This is the most direct of the climbs on the Tooth. It follows the most obvious weaknesses up the face, the most prominent being the beautiful crack that slices down the large slab half-way up the route. Some of the cracks have some vegetation and dirt in them, but for the most part the climbing is clean. The route offers good variety too, throwing everything except steep face-climbing at you.
Pitch 1, 80ft: Starts with a short lay-back and continues up a grass-filled crack until it pinches down to a seam. Clip a good bolt here and begin traversing to the right on delicate slabs (5.8+). Build a belay where you turn the corner at an old button-head (Backed up of course). One can easily link up the next pitch, but the corner creates a fair bit of drag. Also it's a nice spot to watch your second. Two alternate starts: A thin seam to the right of the main start gains the belay directly and is rated 5.8R on the old topos (it felt more like 5.10R to a group of I climbed with last year). the second more direct route starts further to the right and climbs a small crack and slab past two bolts to reach the belay. This is the most direct start, but the moves past the bolts feel like 5.11 slab when I tried them, and the two bolts are rusty old 1/4".
Pitch 2, 60ft: From the belay climb right and then up a steep hand-crack (5.9). Continue up past some small trees to a spacious ledge with a good-sized oak tree on it (and chain rappel anchors)
Pitch 3, 160ft: Head straight up a hand crack (5.7) to a second large ledge with a stunted tree on it. to the left is a pair of bolts leading to the bottom of a long graceful crack which climbs for 100ft to a large break in a head-wall. This is the best climbing on the route (5.9+, or 5.10 in the Dennis Jackson guidebook): delicate slab moves gain the bottom of the crack which starts off as shallow finger-locks. The crack grows steadily in depth, allowing better finger-jams, until eventually it is large enough for tight-hands. The break in the head-wall is hand-fist jams with an awkward exit to a belay ledge. Note: the old topos break this into two pitches, belaying at the second ledge with a tree.
Pitch 4, 160ft: Climb the 5.7 crack directly above and past a bushy oak, or take the 5.9 slab climbing to the left passing two bolts. Both options lead to a stance below a sotol bush with some tattered old bail gear and a piton/bolt. Continue up and around the sotol to gain a clean, steep finger crack (5.9). Finish up a short off-width. This pitch is also broken into two in the old topos.
Location
The first two pitches are shared with Tooth or Consequences and start from a slab near the left side of the west face. The crack on the 3rd pitch is visible from quite far away, and is every bit as good as it looks.
3 double-rope rappels to descend. Single rope rappels are possible but do not have as established rappel anchors (only tattered slings and old bolts).
Protection
Standard rack. 1st pitch has a single bolt in good shape at the top of the crack/seam. The crux pitch has a two-bolt anchor before the start of the finger crack, one of the bolts is new, the other is an old 1/4". There is a rusty piton low in the finger-crack pitch, with ample gear placements near it. The last pitch has two pitons below the sotol bush, and a rusty 1/4" hidden behind the bush. Rappel anchors are in good shape and have chains.
By Aaron Hobson Administrator From: Las Cruces, NM Jan 13, 2008
The Dennis Jackson guide gives the third pitch a 5.10 rating, so perhaps I am sand-bagging the rating on this a bit. However, I didn't think that pitch was much more difficult than many other parts of the climb, so I tended to agree with what can be found in the old Rosul-Dunning topos. One other note: the final finger crack isn't obvious from underneath the sotol buch. There are two grass filled cracks just to the right of it that don't look inviting. an alternate finish shown in the Rosul-Dunning is to meander right and then take a left-slanting crack to the left (5.8). We did this finish and would not recommend it. The face climbing to the the right is delicate and not all that well protected. The diagonal crack is filled with grasses and felt awkward, having occasional hand/fist jams interspersed with balancy lay-back type moves. We only went this way because I couldn't see the clean finger-crack above the sotol but I could see the two grass-filled seems next to it and there was no way I was going to throw myself at those seems.
By Aaron Hobson Administrator From: Las Cruces, NM Dec 24, 2008
Finally climbed the "real" last pitch. There are three old pitons in the grass filled crack leading up to the Sotol Yucca. A 1/4" bolt is hidden behind the Yucca. Climbing past the yucca without grabbing onto it looks very difficult. I recommend long pants and shirt, and simply heaving yourself up onto the plant. Probably not too good for the plant, but unless this area becomes high-traffic, I don't imagine much damage occurring. The finger crack above the Sotol is quality.
P.1 creates a lot of drag if trying to link P1 & P2
p.4 Ditto on the shirt and pants for the cactus. It's yuc(ca) climbing through the green poky thing. The beached whale move worked for me and I don't consider it cheating. Above that the crack is a little dirty. Smiling will get you grit in your teeth but it's unavoidable since the crack is great leading up to the OW finish.
Definitely 2 rope raps. Tried it and barely managed with a single 70m but it meant rapping off single bolts (thankfully new)
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