Texas Hold 'Em

An engaging, awesome route. Each pitch is progressively better making this one of the best climbs in Black Velvet.

Begin 100' right of the start of Epinephrine.

P1, P2, P3: Scramble 50' up and left across 5.0 ledges just left of a huge, yellow, hanging left-facing dihedral high above. Optional Belay on a large ledge (you can traverse this ledge to Epinephrine) with lots of bushes, otherwise: scramble left through the bushes to a small left-facing corner, up this and then traverse back right across a slab to a higher, small, left-facing corner/arete. Up this, passing a bolt, and continue more easily to a great belay ledge with bolted anchor. 130' to this point and a good place to stop and belay. From here, continue up the slab above, then diagonal rightwards across the slab (#2 or #3 Camalots in horizontals, and higher a thread) until reaching the previously mentioned huge, hanging left-facing dihedral just above a tree. Climb this to near its top where there is a bolt up and left and another one up and right (the righthand one is situated above a shelf. Either way goes, but the righthand variation is both easier and more direct. Belay just above at a good ledge with a bolted anchor. 260' to this point. Continue up the left-facing corner right of the belay to a huge, bushy terrace. Cut right through the bushes and belay on gear below a water-polished groove/crack feature at the right end of the terrace. 400' to this point and most of the climbing on these pitches checks in at 5.8.

P4 (150’, 5.8): Follow the groove up and left, taking either a slot or a hand crack and passing a bolted anchor and belaying a second bolted anchor (Excalibur), below the obvious diagonal crack above.

P5 (180’, 5.10): Climb up through the roof with a few wide-hands moves to a stance, then continue up the spectacular, exposed crack system past 3 bolts to a bolted belay on a big ledge just below and left of the top of Texas Tower.

P6 (100’, 5.9): There are two left-trending crack systems above. Begin up the right of the two, then traverse to the left crack about 50' up. Follow this to a bolted belay way left of the line. You can link this into the next pitch but the rope drag through the crux can be bad if you're not careful.

P6 Var. (140’, 5.12 V7?): Alternatively, you can stay in the right-hand crack at awesome 5.12 with a boulder problem crux (freed by Brad Gobright) past a small roof midway up. This variation has several bolts and joins up with the following pitch near the end.

P7 (100’, 5.11c): Perform a bouldery move off the belay, then climb up an easy corner to a bolt. Hand traverse right to a tough clip and stand up on a sloping ledge below a small roof (bolt over the roof). Climb into a left-facing corner around the roof (reachy and then easier) to a bolted belay below an obvious V-slot.

P8 (100’, 5.11b): Climb the V-slot (two bolts protect) to a cruxy traverse/downclimb at a bolt, then more V-slot action up to a bolted belay at a stance.

P9 (140’, 5.10): I won't spoil it all by giving away the last pitch, but from here the route is obvious. Mind the rope drag before walking the plank. If you're rapping, make sure to fix your tag line to the previous belay or you will be dangling in space. Otherwise, continue on with Lone Star.

Rappel the route with two ropes.

Edit 2024: Confirmed you can rap with a single 80. Stop at EVERY anchor. Continue down Velvet Tongue/TTD. It may be possible to reach the anchor on the first/highest rap without dangling in space with some frantic swinging (attempt at your own risk).

Single 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 Camalots, Double 0.75, #1, #2, and #3 Camalots (the doubles are optional for confident Creek climbers, but you're probably gonna be glad for a second #3). Wires. A dozen draws/slings. Two ropes.