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All Locations > Utah > Wasatch Range > Ferguson Canyon > The Watchtower > Watchtower Tiers

Steel Reserve

5.11c YDS 6c+ French 24 Ewbanks VIII- UIAA 24 ZA E4 6a British


 Avg: 3.4 from 36 votes

Routes in Watchtower Tiers

Cerebral Scrub, The S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
Condor S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
Conflict S 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
Dehumanized T,S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
Drunk Punk Oi S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
Grommet S 5.11- 6c 22 VIII+ 22 E3 5c
Imperial S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
Scratchin' for the Loomer S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
Steel Reserve T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
Total Ramon T,S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13
Uncensored Society S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
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Type: Trad, 90 ft
FA: Hank Armantrout, Drew Bedford, 1983
Page Views: 3,456 total · 25/month
Shared By: Dave Budge on Aug 4, 2007
Admins: Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, grk10vq

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Description

Beautiful face and crack climbing on upper wall above and left of Ramon and Loomer. Great continuous climbing protected with small TCUs (no bolts). Really cool features, the climbing on the upper wall is stellar.

Easy to TR from new sport route to the left (shares anchors).

Location

Starts in obvious crack chimney left of Total Ramon. Climb up through easier blocky terrain to thin crack system that splits the right side of the upper wall. A 60m rope will get you down.

Protection

Doubles of purple, blue, and yellow TCUs. Bring some bigger stuff for the approach crack. Bolted anchors with chains. Be prepared for an easy runout (9+/10-) to chains above a purple TCU (one could clip last bolt on sport route to the left if desperately pumped).

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Photos

Steel Reserve
Steel Reserve
 7
Lance climbing Steel Reserve - Onsight.
Lance climbing Steel Reserve - Onsight.
 2
Lance, Steel Reserve. - Onsight
Lance, Steel Reserve. - Onsight
 1
some more of same...silly compact digis...wish i had a decent slr...<br> oh well...
some more of same...silly compact digis...wish…
 0
a bit blurry but...
a bit blurry but...
 0
KW down lower on route, just getting into some of the bizz...
KW down lower on route, just getting into some…
 0
Kent Wheeler on Steel Reserve
Kent Wheeler on Steel Reserve
 0

9 Comments

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glen kaplan
Salt Lake City, UT
  5.11+ PG13
glen kaplan   Salt Lake City, UT
  5.11+ PG13
Kent...killa go!...you definitely have nerves and steel reserve!
i got some great video of you flying!!! and will eventually post it somewheres...the pics are all right...

FYI: while i certainly agree Dave/Kent have the most likely FA based on gumption, balls, cleaning, etc...i know i am not the only one to have tr'd this before...after all, you rap down the exact route when rapping off of Gregorio's and LD's 'Conflict' .10d 5/28/04 (the bolted line to the left)

so maybe there is another...

IT IS A PROUD AND HEADY TRAD LINE w/ awesome sporty moves!!! Aug 11, 2007
Luke Douglas
Luke Douglas  
Dave & Co,
Really nice work. Historically it would have been cool if there was still a pin or two left from when you did this back in the day. Looks like you did not need them as protection though. Ballsy ascent and much respect for not retroing your climb. What a sick trad line!
Congrats,
Luke Aug 18, 2007
Dave Budge
North Slope of the Wrangells
  5.11c
Dave Budge   North Slope of the Wrangells
  5.11c
Its a great route, now much cleaner and totally climbable. Too bad someone took the pin out, would've been a nice piece of history. If people aren't going to send something, there's no point in removing a pin, it is our history, it tells a story. Aug 21, 2007
drewford
Wasatch Back, UT
 
drewford   Wasatch Back, UT
 
This was originally done as the second pitch to Total Ramon in '83. Hank Armantrout and I put in one pin near the top, which was there until the new routes and anchors to climber's left made pin stealing easier. We told Les Elison not to include it in the guide simply because the rock was too gritty. Funny how a few years in AF change your perspective. Glad it's seeing some traffic. Mar 31, 2008
steve edwards
SLC, UT
 
steve edwards   SLC, UT
 
This is a very good route, but the start should be the sport route below, which adds some variation. It still has some suspect rock, otherwise it would be spectacular. A couple of key (for me, anyway) large holds are grainy and a tad hollow. Plenty of pro but a heady lead nonetheless. Sep 16, 2008
Nicholas Yaskoff
Salt Lake City, UT
  5.11c
Nicholas Yaskoff   Salt Lake City, UT
  5.11c
Steel Reserve is a spectacular line. Do yourself a favor dust off the trad rack and jump on this gem next time you're in the canyon, you will not be disappointed. Aug 2, 2009
Landon McBrayer
Salt Lake City, UT
 
Landon McBrayer   Salt Lake City, UT
 
Great line. The gear is all there, the moves are solid, and the pump ain't that bad. Best .11 in Fergy. Jul 27, 2010
Spencer Weiler
Salt Lake city
 
Spencer Weiler   Salt Lake city
 
Starting on Grommet is totally logical as Steel Reserve is a natural continuation of the same line. I found the pro leading up over the initial bulge past the dirty section to be a bit insecure, a flarey #1 camalot, but once you're up and over into the next crack the gear drops in well. Definitely save that purple TCU for the top before the thrilling runout to the chains though its mostly big ledgy holds. Try to fight the urge to bail left to the 10d sport routes' bolts. Quality climbing. Sep 19, 2011
Zak123
 
Zak123  
 
This is definitely my new favorite route up Ferguson. The gear is great, and the climbing is even better. Its an absolute classic in my mind. Aug 17, 2015

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