Wyrick-Merrill On River Tower | chossclimbers.com

River Tower.

Shirley, Blondie and I made a drive out to Moab during the September 2007 Labor Day Weekend as pretty much anywhere else we could think of had a shitty weather forecast. Although we picked this little route on the north face of River Tower, we all nevertheless still fried in the desert heat. Fun aid line (some memorable “bolts”, esp. on the first pitch) with a cool summit ridge. We could not convince Blondie to do another climb the next day due to heat and so we drove home.

Photos

North face of River Tower from the approach (Sept. 2007).

Shirley on the approach (Sept. 2007).

The prow of River Tower; home to The Flow route (Sept. 2007).

Getting closer (Sept. 2007).

Blondie rocking her harness (Sept. 2007).

Looking up at the north face (Sept. 2007).

Switchbacking around the rock bands to the base of the route (Sept. 2007).

Views from the base of Wyrick-Merrill route (Sept. 2007).

Starting up the pitch 1 bolt ladder on Wyrick-Merrill route a.k.a. Northwest Corner Route (Sept. 2007).

A different perspective on the same moment (Sept. 2007).

Admiring the mank (Sept. 2007).

Looking back at Shirley from low on pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

Pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

Higher on pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

Pitch 1 bolt ladder (Sept. 2007).

Entering the chimney section of pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

View up the chimney from high on pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

View down (Sept. 2007).

More of pitch 1 fixed goodness (Sept. 2007).

Views from the first belay (Sept. 2007).

Shirley jugging pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

Pitch 1 anchor (Sept. 2007).

Shirley jugging pitch 1. I’m at the belay inside the chimney (Sept. 2007).

Shirley on pitch 1 (Sept. 2007).

Nearing the first belay (Sept. 2007).

Views from the lead of pitch 2. Shirley is safely tucked in under an overhang (Sept. 2007).

Another view down from low on pitch 2 (Sept. 2007).

Views towards the Colorado River from the second belay on Wyrick-Merrill route (Sept. 2007).

Shirley jugging pitch 2 (Sept. 2007).

More views from the second belay station (Sept. 2007).

Making progress (Sept. 2007).

Second belay station (Sept. 2007).

Shirley on the third pitch of Wyrick-Merrill route. This is looking back across a 25-foot deep notch in the summit ridge as seen from the true summit. Fix & leave a line for the return trip out of the notch (Sept. 2007).