PRINT: Rock Climb Four Play, Devils Tower

Four Play

5.11c, Trad, 160 ft (48 m),

Avg: 3.5 from 14 votes
FA: Hong, Budding, Smedley, Feiges 5/1980
Wyoming > Devils Tower > N Face & Northwest Co…

Access Issue: June Voluntary Climbing Closure and Seasonal Raptor Closure Details

VOLUNTARY JUNE CLIMBING CLOSURE

The National Park Service asks that climbers choose not to climb the Tower during the month of June. The June voluntary climbing closure was selected as part of the Devils Tower Climbing Management Plan by a working group that included two climber organizations, two American Indian organizations, and other agency and local government representatives.

Climbers are strongly encouraged to consider enjoying the many other climbing options available in northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills area of South Dakota, during the month of June.

Details: nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…

Climbing MGMT Plan nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…

Rock climbing routes on the East and Northeast Faces of Devils Tower summit will be temporarily closed to protect nesting Peregrine and Prairie Falcons.

Description

Fourplay is the very nice finger flake and crack two lines to the right of (and around the corner from) Psychic Turbulence. It involves straight-in fingers with no real crux move, with excellent protection all the way, up to a comfortable ledge at the end of your rope. I cannot imagine doing the upper pitches (a death-block was knocked loose on the first ascent), and most will rappel after the one pitch. The lower belay is easily reached by traversing left from the NW shoulder routes.

Protection

Many medium RP's and small-medium wired stoppers with a few cams up to No. 1 Friends.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Barrett following this nasty thang

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Neil Kauffman
Bishop, CA

One of the best finger cracks I've done at the Tower, needs some traffic to stay clean. After we aided it yesterday, all the locks were cleaned out and it was lapped many times, lookin good now! Excellant balancy locking sequences with wild footwork and a short cruxy thin fingertip section. We climbed it in two pitches, a short easy approach pitch to a comfy gear anchor (#2&3 camalot), then the crack (many small-med.stoppers, extra finger cams). Go get some!!! May 29, 2009

slim

5.11b

long pitch of awesome climbing. very heavy on the tips to fingers gear. Aug 31, 2011

Lucas Barth
Moab, UT

The first pitch is easy, but more like 150-160 feet. The second pitch is about the same length. Great climbing and had a little lichen on it, but it didn't interfere. Sep 5, 2016

G Wood
yosemite

Amazing route that more people need to climb! Left feet are a bit hard to see with the lichen. All the locks are cleaned out now and y'all got to get on it!! Aug 24, 2019

Master Beta

Most of the Lichen is out of the crack, however in order for the grade to stay moderate, the left feet on the face need a good scrubbin'. Regardless, its a beautiful line and you can TR psychic turbulence after. In case you haven't gathered, there are no anchors directly on top of this route, and you have to make the traverse left at the first available ledge to the P.T. anchors around the corner.
80 M will allow a TR from a gear anchor in a horizontal #3 and #2 camalot crack right below the route as mentioned before. Sep 30, 2020

matt hoffman
Yosemite

I found the above comments confusing, vague, or just plain wrong. Here is the REAL info for this route.
Gear recommendations: triple rack .2 - .5, singles .75 - #3, one extra #2, offset nuts, 80m rope
P1: ~5.8, 35 meters (depending where you belay from).
You can climb this directly from way below or traverse in left from much higher. Either way it's an easy pitch and actually pretty fun. Build a gear anchor in/around a horizontal (hard to see) right at the base of the main business of this route. Anchor can be built with a #2 and #3 in the horizontal or you can use some smaller gear in the vertical crack.
P2: 5.11c, 40 meters
Climb the finger crack alllll the way up there until you reach a horizontal break. Build a gear anchor using gear between .5 and #2, plenty of options are available. Belay your partner up on the gear anchor, and then do a micro pitch to the left to the psychic turbulence p2 anchors.
Getting down: Rap one 40m rappel to an anchor on the left wall. Rap another 35m down and climber's right, traversing a bit to the highest ledgy area near the base of whine and bruises. Hopefully this is where you belayed from and your stuff is there waiting for you.

P.S. if you're thinking of continuing upward and right to the p2 anchor of whine and bruises I do not recommend this. The anchor up there is shit. Oct 2, 2021