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Elevation: 555 ft
GPS: 41.145, -74.1653
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 38,535 total · 291/month
Shared By: burboeck on Jun 10, 2013 · Updates
Admins: Morgan Patterson, SMarsh
Warning Access Issue: As of November 2021, there are new parking arrangements. Please follow this guidance. DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

The Tower Wall is the most obvious, visible and possibly tallest wall at the Powerlinez. As you exit the tree line along the main Swath trail (service road), the Tower Wall looms behind a pylon. It is a great wall to use as reference point for the rest of your climbing.

The rock on the Tower Wall is like the rest of the Powerlinez, sharp and gritty and in some areas, prone to breaking apart. Many of the popular lines are solid though, and far from being polished. Keep climbing them! Top outs are infamous at the Powerlinez - full of rounded, sloping tops that only someone with gecko hands will benefit from. Great for colder days.

The Tower Wall is a great area for trad practice. All of the lines are close together and are close to each other, which means you can run a bunch of laps with relative ease.

To the East (climber's right) of the Tower Wall is the Enclosure, Devonshire Pillar, Puzzle Palace and more. To the West (climber's left) of the Tower Wall is Three Bears Wall and just beyond that Dave's Wall. Just below and to the climber's right is the Stockade Wall.

Thanks to kenr for the following TR info:

Top-Roping:

Natural anchors near tops of routes on the right half of this sector are usually available close to top. For several it helps to have a static line (not more than 50 ft) to rappel or down-climb to place the carabiners for the belay rope down well below the top, to avoid dragging or abrasion of the belay rope.

For many of routes (especially Back to the Wall through TWD Tower Wall Direct) on the left side of this sector, it's more convenient to have a very long static line to reach some tree set way back from the top of the cliff, and to be able to rappel or down-climb to place the carabiners below the top. Or with a normal trad protection rack, it's possible to construct a multi-piece anchor about 20 feet back from the top, so then a shorter static line would be sufficient to set the carabiners for the belay rope down lower on the cliff.

Access to the top: One simple (but not short) way is to hike Left (W) along the base of the cliff 300 feet, past the sectors Three Bears and Dave's Wall, to the intersection of the Tower Wall tier trail with The Good Book access trail. Turn Right (NE) and follow The Good Book trail 150 feet, up a steep slope, then after it gets gentle, find a way off it Right (E) and gentle upward toward the mini-summit view at the top of the Tower Wall cliff.

Getting There Suggest change

This cliff is clearly visible from the Con Edison service road in the clearing under the powerlines.

21 Total Climbs

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Location: 6. The Tower Wall Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at The Tower Wall

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a
 5
Manticore Upper Arete
Trad, TR
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
 8
In & Out
Trad, TR 2 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 27
Dead Tree Dihedral
Trad, TR
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 10
Back to the Gym
Trad, TR
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 49
Johnson Route
Trad, TR
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 17
The Red Knob
Trad, TR
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 5
Ex-traction Slab
TR
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c
 93
Rachel's Crack
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 20
Back to the Wall
Trad, TR
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 17
Ogre Arete
Trad, TR
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 19
No Rest for the Wicked
Trad, TR
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
 12
Tower Wall Direct
Trad, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 14
Arrowhead
Trad, TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Manticore Upper Arete
 5
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a Trad, TR
In & Out
 8
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Trad, TR 2 pitches
Dead Tree Dihedral
 27
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Back to the Gym
 10
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Johnson Route
 49
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
The Red Knob
 17
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Ex-traction Slab
 5
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b TR
Rachel's Crack
 93
5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c Trad, TR
Back to the Wall
 20
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad, TR
Ogre Arete
 17
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, TR
No Rest for the Wicked
 19
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad, TR
Tower Wall Direct
 12
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 Trad, TR
Arrowhead
 14
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, TR
More Classic Climbs in The Tower Wall »

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