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Summary
Leading pitch 5 of the East Face of Minuteman Tower (Aug. 2005).
On a Sunday in August of 2005, the day after climbing the Northwest Corner of NEWS, we hiked up to the base of Minuteman Tower’s East Face route (III 5.10-). I would have guessed that this was one of the least popular of the Liberty Bell Group classics but of course there were two parties starting the route that day! One fast party of three and two Canadian dudes. The former quickly dispatched the line (& went on to bag the next door East Face (III 5.9) of Lexington) while the latter bailed before the fun climbing started on the final third of the route. The line was ho-hum on the lower 2/3rds (lower half perhaps) and outstanding on the final part (3 pitches)! There’s a bit route finding involved on the lower half but the idea is to basically start at the left side of the tower and work your way diagonally up and right in about 3 or 4 pitches of loose (not too bad) stuff. The upper half consists of splitter granite cracks and solid rock.
Photos
View of Minuteman Tower's east face from the approach. On the right is the Liberty Bell (with start of Liberty Crack route visible); on the left are the North and South Early Winters Spires (Aug. 2005).
Starting up pitch 1 of East Face route on Minuteman Tower (Aug. 2005).
Beginning the traverse on P2 of East Face of Minuteman Tower. East face of Liberty Bell is visible in profile in background (with its NA Classic Liberty Crack V 5.10 A2 route; August 7, 2005).
Leading pitch 2 traverse on the East Face (Aug. 2005).
The lead party pulling through the flake that opens pitch 6 of East Face route. View is from our pitch 2 (Aug. 2005).
Leading pitch 3 of Minuteman's East Face route (Aug. 2005).
Shirley topping out on pitch 2 of Minuteman's East Face (Aug. 2005).
A party ahead of us on the East Face route. This is the view from the top of our pitch 2 I think. Liberty Bell's east face is in the background (Aug. 2005).
Starting the lead of pitch 3 (our pitch 4) on East Face of Minuteman Tower (Aug. 2005).
Leading pitch 3 (our 4 I think) on the East Face of Minuteman Tower (Aug. 2005).
Shirley following our pitch 4 - the best line we could find to top out on the lower apron of the East Face of Minuteman (~5.7 - 5.8; August 7, 2005).
Belaying from end of pitch 4 (our pitch 5; Aug. 2005).
Yours truly near the end of the traverse (top of lower apron) on pitch 4 (our pitch 5) of East Face of Minuteman Tower. Liberty Bell's east face (with its famous Liberty Crack V 5.10 A2) is in the background (August 7, 2005).
Shirley beginning the traverse pitch atop the lower apron of Minuteman's East Face. This is our pitch 5 or Nelson and Potterfield's pitch 4. Lower buttress of Lexington's East Face (III+ 5.9) is in the background (August 7, 2005).
Leading the crux pitch (#5) of East Face of Minuteman Tower (III 5.10- version). Fingers to hand crack rated 5.10 by Nelson and Potterfield. I'm grabbing a slightly "wiggly" flake inside the crack with my left hand (Aug. 2005).
Leading pitch 5 of the East Face of Minuteman Tower. Fingers to hands to fists crack with nice exposure below. A great pitch (Aug. 2005)!
Shirley following pitch 5 of East Face of Minuteman Tower (and demonstrating proper fist jamming :). This is the crux pitch of the route at 5.10 but the upper portion visible in photo is easier than that - though it's still hard for people with small hands like Shirley (August 7, 2005).
Pitch 6 of East Face starts with a roof/flake pull. Nelson and Potterfield call this pitch 5.8.....that's one burly 5.8 if you ask me! Think the roof move deserves a 5.9 rating...then again, what do I know. Angle suggested by photo is accurate. This is granite though it doesn't look or feel like it. For a view of this roof/flake feature from below, see here. Also check out this outstanding photo of crux 2 pitches from cascadeclimbers.com (August 7, 2005).
hirley following the stellar hand crack on pitch 6 of Minuteman's East Face route. Snowfield in the photo is a good 800-1000 feet below (August 7, 2005).
Shirley topping out on the stellar pitch 6 crack of Minuteman's East Face route (Aug. 2005).
Shirley hiking the catwalk atop Minuteman Tower towards the rappel (Aug. 2005).
Daddy on the summit ridge hike of Minuteman Tower (Aug. 2005).
Shirley at the end of the cool Catwalk 100 feet west of the summit of Minuteman Tower. You rap down from slings to the right side in this photo (August 7, 2005).
Shirley rapping off Minuteman after the climb of the East Face. Liberty Bell is visible on right.
Shirley and Blondie hiking down after our climb of Minuteman's East Face (Aug. 2005).
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