Toponas  5.8

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Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.8 [details] FA:  unknown Submitted By:  Josh Janes on Aug 4, 2001 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (10) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Devils Thumb NE Face

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Subject to Seasonal Closures MORE INFO >>> The following crags are typically closed 1 February to 31 July: The Goose Goose Eggs East Ridge Mars Block Nebel Horn Tower of the Moon Jamcrack Spire The Pyramid Incognito Crag Devil's Thumb Shadow Fax Isolation Rock Sunset Wall Devil's Wing (W. Face) The Matron Lost & Found The Sibling Toddler Rock Sphinx Medusa Details. In addition, Mallory Cave, Harmon Cave, and Seal View Cave are permanently closed to human use to reduce the chance of introducing white-nose syndrome. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Flatirons Climbing Council Preserving climbing access in the Flatirons

Description 

Toponas is one of the two "moderate" routes up Devil's thumb (the other being the "Left Side" route). Both are found on the east face, immediately below a small overhang which prevents easy access to the summit.

Toponas is the obvious, right-most crack (facing the rock) set in a dihedral that you see almost immediately after crossing to the east side of Devil's Thumb from the north. The climb is only about 20-25' long, and requires a very long approach, but my suggestion is that if you want to summit Devil's Thumb, you may as well climb it while you're here. The first ten feet or so is a thin finger crack with stemming feet on both sides of the dihedral. This is well-protected with stoppers. Above here the fun begins - the crack immediately flares into an offwidth that is strenuous for an 8 but fortunately not too long. The bottom of the offwidth is protected by a loose bolt. I recommend being solid at the grade before leading this - mostly because you're out in the middle of nowhere and a fall would be... inconvenient.

Descent: Once you summit, a little searching will reveal two bolts right on top of the thumb. You can rap east off of these, but I recommend downclimbing south east to an exposed ledge above the "Left Side" route. Here you'll see the remains of an old ladder - a two-foot metal pole sticking straight up out of the rock - which is perfect for rappelling.

Protection 

Small & medium stoppers to protect the first half, medium cams for setting up the belay and the upper half. Nothing big.

Photos of Toponas Slideshow

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BETA PHOTO: Devil's Thumb Toponas crux.

Short but sweet. Photo: Mark Roth.