Easter Island is the shortest free standing tower at Bridger Jack. From the left, you have Thumbelina, Sparkling Touch, and then Easter Island. From the road, a careful eye will disern the summit cairn.
Begin right off the trail at an obvious dihedral with a wide crack, and a wide hands crack just to the right. Climb the wide hands up to a ledge, and make a few exciting and improbable moves right and up to the next ledge system. Make your way up to the notch, and work out a belay by the unique chockstone bridging the gap. This pitch is 5.8.
For P2, get on top of the chockstone and head up the face, following the holds to the right. You might want a couple finger sized cams to protect getting to the first bolt (which is around the corner), but be careful as some of the blocks on the face are loose. Follow the five or so bolts to the summit on exciting and slightly sandy face climbing. Fun route.
From the summit, make one double rope rappel, or two single rope rappels to the ground.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Dec 20, 2001 rating: 5.10
P2 is height-dependent and will be difficult to protect well for a short leader. If you are a chicken like me on sandy desert slopers, the second pitch will feel a lot harder than 10a. Wear slip-lasted shoes to make this feel more secure/easier.
I was at Indian Creek over the weekend and it was reported to me that the chockstone linking P1 and P2 together actually broke loose and no longer exists as of 3/31/02 (ironically Easter Sunday). Can anyone confirm this?
The "piano-sized" chockstone that marks the end of the first pitch collapsed on March 31, 2002 (Easter Sunday). I rappelled off Easter Island about 45 minutes before it collapsed, and was climbing Thumbelina at the time. The route is probably more difficult without the chockstone, and there is probably more loose rock near the top of the first pitch waiting to come down.
I was camped underneath the Bridgers and watched the piano block fall out. Had climbed the route the evening previous, super fun, it probably will be just as good with the addition of a drilled pin or two to protect the (now) runout start to p2.
I did this route on 5/7 and two bolts now protect face climbing where the chockstone used to reside. I never did the route before but I can't imagine it is harder now, I think the crux is higher up around the corner. regardless, this is a stellar pitch of exposed face climbing.There are many small blocks to be trundled off the first pitch, have fun!
For posterity's sake: Make certain you are damned solid on 5.10+ leading for the second pitch. I have done many route on Supercrack Buttress and thought I was good-to-go on this meager "sport-lead..." Think again. Face nubbings and two-finger pockets on the varnished "chute section" make clipping the fifth bolt hell. There are seven total bolt hangars on the route, NOT including the anchor (three pitons and a hangar). All told, a fun route with GREAT exposure on the WNW side and a rappel from the summit that I likened to the Maiden of Boulder's Front Range!
Don't really feel that the route is much harder than .10a, just somewhat inobvious and requiring some good balance. Feels cruxy through the middle 3 or 4 clips; delicate. Nice exposure, excellent movement and WELL PROTECTED by well spaced bolts/drilled pins. Definitely the easiest "Tower" of all the Jacks. Great beginner tower and a nice airy rap almost the whole way down!
By Dr. Evil From: Boulder, CO Apr 13, 2007 rating: 5.10
Fun route. I agree that the second pitch is 10-, but the sand makes it feel exciting. The climbing looks (from below as you are climbing) harder than it is: it's all there.
By Scott Beguin From: Los Alamos, NM Apr 23, 2008 rating: 5.10a
A modest rack for this climb would consist of (2)#1 Camalots, (6)#2 Camalots, (4)#3 Camalots, (2)yellow Aliens, (2)red Aliens, (6)shoulder runners, (10)quickdraws, a cordellette, and some sticky rubber for your feet, and pray for no wind.
If you're looking for a spicy climb, pick this one! Pitch 2 is well-protected, but thin & tenuous. It had my undivided attention the whole time. It's also unique to sort of corkscrew up the tower along the face, rather than straight up a crack.
A handful of cams from .3 to #3 (camalot sizes) is sufficient for this climb. The first pitch isn't all that long anyway. The belay crack takes #1 cams nicely.
A 60m rope will get you down without any problems. Just use the piton/bolt anchor that is about 20' below the end of this route's pitch 1 to get you down to the ground. No need to bring a second rope.
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