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Back to the Wall
5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British PG13
Avg: 2.7 from 20
votes
Routes in 6. The Tower Wall
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Any Which Way But Down/Ex-traction T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Arrowhead T,TR 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Back to the Gym T,TR 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Back to the Wall T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Bleed Between the Lines T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
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Crefeld Crank TR 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Dead Tree Dihedral T,TR 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Ex-traction Slab TR 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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In & Out T,TR 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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Johnson Route T,TR 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Manticore Dihedral T,TR 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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Manticore Face T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Manticore Upper Arete T,TR 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a |
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No Rest for the Wicked T,TR 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Ogre Arete T,TR 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Rachel's Crack T,TR 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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Red Knob, The T,TR 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Rock Romancer TR 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Rossinator, The TR 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Tower Wall Direct T,TR 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 |
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Unrest of the Witches TR 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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| Type: | Trad, TR, 60 ft (18 m) |
| FA: | Jon Crefeld, Dave Barone, 9/16/10 |
| Page Views: | 2,844 total · 23/month |
| Shared By: | kenr on Apr 7, 2014 |
| Admins: | Morgan Patterson, SMarsh |
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Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: As of November 2021, there are new parking arrangements. Please follow this guidance.
Details
The current parking area is now limited parking, subject to the following guidelines:
No parking weekdays before 4pm. (Use Saltbox Parking Area at these times).
Do not block pump station access gates at any time.
Be careful not to hit or disturb manholes or other infrastructure.
The Saltbox Parking Area is a new resource, available on weekdays and weekends. Don't bushwhack or create new trails from this area.
Torne Brook Road and the trailhead remain a no-parking area. This is to ensure access for emergency personnel.
Inconsiderate or illegal parking here could lead to permanent closure.
No parking weekdays before 4pm. (Use Saltbox Parking Area at these times).
Do not block pump station access gates at any time.
Be careful not to hit or disturb manholes or other infrastructure.
The Saltbox Parking Area is a new resource, available on weekdays and weekends. Don't bushwhack or create new trails from this area.
Torne Brook Road and the trailhead remain a no-parking area. This is to ensure access for emergency personnel.
Inconsiderate or illegal parking here could lead to permanent closure.
Description
Interesting thoughtful moves in a variety of rock situations.
Up the left arete of the Sharks Tooth detached flake to its top - (extra points for standing up straight on top in balance with no hands).
. . Variation 1 (less exciting but perhaps better protected for Leading): Start up the gully+face behind left side of Sharks Tooth.
Step (or fall?) across to the main face into a shallow alcove just left of a right-trending crack. Trend right up crack, or up to top of alcove then exit right to crack, and up to a ledge.
Next up shallow gully on right side of bulge.
. . Variation 2 (more interesting but not protected): Step left on ledge, then up over left side of bulge.
Move left to base of arete with fins which forms left edge of upper Tower Wall.
Up the arete with fins, perhaps with moves both strenuous and balancy (crux)
. . Variation 3: Climb a few feet on the face to right of arete up to overhang, then escape left to join the arete.
Finish up a short slab.
warning: The rock around this sector has not been climbed much yet, and much of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.
Up the left arete of the Sharks Tooth detached flake to its top - (extra points for standing up straight on top in balance with no hands).
. . Variation 1 (less exciting but perhaps better protected for Leading): Start up the gully+face behind left side of Sharks Tooth.
Step (or fall?) across to the main face into a shallow alcove just left of a right-trending crack. Trend right up crack, or up to top of alcove then exit right to crack, and up to a ledge.
Next up shallow gully on right side of bulge.
. . Variation 2 (more interesting but not protected): Step left on ledge, then up over left side of bulge.
Move left to base of arete with fins which forms left edge of upper Tower Wall.
Up the arete with fins, perhaps with moves both strenuous and balancy (crux)
. . Variation 3: Climb a few feet on the face to right of arete up to overhang, then escape left to join the arete.
Finish up a short slab.
warning: The rock around this sector has not been climbed much yet, and much of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.
Location
The Sharks Tooth is a detached flake about 15 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base of the left side of the Tower Wall. Start on the left side of the Sharks Tooth.
Protection
Lead: normal NY style Trad rack.
The 2011 print guidebook and the Rakkup phone app (as of 2017) seem to imply that this route is reasonably protectable, but a substantial percentage of climbers think it's more like PG-13.
Perhaps this route might be said to be reasonably protected if the leader "does everything right", including:
- uses Variation 1,
- takes extra care to make sure one of the low pieces does not pull out after climb past it,
- makes at least one strenuous placement which does not seem necessary at the time but is the last chance for awhile,
- accepts that a lengthy less-difficult section in the middle has no protection, and
- is prepared that while the tricky balancy sequence of the upper crux section may be 5.8 after you know it, on sight it might feel more like 5.9 and need more finger endurance/strength just to hang on while working out each move.
Top-Rope: Likely easiest with a very long static line (at least 100 ft) - to reach tree set way back from top of cliff - also likely want to rappel or down-climb below the top 20 or 30 feet to set the carabiners lower, so to avoid dragging / abrasion of the rope over the cliff top edge.
Reaching the top of the cliff: One simple (but not short) way is to hike left (WNW) past the base of sectors Three Bears and Daves Wall to the intersection of the Tower Wall tier trail with The Good Book access trail. Turn Right and follow The Good Book trail up a steep slope, then after it gets gentle, find a way off it right and upward toward the mini-summit view at the top of the Tower Wall cliff.
The 2011 print guidebook and the Rakkup phone app (as of 2017) seem to imply that this route is reasonably protectable, but a substantial percentage of climbers think it's more like PG-13.
Perhaps this route might be said to be reasonably protected if the leader "does everything right", including:
- uses Variation 1,
- takes extra care to make sure one of the low pieces does not pull out after climb past it,
- makes at least one strenuous placement which does not seem necessary at the time but is the last chance for awhile,
- accepts that a lengthy less-difficult section in the middle has no protection, and
- is prepared that while the tricky balancy sequence of the upper crux section may be 5.8 after you know it, on sight it might feel more like 5.9 and need more finger endurance/strength just to hang on while working out each move.
Top-Rope: Likely easiest with a very long static line (at least 100 ft) - to reach tree set way back from top of cliff - also likely want to rappel or down-climb below the top 20 or 30 feet to set the carabiners lower, so to avoid dragging / abrasion of the rope over the cliff top edge.
Reaching the top of the cliff: One simple (but not short) way is to hike left (WNW) past the base of sectors Three Bears and Daves Wall to the intersection of the Tower Wall tier trail with The Good Book access trail. Turn Right and follow The Good Book trail up a steep slope, then after it gets gentle, find a way off it right and upward toward the mini-summit view at the top of the Tower Wall cliff.
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