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Soler 

5.9-

   

FA: Tony Soler, Art Lembeck, Herb Conn, Ray Moore, Chris Scordus '51
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.9 [details]
Length: 2 pitches, 280 feet, Grade II
Views: 3,722 page views

Submitted By: Andrew Gram on Jul 17, 2002


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40 or 50 feet up pitch 1. It's easy 5.8 at this p...


Description 

Soler is a wonderful two pitch route climbing twin fingercracks in a dihedral. It is probably the easiest summit route on the tower that isn't wider than hands, and may feel easier than the 7s and 8s to those who don't know how to jam.

Follow the ramp around a prominent corner. Soler starts in a dihedral right of a bolted route and two cracks left of TAD. Climb a long sustained pitch past some slightly broken rock at the very bottom to a hanging belay at a couple of bolts. Pitch 2 is more of the same to a large ledge at the base of the Meadows.

Pitch 1 is generally given 5.8 and 2 is 5.9-, but I can't tell them apart. Probably rated that way because you are already a little pumped when starting pitch 2.


Protection 

Lots of medium and large stoppers, small to medium cams - nothing bigger than a 2 camalot.



Photos of Soler Slideshow Add Photo
Soler, TAD, El Cracko Diablo

BETA PHOTO: Soler, TAD, El Cracko Diablo

The Route

BETA PHOTO: The Route

Mike half way up the first pitch, jamming the crack.

Mike half way up the first pitch, jamming the crac...

Mike leading the second pitch.

Mike leading the second pitch.

The Routes in the TAD area: Soler, TAD, El Cracko Diablo

BETA PHOTO: The Routes in the TAD area: Soler, TAD, El Cracko ...

Dawn Glanc, Hanging Out at the Belay On SOLER Route. This Photo Well Shows the Joy and Purity of This Line. There is NOT a Single Move That is Short of Excellent on Both Pitches!!! It was First Climbed in 1951, on AID by Tony Soler et.al.It was the First Aid Climb (Other Than the Stake Ladder of the 1890's) on the Tower. In 1959 Layton Kor and Ray Jaquot Made it all Go Free, so it, Ironically, Became the First Aid Line to Get Free Climbed on the Tower. Today, it is Still a Great Climb. I've Been up it More Than 100 Times,and...I Can Hardly Wait to Share it With a Partner, Again!!!! Photo compliments of Frank Sanders www.devilstowerclimbing.com

Dawn Glanc, Hanging Out at the Belay On SOLER Rout...

The ever popular Soler...

BETA PHOTO: The ever popular Soler...

Joe V. following P1...

Joe V. following P1...

Joseffa Meir follows P1 of 'Soler (5.8)' at Devil's Tower. Photo by Tony Bubb, July '01.

Joseffa Meir follows P1 of 'Soler (5.8)' at Devil'...

A climber on P1.

A climber on P1.

Belaying on the first pitch of solar. It was very cold that day.

Belaying on the first pitch of solar. It was very ...

Jim and Rodger on P1 of Soler to the left.  The nice couple from Ft Collins on P1 of El Cracko Diablo to the right.

Jim and Rodger on P1 of Soler to the left. The ni...


Comments on Soler Add Comment
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Comments displayed oldest to newestSkip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated Jul 1, 2009
By Stacy Bender
Aug 15, 2002

Pitch 2 is what makes this such a classic. The hand crack you follow up pitch one narrows to fingers and finally, about 20 feet or so from the top of the pitch, to barely accepting of your smallest pro. At this point, you finish with stemming and whatever you can find to grab in the dihedral. You're either going to find out how well you placed that last ballnut, or you're going to top out feeling really good.

By Tony B
From: Boulder, CO
Dec 2, 2002
rating: 5.9-

One of the things I thought was really super-cool about this route was how long the pitches were without being particularly hard. Most of the climbs at DT are either broken into short pitches or are 5.11. This one is one of the few climbs with big long cruisers with good pro. It's kind of like skiing a 5000' drop blue run with no moguls on a perfect powder day- If that's your limit, it can be great fun, but no matter what grade you are at, you'll enjoy the climb!

By Andrew Gram
Administrator
From: Denver, CO
Dec 3, 2002

Thats strange Tony - I can think of dozens of long pitches under 5.11 that are fun and sustained. In the 5.9 range alone, check out Walt Bailey and Assembly Line. TAD, Bon Homme Variation, El Cracko, and most of the other climbs at the tower also fit this description. The only route I can really think of with short pitches is Durrance.

By Tony B
From: Boulder, CO
Dec 9, 2002
rating: 5.9-

At devil's tower, "short" is shorter than 100'. At least that's my yard-stick. I agree that you've named some other routes that have long pitches below 5.11. Walt Bailey Memorial is only as tall as a single pitch of Soler, however, and climbs Like Assembly Line is mostly a "Green Run" with a few blue moves. I think that those are more cruxy though and are less sustained at a particular grade, and thus not cruisers. That was in my mind when I wrote the comment, but didn't make it to paper. Admittedly, I didn't climb many of the 5.9's there.

By Frank Sanders
Mar 22, 2006
rating: 5.9- PG13

Probably sounds idiotic, but I'm certain that I've climbed this route more than 100 times...and I'm still looking for any excuse to climb it once again !!! Its got it all; great locks, great pro and a stellar hanging belay right in the middle !!! The first free ascent of the route went to Layton Kor and Ray Jaquot in 1959. What a Plum they picked !!!!

By John Gunnels
From: Gillette, WY
Apr 8, 2006
rating: 5.9-

You're quite right, Frank. If you only have time for ONE route... this is it...

By Nathan Toothman
From: Longmont, CO
Apr 11, 2006

A memorable climb, don't understimate the length of the first pitch, you can easily run out of gear so either bring a lot or space it out. A climb of the highest quality.

Lots of good features on the right hand side of the dihedral for the first half of the first pitch but it goes away the closer to the anchors you get and gets pumpy, no moves easier than 5.8 but none harder.

By Cameron Luth
Apr 16, 2007

This route is stellar. An awesome dihedral with awesome finger and hand jams.

By Paul Huebner
From: Portage, WI
Jul 26, 2007
rating: 5.9-

Did route in 1989 and from what I remember of it, for me the key was stemming occasionally just to rest, especially near the top of P1 and mid to near the top of P2. Per it's name, be prepared to be grilled by the sun. Very nice hanging belay vs. not much of anything on TAD.

By Tyler Smeenk
From: Laramie, WY
Jul 7, 2008
rating: 5.9

I agree with Mr. Sanders and Mr. Gunnels, this is a climb that you must do at the Tower. I did feel that the 2nd pitch was noticeably harder than the first, maybe it had something to do with being tired from the first pitch, but if felt more technical to me. I would rate P1 at 5.8 and P2 at 5.9+. With regards to the stellar hanging belay, I think my lifelines were too short to enjoy the hanging belay much. It could have been the way my harness fits also, but the next day both my thighs were fully covered in bruises. I think a longer lifeline would have helped aleviate the situation, so just some word to the wise. Still an absolute classic, not to be missed route.

By Doug Hemken
From: Madison, WI
Aug 1, 2008

A New Route on Devil's Tower

By Arthur C. Lembeck


Thirteen parties had mounted the Leaning Column of the Durrance Route, which is a pebble toss from the (first ascent) Weissner Route, before Tony Soler and Ray Moore arrived at Devil’s Tower on the morning of August 29th. Obviously a look at others of the long fluted columns was the reaction of this redoubtable pair. Fresh from “standard conditioning exercises: in the Black Hills Needles (courtesy J. and H. Conn Rock Climbers Finishing School), they made a tour of the truck-sized talus, and by afternoon had ferreted out many
vertical blind alleys.

At 4 pm when Art Lembeck arrived, they had left a doubled climbing rope hanging in one Gerry expansion bolt and several pitons, and were very much through for the day. Worm’s-eye views from the ground of where they had been looked even worse that the high ones, and it was decided to make a try on some other section next sunup.

Supper at the campground was enlivened by a family of three friendly skunks, three friendly kittens masquerading as skunks, and one year-old boy who wanted to be friendly with all six. By a narrow margin, general social ostracism was prevented, and everyone retired for the night. At some indeterminate time, Herb Conn drove in from Custer, making the climbing team complete.

Next morning before sunrise, the Optimuses (we use that brand of gasoline stove because it sounds so encouraging) were buzzing merrily cooking a four-way breakfast. Well fortified with food and carrying armfuls of hardware, climbing rope, cameras and six canteens of water,
we stumbled up the trail to the far side of the Tower.

While Tony and Art were retrieving the rope, pitons and bolt of the previous day’s reconnaissance, Herb and Ray began working on a lead farther east. Here sloping faces and a jumble of talus allowed an easy ascent to near the height of the Leaning Column. By the time the
four were together again, Ray and Herb were resting from having pushed the rope over half its 120-foot length. The first 30 feet were 3rd class and the rest 5th class. Two ropes were tied together, and Tony and Art took turns with pitons and struggles. Fifty-five feet above the talus, a wide crack in the left side column begins working toward the angle piton crack which forms the principal joint-plane between the columns. Seventy feet up, the left crack became the piton crack as the right-hand crack widened out. For 40 feet this status continued.

A short bulging overhang was then passed as a layback and then 40 more feet of mostly layback. Pitons had to be inserted while the climber was in a semi-layback position, holding on with one hand. It was on this section that Tony fell from 12 or 15 feet above his piton, sliding to a graceful stop on Ray’s dynamic belay. (The piton was an Army angle rescued after years in Seneca Rock; the carabiner an Army aluminum.) Above this point, the slope became slightly less and the twin cracks more cooperative.

During the earlier sections of the climb, the lead had been changed by using the rope as an elevator. The lower pitons were removed by the descending leader. With climbing ropes knotted together, a different system had to be devised because the knots were too bulky to pass through the carabiners. Tony, who was leading at the time, tied into a piton, and Ray Prussiked up the climbing rope, removing pitons en route. Then Ray tied into a piton and Tony continued.

Layback piton pounding was just too much, so Tony used six pitons for direct aid, balancing up to use each piton as a foothold from which to drive the next higher one. A beautiful maneuver to watch.

The 23rd piton was placed in a horizontal side crack on the left, overhanging column which had widened, it seemed, to the proportions of a wall as we ascended. This crack was the first one on the climb which would take pitons, except for the two main vertical cracks. Here the left column was broken enough to form a belay platform, the first on the climb. It was reached via a short traverse and retablissement up the overhanging column. There were now 240 feet of rope between the leader and belayer. The 'retable' was onto an outward-sloping, splintered column top with a shallow fingergrip crack a few feet back. Other sections of the column requiring three more pitons for safety led to the top of the Big Ledge near its eastern end.

Prussik knots soon saw the party joined on the Big Ledge, and, unroped, the four scrambled up the rock jumble to the summit. The late hour made the stay on top a brief one just for registration, a task Ray performed while the others swatted at the clouds of flying ants which inhabit the grassy, cactus-sprinkled mesa.

The Durrance Route was selected for the descent, traversing the far end of the Big Ledge and then dropping in several rappels to the Leaning Column and below.

The actual climbing had begun at 7:30 am, the descent shortly after 5, and camp was regained at 7:30 pm, a delay being caused by a rappel rope which jammed halfway down the last pitch. Twenty minutes were spent retrieving it, and the gathering darkness made progress to camp somewhat slow. Twenty-four of the twenty-six pitons used were angle pitons (those used in rappelling were not included in this count). The climbers are grateful to Win, to Wade Marshall, and to Mr. McIntyre, the Superintendent of Devil’s Tower National Monument, for their services, especially in explaining to the numerous visitors why we were climbing; that we weren’t risking our necks—much--; and just how that rope got up there in the first place.

This article originally appeared in Volume XVIII, #3, January-March 1952 Mountain Club of Maryland Bulletin.

By Andy Laakmann
Site Landlord
From: Jackson Hole, WY
Sep 15, 2008
rating: 5.9

Good stuff. I placed gear from thin to #3 camalot - though you could get by without the #3.

By Joe Dawson
Jun 1, 2009

I am surprised no one has mentioned this, so I will. Toward the top of the second pitch the crack is choked with some loose rocks and blocks. I stood under them for a few minutes and tapped them and looked at them and tapped at them and said to hell with them and went left onto the face to avoid them. If you pull one of these off, there is a good chance your belayer is going to get it. The face climbing on the left is more like a ramp and I dont think any move was harder than 5.7 and it can be protected. I did use a blue Alien (0.3 inches) to protect one part of this section and it looked like the only option.

The party before me said they went straight up the crack through the loose rock and wished they had done otherwise. The party after us broke left onto the face to avoid the loose stuff.

By Bob Packwood
From: Longtucky, CO
Jul 1, 2009
rating: 5.9

This climb was a proud onsight. Sustained sinker hand and finger jams with marginal/painful feet. And by sustained I mean like 200 feet of it.

Conserve your hand-sized gear at the start, and you will enjoy having it as you jam upwards towards the first belay, a long way. Before the belay is a sweet chockstone that I almost asked out to dinner.

Awesome! Aesthetic! Proud! Historical!

The loose flakes and blocks at the very top are scary. Place passive pro only here and don't yank if you finish in the corner. I stayed in the corner all the way up, placed a great #2 Camalot above it, then traversed left and belayed at the bolts. It is dangerous downclimbing to these bolts (Exit Us Raps) from above (Meadows) but one double rope rap will get you to the ramp from there.