TAD 

TAD climbs very near the left edge of this picture. The Meadows is the low angle broken looking area near the top left corner of the tower.

Beware, while Soler, to the left of this climb, has a great bolted belay at the top of pitch 1, Tad, at least when I climbed it a couple years ago, has only a crappy lose chock stone with slings around it. Bring enough extra gear to back this thing up. It's not a solid anchor. Also, the off-width 1st pitch will try to spit you out every inch of the way up. If you're not an off-width climber, this may not be the best place to learn. I watched a party abort this climb last year only about 40 feet up, leaving a perfectly good cam to lower down from. My partner picked it up a couple hours later on the way down. If you can deal with all this though, the 2nd pitch is pure fun.

The conventional ratings in previous guides have pitchs one and two as 5.7, in fact Rypkema's guide rated pitch one as 5.5. It seemed to me that pitch one was a lot of face climbing and very little if any offwidth, certainly not like BHV's first pitch. In addition, pitch two is much more sustained than the first. No question that the worst thing about this otherwise stellar climb is the first belay.

TAD IS COMFY IF YOU STAND ON THE CHOCK STONE AND BUILD YOUR OWN ANCHOR IT TAKES LESS GEAR AND IS BOMBER IF DOING IT WITH THREE THINK ABOUT DOING IT IN THREE IN MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER BUT COULD PROVIDE MORE COMFORT

Personally, I laugh when I am told that a party is going to climb this route. Just because it is old does by no means make it a classic ... well maybe a classic bomb. Even though Soler and El Cracko have harder ratings they are easier over the long haul. I have been told it is better for those who have the gifting of hieght. My wife and I did this once (she cussed nearly the whole way up and she RARELY cusses) and will never do this climb again. If it is on your tick list ... reconsider.

While TAD isn't the greatest climb on the Tower, it certainly isn't the worst. The second pitch is well worth the slog through the first. Not fantastic by any means, but worth doing if you have a day of climbing and you're in the Solar/El Cracko area. So which route will I have to defend next, Chad? Does Valdez Overhang suck ass? Is Babba Cool not so cool? Bring it on! (please note the good humor in these statements).

For the grade, T.A.D. is a wonderful outing on Devils Tower.The crack is a bit wide but offers great training for those whom are willing to expand their quiver of techniques.

I agree with Jim. What off-width? I remember mostly face climbing on the first pitch and as far as needing lots of large (#4) cams, I left my one #4 Friend at the semi-hanging belay so I didn't have to drag it up the 2nd pitch (see below description of my belay anchor). The 2nd pitch is sustained 5.7 and the hardest (jamming) moves I remember were at the very top.

This not the best route for your first lead on the Tower since you have to construct your own belay when you reach the jammed/somewhat loose chockstone. Looking over at the anchors for Solar made me drool. But while standing on the chockstone, I placed a #3 and #3.5 Friend and a large nut above for my anchor, including my #4 Friend below for an upward pull. The worst part was while belaying up my second my feet were killing me. Do the Durrance and then maybe try this one.

I went up this using doubles of camalots #.75-#3 and didnt have to run it out. A #3.5 could of been handy but not necessary.

The crack does get pretty wide but I found great fist and hand jamms all the way-- with rests.

Ummm.... let's see.... oh yeah...

TAD SUCKS...

I'll agree with John G that the First Pitch and the hanging belay on TAD SUCKS!!

but the 2nd pitch is a lot more fun!

not saying I'd do it again though!!

First pitch is great, better and longer than it looks from the ground, the offwidth section near the top of the first pitch is short lived as holds on the left open up quickly.

The second pitch is long, sustained and will be memorable. I think the guide book description about this being a "easy" pitch isn't quite correct, hardest 5.6 I've ever done. The last pitch requires a lot of hands/off hands sized gear, we couldn't find many placements for smaller gear. The jams are flaring and less than eloquent, wear pants and be prepared for battle.

Be careful of not getting your rope stuck in El Cracko on the rappel to the right.

BETA: You might want to keep at least one 3" cam in reserve for the Capital 'S' Schmankey Hanging Belay. But only if trusting two lives to a single chockstone makes you nervous ((shudder)).

Well, just got back from the Tower and we chose Tad as our means to break into and top out on the Tower. Thoroughly enjoyed it. First pitch, like most before me have said, was the odd fist/hand/offwidth moves, but good face holds to break them up. The 2nd pitch just kept coming at me. Consistent and long, with nary a comfortable rest. Well worth the flight for one long route.