Tornado Alley Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 5,270 ft |
GPS: |
32.2363, -104.7574 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
Page Views: | 22,235 total · 113/month |
Shared By: | Monomaniac on Jan 22, 2008 |
Admins: | Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
Description
Tornado Alley is an excellent crag with a large variety of difficulties and styles. The wall offers a number of great lines in the 12+ and above range on steep swells, as well as a few technical slabs, and even one of the canyon's few crack routes.
The wall faces East, so receives morning sun and evening shade. The crag is in the relatively secluded upper half of the canyon, so this can be a good place to go to avoid crowds.
From Disturbing the Peace's comment below:
Routes from Climbers left to right.
(01) Vortex (5.12c?) - Starts left of the overhanging arete
(02) Texas Twister (5.12a) - Climbs the overhanging right leaning arete
(03) Revenge of the Little Fingers (5.10b) - The warmup
(04) Terror in the Trailerpark (5.10d) - Harder than it looks
(05) Gustnado (5.11a) - The best of the easy climbs
(06) Spidergrind (5.12a) - Hard and thin pronounced crux
(07) Unknown (5.12a)
(08) Flying Cows (5.12b)
(09) Fujimata (5.12a) - Another good warmup for the harder lines, feel good grade.
(10) Unknown (5.12c) - The first really steep line, fun endurance climbing. -This route is the one missing from the photo topos and throws the numbers off past this.-
(11) Rolling Thunder (5.13a) - Moderate climbing except for the crux...
(12) Never Saw It Coming (5.12d) - More fun endurance oriented climbing
(13) Goodbye Double Wide (5.13a) - Might have some loose blocks??
(14) Swept Away (5.12a) - The crag classic!
(15) It Sounded Like a Train (5.10c) - Another potential warmup
The wall faces East, so receives morning sun and evening shade. The crag is in the relatively secluded upper half of the canyon, so this can be a good place to go to avoid crowds.
From Disturbing the Peace's comment below:
Routes from Climbers left to right.
(01) Vortex (5.12c?) - Starts left of the overhanging arete
(02) Texas Twister (5.12a) - Climbs the overhanging right leaning arete
(03) Revenge of the Little Fingers (5.10b) - The warmup
(04) Terror in the Trailerpark (5.10d) - Harder than it looks
(05) Gustnado (5.11a) - The best of the easy climbs
(06) Spidergrind (5.12a) - Hard and thin pronounced crux
(07) Unknown (5.12a)
(08) Flying Cows (5.12b)
(09) Fujimata (5.12a) - Another good warmup for the harder lines, feel good grade.
(10) Unknown (5.12c) - The first really steep line, fun endurance climbing. -This route is the one missing from the photo topos and throws the numbers off past this.-
(11) Rolling Thunder (5.13a) - Moderate climbing except for the crux...
(12) Never Saw It Coming (5.12d) - More fun endurance oriented climbing
(13) Goodbye Double Wide (5.13a) - Might have some loose blocks??
(14) Swept Away (5.12a) - The crag classic!
(15) It Sounded Like a Train (5.10c) - Another potential warmup
Getting There
If you are in the canyon, head up canyon past the Solstice Cave, then over undulating terrain as the canyon bends to the south. After several hundred yards the cliff will appear on the right (west) wall of the canyon. Some easy bushwhacking may be required to reach the cliff base.
From the parking lot, head down the main approach trail in a NNW-erly direction. After 5 minutes, the Violence Wall approach spur splits off to the right. COntinue another few minutes, and another spur trail branches off to the left (west). Follow this spur towards the sunporch. Near the canyon bottom, several short, easy downclimbs are required. Once in the canyon bottom, cross the canyon and follow your nose to the wall.
From the parking lot, head down the main approach trail in a NNW-erly direction. After 5 minutes, the Violence Wall approach spur splits off to the right. COntinue another few minutes, and another spur trail branches off to the left (west). Follow this spur towards the sunporch. Near the canyon bottom, several short, easy downclimbs are required. Once in the canyon bottom, cross the canyon and follow your nose to the wall.
Classic Climbing Routes at Tornado Alley
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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