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East and Northeast Buttress Approach

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Assembly Line 
Belle Fourche Buttress 
Broken Tree 
Buckspeck 
Burning Daylight 
Call Evita 911 
Casper College 
Everlasting 
Gooseberry Jam 
Hourglass, The 
Klondike 
Mystic and the Mulchers 
New Wave 
Patent Pending 
Soaring 
Spectator Sport 
Team Ropin 
Unnamed 

East and Northeast Buttress Approach

Submitted By: Brian Milhaupt on Jul 11, 2002
Administrator: Peter Gram
Views: 17,180 page views

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The East face of Devils Tower


Description 

This area encompasses a large portion of Devil's Tower that is accessable via the East and Northeast buttress approaches. Everything from offwidth to finger cracks can be found here. Most routes are of high quality with sustained straight-in climbing. On the East side of the tower looms a large roof system that cuts across the sheer East face of the tower. To the right of these roofs is the Belle Fouche buttress which forms a prominent protrusion that ledges out halfway up the tower. This buttress marks, more or less, the left end of the routes accessable from this appoach. The right end is at the terminus of the ramp below the north face. Quality climbs of note include Belle Fouche buttress, McCarthy's North Face, and New Wave. From the Teacher's Lounge ledge there are several great climbs including Patent Pending and Assembly Line.


Getting There 

From the lot follow the paved trail around the North side of the tower. The trail dips low into the woods and then climbs back into view of the tower. Hike past a bench and before a large boulder start looking for a faint trail that is sometimes cairned. The trail winds up to the notch that separates the base of the east face from the northeast. At the notch the better defined trail goes up steps to the right to the routes below teacher's ledge lounge and continues on broken ledges to all the north face routes. The less defined trail is so because there are less quality routes and abundant poison ivy. To reach routes on and near Belle Fouche buttress ford the ivy and scramble up and across slabs to the base.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for East and Northeast Buttress Approach:
Mystic and the Mulchers   5.8-     Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet   
Patent Pending   5.8+     Trad, 4 pitches, 640 feet, Grade III   
Assembly Line   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 140 feet   
Klondike   5.10a R     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 200 feet   
New Wave   5.10a     Trad, 2 pitches, 220 feet   
Broken Tree   5.10b     Trad, 2 pitches, 270 feet   
Belle Fourche Buttress   5.10b     Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet   
Burning Daylight   5.10b     Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet   
Buckspeck   5.10c     Sport, 1 pitch, 170 feet   
Casper College   5.10d     Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet   
Everlasting   5.11b     Trad, 2 pitches, 300 feet   
Browse More Classics in East and Northeast Buttress Approach

Featured Route For East and Northeast Buttress Approach
Bret is entering the fun face section on Klondike.

Klondike 5.10a R  WY : Devil's Tower : East and Northeast Buttress...
Are all Devil's Tower face climbs this good??? Klondike is one long pitch of excellent face climbing on super postitive holds. Technically speaking this climb is run-out to the first bolt, but I found enough gear on the way up to feel secure. However, this is no gym climb: expect 15' stretches between bolts.It begins a ways around the tower from the Everlasting column, just right of a crack with a chockstone and just left of a series of three ...[more]   Browse More Classics in WY


Photos of East and Northeast Buttress Approach Slideshow Add Photo
Big rock... reeeeeealy big...

BETA PHOTO: Big rock... reeeeeealy big...

Looking down from teachers lounge, broken tree is on the left.

Looking down from teachers lounge, broken tree is ...

North and northeast sides

North and northeast sides


Comments on East and Northeast Buttress Approach Add Comment
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By Barrett Cooper
Sep 10, 2002

The way we were told to find the trail for the approach was wonderful. From the parking lot take the right(counterclockwise) paved path that leads you under Durrance and follow it to the USPS information sign for the fallen tower. From there walk 70 paces, the trail leads up to the left. It works every time and if your paces are smaller than mine the trail is ~70 paces at a point where the paved path starts going back up after dropping down a hill.

By CURT LOVE
Sep 30, 2004

Dear Friends,I am leaving today, just for the winter. For that I am a little sad. I hope everyone keeps crankin' & and having fun.Remember climbing is not to feed the EGO but a chance to be a good partner and enjoy Life around the corner from the manstream lifestyles. I have climbed in a few areas besides the ones in SD WY but here is home and in my opion really really great!! In our time right now there is so much BS already it seems odd to me that sometimes we fight in a very childish way. Lets all stand together and help one another not push one another down and judge each other for the small things. I know I am not a Saint, and that keeps me in check. Everyone make mistakes, hopefully we can all learn from them? Well anyway as we sometimes say, "I'M OUT"!I love this place and all the people in it, I may not show it sometimes but I think and pray for our community and resorces in it, all the time. I consider myself one of the Lucky Ones to have grown up here and in the process make many Lifelong Friends.To all of you out there short, tall, strong or weak, I LOVE YOU.Love Curt

By Andy Busse
From: Rapid City, SD
Oct 1, 2004

Take it easy Curt, Have a good off-season.We look forward to hearing from you time to time....Andy Busse

By Sergio P
From: Idaho Springs, CO
Jul 26, 2007

It is possible to descend from the top of the tower via Assembly Line. Down climb the final 5.0 chimney of that route and look east for rap anchors.