Siete Vidas

NOTE: This is a long, new moderate up a blocky ridge. We did the best we could to clean, but temperature changes through the first few seasons are guaranteed to result in more blocks coming loose. Approach this route with respect and caution around rockfall!! 

This route climbs "Torre Basura", a lower, distinct sub tower hanging below Torre de Gato. It climbs an exposed ridge the entire way, culminating in a dramatic 1 foot diameter summit pinnacle. The climbing is a mixture of steep featured face climbing, and low angle, blocky rambling....

Alright alley cats. It's trash day again in Hidalgo and your task is to make it up Torre Basura, to the promised land of taco leftovers! We all know cats have 9 lives, though this route has seven pitches, with each one dead set on taking one. Hopefully you make it up unscathed and ready for another trash day!

P1 95' 5.8 (8 bolts) Climb the steep featured ridge. Near the top, counterintuitively stick to the right. Belay on a great ledge.

P2 105' 5.8 (11 bolts) Head up ledgey terrain towards a wide crack. Belay on a good ledge on top of a chossy tower.

P3 95' 5.6 (6 bolts) Scramble up easy terrain to a small ledge below a left facing corner.

P4 70' 5.9 (7 bolts) Climb the corner to a small ledge to belay.

P5 115' 5.9 (13 bolts) Step left into a dirty gully. Climb this for 20', then step left to the wildly exposed arete. Follow this to a tower and an easy leftward traverse to a great ledge to belay.

Optional Bonus Pitch! "Gatito Tower" 20' 5.7 (2 bolts) Climb a wildly exposed gendarme just above the belay. 

P6 80' 5.8 (7 bolts) Scramble up through a yucca to the arete of the summit pillar. Climb the steep prow to a cool, exposed ledge near the top.

P7 75' 5.9 (6 bolts) Climb a short crack above the anchor to gain the ridge. Then easy climbing takes you across "The Catwalk" to a belay just below the true summit.

P8 10' 5.6 (1 bolt) "The Promised Land" Mantle up to the tiny, exposed summit of Torre Basura! 

Descent: Follow a short fixed line down, corkscrewing to the Trash Cat side of the tower. Rappel the fixed line past a bushy ledge to a rap anchor. Then make 2, short single rope raps to the top of the 4th pitch of trash cat. Follow that route to the ground, or continue up?

Approach as per Trash Cat. The route starts up the ridge on the right side of the entrance to "The Amphitheatre" (the approach gully that accesses Trash Cat).

14 Draws, 70M rope. HELMETS!!