The Velvet Tongue  5.12+

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Type:  Trad, 6 pitches, 600 feet, Grade III Consensus:  5.12+ [details] FA:  FFA Jerry Handren and ? Season:  Fall, Winter, Spring Submitted By:  j wharton on Mar 30, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (4) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

P4 of Velvet Tongue.

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Description 

This route, along with Jet Stream, is one of the best routes I have climbed recently--bizarre, technical, and intricate. Be prepared to scratch your head a bit. Check out Jerry Handren's new guide for some great photos of unhearlded local badass Tom Moulin on pitches 4 and 5. Begin with the first 3 pitches of Texas Tower Direct(described elsewhere on Mtn. Project), which gains the base of the obvious left facing corner. P4: A small piece or two gains the first bolt, and then it's all bolts from there. Lots of 5.12 bits, but definitive cruxes leaving the corner at the first bolt, and regaining the corner 20' above. P5: A short pitch. Boulder off the belay to gain a cool traverse left along the lip of the roof. Pop over, and climb easily up to the belay. P6: Didn't climb this bit, but apparently a short .11+ traverse leads right into the last pitch of Texas Tower Direct.

Location 

On Texas Tower, to the right of the Epinephrine chimneys.

Protection 

Lots of draws (especially for pitch 3 of TTD), and a single set of cams to 3 inches. You can make do with a little less if you're so inclined. NOTE: if you rap with a single 70 you will be forced to down solo some delicate 5.8 to get to the anchor above pitch one, so a tag line isn't a bad idea.