Avg: 3.4 from 523
votes
This is a nice climb in four short pitches that finishes with the last exposed and dramatic prow to the summit. It's on the shady side of the monument, so warm days are preferable. The FA, Otto, drilled and chopped many holds in the soft sandstone to aid up this route with pipes in the holes, but now just the holes remain, which gives the route a moderate rating.
P1. Start on the NW side near the East end at a right-angling ramp (5.4) past chopped steps to a large ledge with a crack to protect for a belay.
P2. Head up the wide crack (#4 Camalot at the top), and exit the slot to another large ledge. The 2" drilled holes can be protected with the tricams.
P3. 3rd Class through the Time Tunnel up the ramp below a face with some drilled anchors. Climb this short pitch to Lunchbox Ledge, a large belay spot with a terrific view. There are three drilled anchors at the belay.
P4. This is the awesome crux pitch. Take the chopped steps to the right up the easy but runout and exposed face. Some drilled angles protect the final overhang on good holds to the belay ledge. A short hop up off this ledge gains the summit.
To descend, make a double rope rap past Lunchbox Ledge to the large shelf with the Time Tunnel. Traverse down the small tunnel to a short rap to a large ledge (top of 2nd pitch). Look for the last double rope rap to the right at the edge of the ledge, which was the top of the first pitch.
Alternately - per Becca Steinbrecher: from the large shelf, traverse down the small tunnel to the top of pitch 2. Either do a double rope rappel from here to the ground, or rappel to the 1st anchor & one last rappel to the ground.
A small rack of cams with a 1.5 and 2 tricam, and a #4 Camalot. About 6 draws and several shoulder length slings should do. Bring two ropes (for the rap).
Per Bryce Kerscher: a #5 Camalot is optional.
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Salt Lake City, UT
Great unique route, definitely 8+ or maybe even 9- Nov 19, 2001
Omaha, NE
Estes Park
What a surreal route. A must do if in the area.
The third pitch Off-Width is definitely size-dependent: Tall / slender people will fare better than chubbier / shorter ones. It is burly for sure, but protects very well with large cams and a sling around a chockstone.
The last pitch felt insecure. The chopped holds have turned into gritty sloppers. The reaches ae loooong and the pins looked just O.K. Felt like 5.9 to us.
Otto was a wild man, he climbed this in Cowboy boots!
Ironic that he was responsible for both chopping a 5 pitch route up the most beautiful formation in the Monument and leading the charge to turn the area into a National Monument thus ensuring its preservation.
Perhaps the same thing will one day happen with the Sports Park, NOT!
WT Apr 14, 2003
Salt Lake City, UT
Boulder, CO
BC
Fort Collins, CO
Also, it appears that the pins on the last pitch have been recently replaced, but I don't know how recent. They were all shiny and new looking.
In my opinion, the position on the last pitch is great, but the climging is uninteresting due to the drilled pockets. However, without the pockets the climbing would be much harder on the last pitch as well as the second pitch. Jan 9, 2006
Cheyenne, WY
I'll do it if nobody else will. Thanks Mar 27, 2007
Durango, CO
Durango, CO
Grand Junction, Co
Sandy mess, Jesse? It's desert rock, so of course there is sand, but it's got to be one of the cleaner routes in the desert and the climbing throughout is actually quite enjoyable. With the abundant protection and easy climbing, it's perfect for speed climbing. You speed climb to learn specific techniques for moving fast. You learn to be efficient as a team. You learn what is possible which gives you confidence to tackle a more ambitious project. For those who venture onto the larger faces, speed often equals safety and just like everything it must be practiced. Otto's is great practice. There are plenty of big routes around the world that require fast efficient climbing on nothing harder than 5.9. Nov 26, 2007
Denver, CO
Some comments:
We climbed over Labor Day weekend, topping out at 10:30AM. Everything below the last pitch was in the shade the entire time.
A light rack is all you need: singles of BD 0.5 - 4 cams, nothing smaller. Single (or less) set of small/med nuts. 2-3 tricams (black or smaller). Lots of shoulder-length slings.
First pitch seemed harder than I was led to believe, but the hardest moves are no harder than 5.6. Tie in long to the first anchor (chains + piton), and keep going around the corner to a comfy belay stance.
A BD 3 is useful for backing up the chockstone (it's fine, the webbing around it isn't) at the bottom of the p2 OW, a 4 is good higher up. As described in the Supertopo topo, it's possible to stem around the opening of the OW. The climbing is a little more delicate (5.8?), but the significant reduction in the grovel factor is well worth it.
Leave the big gear behind on the ledge at the top of the Time Tunnel. The last two pitches can be done with tricams (I had black, pink, red), a handful of nuts and/or small cams (BD 0.5, 0.75), and a few shoulder-length draws for the fixed gear. (The crux pitch would've been a lot easier without a full set of cams hanging off my shoulder.)
The crux pitch was considerably easier than it looks from the belay. The steps are worn but secure, and there are a couple of tricam placements in the handmade pockets if you desire. The last few moves are well-protected (3x pitons) and juggy. 5.8, but it seemed a little harder after all of the easy climbing leading up to it. Your second will appreciate the use of a long draw on the highest piton.
Following ET's comment, two raps with 2 x 60m ropes leaves 5 feet to spare on the second rap. Watch the loose rock coming down with the rope. Sep 1, 2008
If you keep out of the OW and stem the holes, the crux is definitely the last moves on the final pitch (Tobin led this). #4 Camalot in the OW is all you need, you can also clip the ratty sling on the chockstone if you want.
I think I placed about 6 pieces of gear on my leads today (#0.75, 2, 3 and 4 Camalots, a green C3 and #4 Stopper), a few long runners and that is about it.
2 60m raps gets your down. Top to the fixed anchor at the bottom of Time Tunnel, then down looker's left to the ground, about 3 feet to spare. You end up 30 yards south of where you started the route.
We did the approach hike in 45 minutes, beautiful hike by the way. Oct 3, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
Kearney, NE
Bozeman, MT
Great route: Otto had gorilla balls! May 11, 2009
Denver, CO
Last moves on the last pitch were pumpy and the footholds were slick and sandy. The summit is absolutely incredible! Apr 7, 2011
BOULDER CO
Boulder, CO
PG, Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Happy 100 years Otto! Oct 23, 2011
Moab, UT
Very sandy last pitch! Jan 3, 2012
grand junction, co
Rap from summit anchors to Lunchbox Ledge. 3rd class down time tunnel, rap to first pitch anchors. Then rap straight back down to ground. You can make it down with the single 70m. Tie knots to be sure your rope makes it. Mar 18, 2012
Grand Junction, CO
frisco
Carson City
La Crescenta, CA
South west Missouri
Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, CO
However, the big vertical "handlebar hold" between the first and second pitons on the last pitch has broken off. There is now a flat, platform-ish hold which is incut in the back. Please be very careful and do NOT pull OUT on it as it is part of a block that is not firmly attached to the wall - you can see a crack in it. It does make a better foothold than was there before!
Such a fun route!
Kris Hjelle Jul 30, 2014
Connecticut
CO
We got lucky with how our ropes were situated and didn't have to jug back up at all, hopefully other people don't make this mistake! Jul 18, 2016
carbondale, colorado
Boulder, CO
Thanks so much to whomever placed them since last summer. The old P2 belay bolts could be pulled out by hand and the manky pitons protecting the roof were unnerving. The new hardware is pretty great!
Btw, the offwidth slot on pitch 2 is definitely the crux. A #5 Camalot lets you protect the move at your waist, though. I had to do a totally horizontal kneebar to reach the next pocket/jug!
Oh, and you can also safely rap the whole route with one 70m rope (3 raps). The last rappel is 35m on the nose, so be sure to tie knots and find your middle mark before you rap! Apr 13, 2017
Glenwood Springs, CO
Moab, UT
Fort Collins, CO
Denver
Trip report here rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/20… Sep 7, 2019
Aspen, CO
Other than that, really cool historic route. I also thought 2nd pitch was the crux by a long shot. I regretted bringing two ropes, I felt like I spent more time managing ropes than climbing... Oct 23, 2020
Boulder, CO
I found that size 0.75 and 1 Totem cams will fit into many of the holes, but very few of these placements were secure. Larger tricams would have likely been better than Totems for the drilled holes. Unless you have a bunch of size 2 tricams for the drilled holes, the protection is definitely not G rated.
I thought that the #5 cam was quite useful and I placed on 3 pitches. I would definitely bring it again. Although many sources seem to recommend cams from 0.5 to 4 or 5, I would recommend bringing cams from 0.3 to 5, especially if you don’t have size 2 tricams to place in the holes. Size 0.75 and 1 Totems will work in some but not the majority of holes. Apr 3, 2021
Huntsville, UT
Denver, CO
Glenwood Springs, CO
The first rappel, from the top to the top of the Time Tunnel is a clean pull. 35 meters. It's best to rappel from the top to a large ledge at the top of the Time Tunnel and then scramble down through the Time Tunnel to the P2 anchor.
The P2 anchor would be a harder pull, and personally I wouldn't trust it with a Beal Escaper. Might work but could be questionable, in my experience, as it's a full 59 meter rappel. The rope runs over a bulge about halfway down plus the rope runs over another bulge at the top of the rappel as the anchor is set back in the large chimney at the top of P2.
If using the Escaper, it might be better to rappel P2 to P1 and then P1 to the ground. P1 to the ground is over 35 meters (it's about 40 meters). You may still have some issues with bulges though as it's not a free hanging rappel, which is where the Escaper works best.
If you know your rope shenanigans, you can rappel the route with one 70 meter rope, just FYI. The trickiest rappel is the last one as it's about 40 meters. If I'm using a 70m, I usually lower the person/people first and then rig a reepschnur. Or, you can do a double rope rappel and then down climb the start of the route (less desirable).
Full disclosure: I own an Escaper but haven't used it a ton and have had issues with it on long (35+ meter) rappels. Nov 23, 2021
n az
1st pitch is long and ends at three glue in bolts with chains. I placed all my gear on this besides tricams.
2nd pitch has some really fun moves. I protected the crux of getting into the ow with a number 4 and number 5. Really sewed it up good. Used another number 4 and a tricam in a pocket for the exit move out of the OW.
The time tunnel was tight! We unroped.
3rd pitch was fun easy climbing clipping pitons.
4th pitch summit moves were fun. Had both my feet blow out from under me before pulling the move. Cliffhanger!
To the summit, we clove hitched in long and pulled the move then downclimbed back to the belay.
You can rap from the summit to the time tunnel with 1 70m. Then we did a double 70m rap, to the ground, after walking back through the time tunnel to the top of the 2nd pitch.
One of the best desert routes I've climbed. May 4, 2022
Leadville, CO
Sierras
Brought a few cams up and only placed a single #4 once that I backcleaned, and I used 3 draws on pitches 3 and 4 each. The majority of the climbing is 5.easy with 2 5.8 moves on the route. Super easy, straightforward rap with a single 70m for the descent. Awesome climb! May 22, 2022
n az
Boulder, Co
We climbed this on a warm-ish day in early March and were pretty frozen, but we had the route to ourselves. The route was very, very sandy and while very easy, felt insecure. There was a lot of loose rocks on the pitches before and through the time tunnel, and I would hesitate to follow another party up early season. Overall, this route was a blast and a historic journey. Totally unique, and the carved in features make this an absolute romp. How often do you get to pull on giant jugs in the desert?
This would be a great first climb for someone to follow, it would be a terrifying first lead! Especially the heady, easy, runout on the last pitch, wild! Mar 21, 2023
Arvada, CO
Although fair at the grade, it is a literal sandbag. You may think you've been transported to the fine, white-sand beaches of the Caribbean at times. These piles of dust come from somewhere though...oh wait, it's what you're climbing - great! The anchors were often rather close to actively shedding sandstone or on detaching pillars that will not last forever, but such is the art of climbing in the desert. I did appreciate how the anchors were placed out of the line of fire from your climber and the Time Tunnel's antics.
Although I've only climbed it once, P3 looks like it has had some recent shedding which may have included some of Otto's fine handy work. You've got no choice but to fully weight some hollow stuff that's just waiting to flake off. The best part is the first bolt is a cozy neighbor to this XL xylophone key - spicy. The bottom of P2 has the same feel, but the climbing is a bit easier thankfully.
Trusting ANY gear felt tough given the nature of this kind of sandstone. Tricams were a bit helpful - but as someone who's in a long-term serious relationship with these wonderful pieces, best case they were very tipped out and placed in an "eh, it's better than nothing" kind of way. Took doubles of blue and brown, but most holes were a little too large for any kind of real comfort.
A 70m does reach the ground if you go straight down from the top of P1 - meaning the ends touch the ground, but knot them anyway. Based on comments here, we thought we would have to do some rap nonsense, but luckily Otto's gave us a break at the end.
With that being said, it's a unique route. Certainly, its own kind of special adventure as far as desert towers go. Absolutely stunning - the valley is in bloom right now, but overall I think there are better towers that offer a little more comfort and aren't actively shedding on you. Definitely not for the beginner. 2.5-star climbing (only thanks to the upper pitches) and a 3-star experience, IMO. There was no summit register - shame. May 9, 2023
Glenwood Springs, CO
The rockfall from this winter/early spring was significant. Two massive boulders at the base of the Time Tunnel are gone, and there's a lot of carnage in its place, with a lot of loose rock and sand, that will continue to come down the two lower pitches. We put some effort into stabilizing and cleaning things yesterday, but a lot more is to be done. Be careful if climbing below others on the first two pitches as the sandy slope at the base of the Time Tunnel (at the second anchors) is going to take a long time to stabilize and clean up. May 22, 2023
Boulder, CO
Really you don't need them if you're comfortable running it out on Flatiron-like terrain, but if you want them for piece of mind, see my for sale post.
FYI, the "drilled angles" on the crux pitch have been replaced with modern, bolts, basically sport-placed to give you very high pro at the cruxes. On the downside, I couldn't figure out a way to climb the crux withut using a foothold that also happened to have a bolt on it that I couldn't avoid touching with my foot.... Oct 10, 2023
Denver, CO
Denver, CO