BETA PHOTO: THis foto shows the towers as you drive up the roa...
Description
Unexpectedly, I might have found the best beginner-tower route in the desert. Its not long, its not difficult, and its easy to find. I give it three stars but I do so stating ITS A BEGINNERS CLIMB. If you are looking for long, endurance pumping splitters on your tower, this is not it. INstead, this climb is marked by short pitches of pleasant climbing, a little slot canyon, and an untramelled valley. The finish is great and there is no questioning it is a tower. It has great rock, unique features, and then some soft rock and some lose blocks... All stuff you will need to negotiate when tower climbing
Find the start, and a plaque, beneath a corner on the far right side of the formation. P1 Climb the corner on hands and finger gear. ITs only about 30 feet to a fixed anchor on a ledge. 30 feet5.9
Proceed back in the slot about 80 feet to a crack that runs up through some huecos and a chimney on the right.
P2 Climb the crack on fingers and hand gear. Its easy, but a little soft. The huecos are cool. Create a belay on the ledge above in the hanging valley. 45 feet, 5.4
That pitch put you in the hanging valley. There may be an easy 5th class way down into this valley from the rim, but you would spend a while trying to find it. Really, the only way in is to climb. However, its not a private place. The Jeep Trail from Monitor and Merrimac Buttes that reaches Uranium Arch comes right to the rim above the valley. Anyway, facing south in the little valley, you are looking at The Seminary and the back side of The Academy. Walk about 100 feet towards the gap between the two to find the base of pitch 3
P3 Climb the hands and fingers corner to the summit ridge. The flaring pod near the base is good training, as these come up on every tower. If you aren't comfortable with arm barring, you might want a #5. The rap anchor is on the ledge above. 60 ft, 5.9
To summit, you have to climb the last 10 feet of 5.6 sans bolts... and then you have to reverse it. Also something common on towers, but often with a harder grade attached. I spaced the summit register... hope to send one up with someone.
The descent means climbing back down to the ledge, then rapping to the base. Its a big, airy, rappel. Fun.
Location
The start is on the right side (north end) of the tower, but the route climbs up behind the entire formation.
Protection
I did the climb with two complete sets from .5 to #5. The emphasis is on finger sizes, like 1's, and hand sizes, like 2.5's. If you are comfortable on those sizes you don't' need much. A #5 is useful on pitch 3 if you are uncomfortable with that size. You need two 60 meter ropes to reach the ground safely. Its a full 192 foot rappel.
I actually went up on this tower hoping to find some hidden slot with a few cool cracks... the mirrors of the cracks that are on its front side. What I found was what I think will be a great route for aspiring tower climbers. ITs got short pitchs, its relatively solid, and the climbing is pretty easy. It definately gets you to a summit.
This is a great climb! My first tower in the desert, and it was fantastic. The rappel was amazing. The 3rd pitch is full value. Not having a lot of desert tower experience, I feel like this route lets you get a good "feel", ie offwidth, loose block, and most importantly VIEW!
The Academy
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