Another beautiful stemming pitch. 2 stars at the Tower, 3 stars anywhere else.
This pitch climbs the right side of the pillar directly below the fist crack pitch of Tugley Wood. It is the crack directly left of the 5.9+ first pitch of McCarthy West Face. It's a long pitch, but what else is new at Devil's Tower?
Set a high belay, and stem the thin corner. There are many difficult sections on this pitch with good stances from time to time. The guidebook calls the small roof at mid-height the crux, but it really isn't much more difficult than the rest of the climb. The crack eventually widens to hands... another good rest follows before some more cruxy business exiting the corner.
A double 60m rope rappel will, just barely, deposit you at the staging area at the start to El Matador.
Protection
Lots of small-medium stoppers. Triples in BD stopper sizes #3-7 would have been perfect. Due to the nature of the crack, it doesn't take cams well. I think I placed two cams on the pitch: a green camalot at the crux and a hand sized piece in the hands section near the top of the route.
I got the grade and name spelling above from the Poorperson's guide. The guide with the green cover grades the route 11b and gives the name as "Way Laid", the correct way to spell it (imagine that!). Felt like pretty easy 5.11 to me, so 11a is more like it.
Eric Rhicard did the FA of this route in 1981 with Mark Smedley after he fell at the crux and removed a lot of skin from his shin. The original EB climbing shoe rubber was not as sticky as the new stuff.
By John Gunnels From: Gillette, WY Apr 8, 2006 rating: 5.11a
Did this route my second year at the Tower. Interesting note: for the first half of the pitch, I thought I was on Tulgey Wood! Oops...
West Face
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