This climb is unbelieveable. You will want to lick your fingers when you are done just to make sure you got it all. Begin about 20 feet left of Tugley Wood. Look for the obvious small, bright yellow roof about forty feet up. Begin with a short, enjoyable approach pitch that brings one to a stance with chains below the roof. Pitch 2 is the crux. Fire through the roof (single crux move) then continue for a full-value pitch up the incredibly sustained fingers and thin-hands crack. This pitch is probably about 165 feet long with no truly great rests. The are chains at the top of the pitch. Keep your eyes open for feet out on the left face, they will save you. Pitch 3 looks fun and goes at .10a, but most parties rap at the top of the second pitch. Another great .11a testpiece very similar to Carol's crack, but slightly easier
Protection
Lots of medium and large stoppers. Many cams in the .5 inch to 1.5 inch range. Many hands and big hands if you plan to do the third pitch.
I would definately agree with the above comment. However, unlike many Devils Tower routes, this one does protect very well with cams. Still you could easily sew this one up with bombproof stoppers.
Truly a world-class route. Put some nuts on single 'biners (~ #6 thru #11 stopper sizes) and just "drop 'em in and clip 'em". Good spots for 4 or 5 each of #0.75 and #1 Camalot sizes, too.
As mentioned above, passing the yellow roof is the technical crux of the pitch. Nothing after that approaches .11a for any single move, it's just super enduro. Don't miss the killer rest on the arete to the right at ~75 feet out.
Pitch 3 looks really good- we rapped off at end of p.2
By Jeff Giddings From: Fort Collins Sep 7, 2006 rating: 5.11a
Cracks just don't get much better than this one! If you have one route to aspire to at this amazing Devils Tower, it should be MR. CLEAN!
By Guy Humphrey From: Fort Collins CO Jan 30, 2008
nice shot, the time i posted it, got teased, because i obviously yammed on the last few pieces.
Franks old hostess, Lisa, about to clean a million pieces of gear!!!
very good route btw, hard to imagine dereck hersey onsight soloing that thing!!!
edit: i found carol's crack to be much easier than mr clean, along with the direct sw. maybe because the other two are locker fingers compared to the tight hands here.
Great pic Guy...very reminiscent of my experience on the route...I racked up with about 15 stoppers on their own biners...plugged and chugged. My 70 meter rope felt like a truck while clipping during those last moves. Superb Line...one of the best anywhere!!!
Tom...I found this thing slightly easier then Carol's Crack...
West Face
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