A couple Devil's Tower questions

My friend and I are heading to the Tetons for a couple weeks and tagging Devil's Tower for a day on the way there. It's kind of an after thought for us so I don't have a lot of info collected. I have a couple questions I was hoping I could get some answers for. Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

-Is there any free/cheap camping close to Devil's Tower that would allow us to get there late in the night if needed?

-Is it possible to register if a ranger isn't present at the visitor center (thinking early start)?

-Is Durrance worth the effort to get up early and/or deal with crowds? Is it more historically significant than good climbing? Should we look to a different climb that offers better climbing?

My apologies if I missed a previous post or wealth of obvious info that touches on these questions. My quick search didn't yield anything and I'm just impatient trying to pack and plan last minute details.

If the climber registration office is empty you can always use the self-registration forms at the kiosk in the center of the main parking lot.

If I could pose another question for other folks out there, my plans are similar to Greg's, on my way out to Yellowstone and want to climb the Devil's Tower. Is there a rappel route that I can follow with a single 60 meter rope? I've only read of routes that require double 50 meter ropes. Not really feeling the idea of a reepschnur either. I vaguely remember someone saying something about el cracko rappel route being doable with a single 60 meter rope, but that it can be a ball buster (e.g. hanging transitions/anchors).

Greg

I haven't been there for years so I can't answer for sure but there used to be camping at the Fort just before the entrance or the KOA or just go to the main CG inside the park. It's all private land around there but I have seen people park along the highway and camp on the edge of a pasture.

Pretty sure there is a way to self register but it's not like they come out and check.

When I was guiding out of the Needles area I would also guide the Durrance route. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't getting paid to. While there is some history for sure and the crux pitch is ok other then that it's not that great.

I would do Walt Bailey or Solar and then summit at least once.
mountainproject.com/v/walt-… One of the best 5.9 pitches anywhere.

mountainproject.com/v/soler… Two sweet pitches fairly continuous 5.8.

mountainproject.com/v/holly… Another classic in the same area.

Depending on the weather you might be better off chasing the shade. Start on the west face and then move around to the north. If that's the case you could finish the day by going to the summit on Assembly Line.

New Wave mountainproject.com/v/new-w… to Assembly Line mountainproject.com/v/assem… is a great link up.

Enjoy

Tim

Steve

Again it's been awhile. There may be mid point anchors on El Cracko but they will definitely be hanging. There is also a way to get down with one rope in the Durrance area as I recall but it will often be a cluster over there. Either way you will have to down climb to the Meadows. Pretty sure there is not a one rope route off of the summit.

I had never heard of reepschnur but I see that's a tag line system. I guess I just always had 2 ropes. That way when doing multiple raps one can start feeding the rope as they are pulling. At least that's the way I learned it at the tower. Just be careful not to let the rope drop into the crack the faces are pretty clean.

Registration cards can be found at the kiosk in the center of the parking lot if the climbing office is closed.

There are many better routes on the Tower than the Durrance. El Cracko Diablo, Soler, Bon Homme (Horning Variation), and Walt Bailey are excellent lines that end in the Meadows near where you can scramble to the summmit. If you want more adventure in the shade, McCarthy West Face is a great, classic line as well.

Yes, the Tower can be rappelled with a single 60 m rope. It is not fun. It requires downclimbing 4th class from the summit to the Meadows, then rappelling from the Bowling Alley anchors to the often-crowded Durrance or using every anchor you find in the Bowling Alley. Alternatively, you could go from the Meadows down four rappels near El Cracko Diablo that will take you to the base of that route. That rap line had one hanging belay and two partial hanging belays, but is less likely to get your rope stuck. Stuck ropes are a huge problem at the Tower, and they are even more troublesome when you don't have a second cord to help retrieve the stuck line. Bring two ropes and make life easier.

Greg,

Camp for FREE on the green at Devils Tower Lodge....you have to drive in to the park and then take a left on a gravel road, and then the second right. Check their website for directions.

IIRC Frank has three SIMPLE RULES for the free camping:
NO DOGS
NO DRUGS
NO OPEN CAMP FIRES

They let you use the public toilet and shower too. It's easy to find, but ask if unsure.

While camping is free a small donation IS APPRECIATED and helps support maintenance on things like mowing the lawn, and keeping the shower/toilet running and supplied with basics.

Bring yer own towel/soap/etc...

START EARLY for anything around Durrance. El Cracko Diablo is super fine. Also, consider the teacher's lounge area for getting warmed up...shade in the PM.

Regards,
Bill

I've always just paid for the campground. Its really cheap for a National Monument ($7 a night, I think), but if you're looking to go cheaper, there's stuff around. I don't really know about it though.

The El Cracko Diablo rappels need two 50s or 60s, or one 70. With one 70, expect hanging transitions, but my partner and I moved pretty fast, so it wasn't so bad.

Also, yell rope and clear rope snags before your stack falls on the poor fucker belaying his partner on the second pitch of El Cracko. Familiarize yourself with the rappel topos, keeping in mind not just where your anchors are, but where the others are as well. I argued with a dude for 5 minutes that the rappel anchor he wanted was 30 feet below me, rather than the precarious little stance I was perched on.

The Soler/El Cracko/TAD ledge can get pretty crowded, since its the main descent route from the Meadows. Try to yield climbers while you're rappelling (I waited for 45 minutes at that same belay mentioned above while the same party solved their clusterfuck problems and finally allowed my partner to use the only anchor available).

Klondike is a really good route, but its a single 190 foot pitch, and there are no intermediate anchors, so pack an extra 60. In fact, just about every route requires at least double 50s, and double 60s are so common that I don't know why anyone wouldn't bring one.

Also, Walt Bailey is a spectacular route, definitely worth doing, although it is incredibly sustained. It goes from tight fingers to tight hands over the course of a single 165 foot pitch that deposits you at the Meadows, although if you don't top out you should still descend via the El Cracko rappels.

Durrance has a lot of offwidth, and not a lot of memorable climbing. Do something else.

Brian Scoggins wrote:Durrance has a lot of offwidth, and not a lot of memorable climbing. Do something else.

I second this statement. I found the offwidth to be very fun on Durrance Route. However, everything else that comes with Durrance is NOT worth the effort especially if you aren't there to check out a lot of routes for several days.

I would say climb something else, too. I wasted a great weather day waiting around on Durrance for a NOLS group to SLOWLY move up a little at a time. The nice thing to do would have been to let my fast moving group climb past them... but they had no intention of that at all.

The Durrance route has always been the most crowded of the 50 crowded classics. The sandbagged rating of 5.6 leads people to think its the only easy way to the top. Then they sit around for hours waiting in line. The only thing the Durrance has are ledges to wait on. Tad isn't any harder it's the hanging belay that sucks.

Cleaver you should have pulled a Andy Petefish and climbed right over the top of them weather they wanted you to or not.

For the record anything below a 5.9 at the tower is going to be an offwidth and usually not very appealing. Funny thing is Todtmoos a route that gets zero traffic is actually pretty good. This is one crack right of Solar the one with the giant bush. I only led it once but once I got past the bush its a nice route. I was surprised when I started seeing chalk on it. Turned out Frank Sanders had lowered down to TR the section above the bush. We only got on it because there was a line for Walt B and Solar so I thought what the hell. If the bushes ever die out it will be a popular route.

TAD is a bunch of 4th class approach and 2 pitches of climbing 5.7. Then a hike up more 4th from Meadows to the summit. Might be your quickest ascent choice

Woodchuck ATC wrote:TAD is a bunch of 4th class approach and 2 pitches of climbing 5.7. Then a hike up more 4th from Meadows to the summit. Might be your quickest ascent choice

Do doubt an experienced party could summit the tower via Tad pretty quickly.

I always liked Walt B for a quick summit route all of the same 4 class and then one long pitch to the meadows and scramble from there.

We also worked out a way to rap the route. Back when there were pins at the top they had rap rings on them. But if you weren't careful you could loose a rope to the crack. The trick was to throw the ropes to skiers right and then bear west as you went down. Then pull the ropes to climbers left so the are crossing the cracks. This only became possible once we had 55 meter ropes. Shortly after I started doing this Dennis pulled the pins and put the bolts in with the don't rap rope eater tag.

All,
Thanks for the info and suggestions.

The Weissner is also an easy way to bypass the Durrance Route. Nice stemming.

I was at DT this month and rapped the el cracko line with a single rope. The newer guidebook details it. There are hanging anchors but it sure is better than lugging up a second rope like I did on Durrance! But you'd better rap it there when there's no people left climbing as you might be sharing anchor bolts.

borealForest wrote:I was at DT this month and rapped the el cracko line with a single rope. The newer guidebook details it. There are hanging anchors but it sure is better than lugging up a second rope like I did on Durrance! But you'd better rap it there when there's no people left climbing as you might be sharing anchor bolts.

Did you climb this month, as in June? If so, why are you violating the climbing closure during June?

John Lombardi wrote: Did you climb this month, as in June? If so, why are you violating the climbing closure during June?

Oh shit! No... No ... Sorry - I climbed it on Victoria Day long weekend ( a long weekend for Canadians) in May. Wasn't thinking that it was already a week into June! Nah- I respect my crags and all closures.

technically its a voluntary closure. also why is this in the colorado forum? the tetons and devils tower arent in colorado.

CTdave wrote:technically its a voluntary closure. also why is this in the colorado forum? the tetons and devils tower arent in colorado.

Yes - why is this in the Colorado section? I don't know I just replied.

I would never climb in any place during a closure, voluntary or otherwise.

borealForest wrote: Yes - why is this in the Colorado section? I don't know I just replied.

...to a nearly 5 year old question.

Marc801 wrote: ...to a nearly 5 year old question.

that is true. but a 5 year old question is likely also being asked(and serached for)by someone today. updated beta on the thread might be handy.

The single 60/70m rope rappels are called the Exit Us Rappels.

Is it still possible to rap bonhomme with a single 60?
TIA