close to the road in bound to get "loved to death." Big Al and I had a fine time on this climb. What a first Ascent team too; Charlie, Eric and Lin.......must have be a gas! (Picture Larry, Moe, and Curly;...and you got it!...and I say this in all fondness, as the team of Charlie, Eric , and Lin is an awesome and powerful yet colorful team!)
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