Type: Aid, Grade VI
FA: Harvey T. Carter, Tom Merrill, Bob Sullivan, Ken Wyrick - Ap
Page Views: 19,855 total · 71/month
Shared By: Ben Folsom on Nov 13, 2001 · Updates
Admins: slim, Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane

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Warning Access Issue: RAIN, WET ROCK and RAPTOR CLOSURES: The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Also please ask and be aware of Raptor Closures in areas such as CAT WALL and RESERVOIR WALL in Indian Creek DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

This was my first real nailing route, and is still one of the best routes I've ever done. It is awesome! This route climbs the obvious fluted chimney system on the south face of the tower. We climbed it in two days, on the first day we fixed to the top of pitch 2 and finished the rest of the pitches the following day. We ran out of water, it was over 100 degrees. All we had were pop tarts, and I will never eat pop tarts again as long as I live.

P1- Climb the blocky crack systems up to the roof, and then climb thin cracks past some bolts to a good hanging belay. (A3)

P2- Climb the right leaning crack (all clean) to another good hanging belay. This pitch is mostly cams and stoppers. (A1+)

P3- Move right and climb super muddy 5.8 and A2 pins hammered straight into the mud to an old bolt ladder. When we climbed this, most of the bolts were hidden under the mud. I had to excavate with my hammer to find them. Then some tricky nailing leads to another hanging belay. (5.8 A2+)

P4- Climb A2 past some bolts heading right into the deepest part of the muddy chimney. Climb 5.9 mud up the chimney past a few bolts. This is one of the most interesting pitches in the desert. Climb light on the mud! A wide crack just before the sloping belay takes a #4 camalot. So save one for there. (5.9 A2)

P5- Climb up a nice right facing dihedral, and then climb right on bolts underneath the roof. Then climb A2 with a few mantles onto sloping ledges to a wiggle move through a weird, short groove to a killer ledge. This would be a great ledge to bivy on. (5.7 A2)

P6- Cross the chasm and climb an A2 crack then tension traverse left to more aid and free climbing to another ledge 60 feet below the summit. Watch rope drag on this pitch. It is bad! (5.9 A2)

P7- Climb the right facing chimney/offwidth to the summit. (5.7r)

To descend, either rap the finger of fate route to the top of pitch 5, then three more rappels down the gully right of the route. We actually rapped down the Sundevil Chimney, and were down in about 30 minutes. I would recommend rapping the Sundevil Chimney.

Protection Suggest change

2-3 sets of cams to #4 camalots. 2 sets of stoppers. A few blades and arrows. Many baby and 5/8" angles. A few of the bigger size angles. A couple really long pitons (for the mud on pitch 3). The route is supposed to go clean now, but I imagine you could still hand place pins. And if going for a clean ascent, bring tri-cams and lowe balls, and whatever other tricks you have.
THERE SHOULD BE NO NAILING ON THIS ROUTE!! When I submitted this route it had not gone clean yet, or free.

Photos

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