Feb 22: Desert Tower Tier List Thread!

I've been watching lots of videos of people making tier lists lately and I'd love to make a community-powered tier list centered on desert towers. With S-tier being splitter lines up striking formations and F tier being putrid choss on 100-foot Estrada lumps and everything in between, submit your ideas for towers on the list along with suggested tier ranking, some reasoning, and a picture for me to put on there. Like everything, submissions are up for fiery debates.

TIER LIST THUS FAR:

To get the thread going:

Castleton Tower, I suggest S Tier. It has a plethora of good lines, and something engaging for everybody. Additionally, it's arguably the most iconic desert tower in a wonderful location.

Owl Rock, I suggest E tier. It could be worse, but its a small lumpy tower that barely even qualifies as a tower and it kind of resembles a sandstone chode. It has like 1 approachable route that isn't really classic at all and the climbing is awkward and weird. 

I vote that this shouldnt exist 

I don't mean to shake things up right off the bat, but the monkey face at smith rock is by definition a desert tower and it hosts a variety of classic lines. S tier for sure.

S tier

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717149/the-mudstrosity

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717155/factory-butte

One that i would like to tag up in the next 2 months is The Mace (5.9+) in Sedona if anyone is down!  Seems S-Tier/4-star

The owl "E tier"...How dare you

Not Hobo Greg wrote:

Why does it start with S and then go to A?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_Japan

The Mace is classic Sedona E tier. No individual pitches you would ever climb at a crag unless it is really crowded and you are pretty drunk. But it’s a tower so it’s A tier.

Andy Forquerwrote:

One that i would like to tag up in the next 2 months is The Mace (5.9+) in Sedona if anyone is down!  Seems S-Tier/4-star

did it two weeks ago, i would say a-tier due to a bit of loose rock and grovel but great experience overall!

The Pickle.  Top Tier 

Randy Vannurdenwrote:

I vote that this shouldnt exist 

i vote that you’re placed on the F-tier of the fun tier list!

also +1 for pickle, it doesn’t get much better than that brother .

Andrew Childwrote:

I don't mean to shake things up right off the bat, but the monkey face at smith rock is by definition a desert tower and it hosts a variety of classic lines. S tier for sure.

which brings me to this related pedantry: what defines a 'desert tower' from a rock climber's perspective? 

I've talked to people who keep track of the 'desert towers' they climb, and in those instances usually anything that's a named sandstone summit on the Colorado Plateau seems to qualify.  

does it have to be a real desert (<10" precip/yr)? cause that would disqualify a few parts of the Colorado Plateau and definitely Smith Rock. what about shape? Does the Rectory count as a tower even though it's longer than it is tall?

I have no strong opinion on this but I've wondered about it. 

Where does Ancient Art sit on the list? B-tier? Perhaps lower when it's crowded?

Colorado Nat Monument.  S or A tier for tri-cam usage? 

Matthew Tangemanwrote:

which brings me to this related pedantry: what defines a 'desert tower' from a rock climber's perspective? 

I've talked to people who keep track of the 'desert towers' they climb, and in those instances usually anything that's a named sandstone summit on the Colorado Plateau seems to qualify.  

does it have to be a real desert (<10" precip/yr)? cause that would disqualify a few parts of the Colorado Plateau and definitely Smith Rock. what about shape? Does the Rectory count as a tower even though it's longer than it is tall?

I have no strong opinion on this but I've wondered about it. 

Personally, my "towers" list isn't desert specific. There are only three qualifications for a tower:

1) You can't rap/ hike to the top of it (technical climbing required)

2) it must be taller that it is wide (Negotiable, because every time i'm on top of the rectory it feels like a tower and fuck anybody who says otherwise)

3) Jumping ropeless off of the top must imply certain death

Before y'all go poking holes it my system, let me make it clear that I'm entirely aware that this is all arbitrary & flawed, and that my quest to 100 towers is borderline meaningless in the grand scheme of climbing. Sure is fun tho!

"I don't mean to shake things up right off the bat, but the monkey face at smith rock is by definition a desert tower and it hosts a variety of classic lines. S tier for sure."

+1, an all time favorite of mine with lots of great routes!

Alex Fischerwrote:

Where does Ancient Art sit on the list? B-tier? Perhaps lower when it's crowded?

I'd say it's A-tier because of the unique summit pitch and incredible views, but perhaps knocked down to B-tier because of the crowded shitshow it's become (and it's ALWAYS crowded lol) 

Tier List updated! Positions are up for debate, so make a case if you disagree!

For future contributions, please post a photo of the tower for me to add to the list and some reasoning! off to a good start

I have never climbed it but a buddy is obsessed with getting the FFA on it.  Might be a C class

Evan LovleyMeyerswrote:

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105954585/the-phallus

I have never climbed it but a buddy is obsessed with getting the FFA on it.  Might be a C class

Thanks for the photo reference, Evan! Makes it easier to add to the chart. I went on a little tower rampage in arches this November and almost hit the phallus but ran out of time. if I remember correctly, it sits adjacent two structures named the Right Teste and the Left Teste. Now that's some full-value climbing.

Just updated the tier list at the top of the page, keep em coming Folks!

PS- only so much room up in the S-tier. Unless somebody makes a strong case supporting otherwise, I gotta move The Pickle down to E Tier where it belongs. It's a short nubbin of a tower, it doesn't even go free, and the aiding is just a profoundly boring bolt ladder to the top. It is perhaps the least engaging tower I've ever found myself on.

aiden the cam slinging slasherwrote:

I'd say it's A-tier because of the unique summit pitch and incredible views, but perhaps knocked down to B-tier because of the crowded shitshow it's become (and it's ALWAYS crowded lol) 

Tier List updated! Positions are up for debate, so make a case if you disagree!

For future contributions, please post a photo of the tower for me to add to the list and some reasoning! off to a good start

I wouldn't say it's ALWAYS crowded...I climbed Ancient Art on one fine June day when the high in Moab was 107 and I had the tower all to myself!

Hmmm.. well sundevil chimney is one of my favorite routes of all time even though it has zero splitters and a lot of choss. However that's not what makes that tower climb magical. The terror and will to keep going is what made that climb so magical. 

So what about these kind of tower climbs?