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Summary
Shirley back aiding the A0 terrain.
This is a great fun adventure climb (though with a lower committment factor than the original line due to some fixed belay anchors) on the prominent and imposing east face of the Smith Rock Group. Watts in his guidebook gives the fifth pitch (technical crux of route at 5.9) a 4-star qaulity rating (“if this pitch were right off the ground, it would rank among the best pitches of the grade at Smith” acc. to Watts) and mentions that the other pitches deserve NO stars due to the loose nature of the rock. Perhaps so, but the route is still a very worthwhile outing away from the crowds below. In fact, during the last 4 or so years that we’ve been coming to Smith, we’ve only seen one party climbing this route. The route we climbed is a variation of the original line that takes advantage of a nearby sport line to bypass the first 1.5 of the original choss pitches.
Photos
West Ship formation with its uber classic Solar (5.9) line (& a couple others 🙂 on this here river face (July 2005).
East face of the Smith Rock Group above the Crooked River (July 2005).
Snibble Tower on the east face of the Smith Rock Group follows the obvious left-slanting ramp (July 2005).
Leading pitch one of the variation start to Snibble Tower (probably a 5.9?). Standard route first traverses an easy (5.6) ramp left (pitch 1) and then traverses back towards the chimney/groove seen on the right and follows it to a belay ledge on right (July 10, 2005).
Pretty views (to the south) from top of pitch 1 of Snibble Tower (July 2005).
Shirley nearing the top of pitch one of variation start to Snibble Tower (this is pitch 1 of Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose, rated 5.10a). This is immediately left of the chimney/groove that is followed on the standard 1.5 lower pitches of Snibble Tower. Steep face but juggy holds (July 10, 2005).
Starting pitch 2 of Snibble Tower (traversing back to the line from the variation pitch 1).
Shirley belaying me from bolted anchors atop pitch 1 of the variation start to Snibble Tower. New bolts and a decently sized ledge. Crooked River is below. Great setting above all the crowds (July 10, 2005).
Free version of Snibble Tower route continues up this deteriorating groove thus bypassing the bolt ladder traverse above. 5.9 climbing on fecal matter.
Leading pitch 2 of Snibble Tower variation (upper half of "standard" pitch 2). Easy climbing but a bit runout and a bit chossy (July 10, 2005).
Looking back towards the park from top of pitch 2 of Snibble Tower. Shiprock is in the center and Marsupials dominate the skyline (July 2005).
Shirley arriving on the ledge system atop pitch 2 of Snibble Tower. From there the standard line traverses straight back left via a bold ladder.
Leading the A0 ladder on P3 of Snibble Tower. Half of the bolts are brand new; the other are originals (not too bad though). Just beyond the ladder you can either try to exit immediately (~5.8 real choss) or do another two C1 moves on small nuts and then exit the aiders (also 5.8-ish but just "choss"). The left trending ramp of P4 (5.6-5.7) can be seen beyond and above. The East Summit of Smith Rock Group (with its North American classic route: The East Wall III, 5.8 X 😉 is peeping in on the left (July 10, 2005).
Shirley starting the pitch 3 bolt ladder on Snibble Tower.
Shirley back aiding the A0 terrain - a short (30-40 foot) bolt ladder traverse on pitch three of Snibble Tower with enough good/new bolts in place to keep things trivial (July 10, 2005).
Shirley cruising the A0 ladder on pitch three of Snibble Tower. Note the original bolts (supplemented with new ones....on a roughly 50/50 basis; July 10, 2005).
Yours truly at the belay after the bolt ladder on pitch 3 of Snibble Tower.
Leading the left-trending ramp system of pitch four of Snibble Tower. Rock is OK and climbing is fairly easy (5.6 - 5.7; July 10, 2005).
Shirley topping out on pitch four of Snibble Tower - this is the top of the left-trending ramp system (5.6-5.7). OK rock compared to choss lower on route (July 10, 2005).
Beginning the lead of pitch five of Snibble Tower. Twenty-foot 5.7-5.8 finger crack/face on left side of flake up to the roof, a leftward move around the small roof and one enters high quality rock heaven: the solid-rock 5.9 dihedral and the reason for doing this route (July 10, 2005)
Shirley belaying me on the start of pitch 5 of Snibble Tower (July 2005).
What a 4-star 5.9 pitch looks like...this one sits atop 4 pitches of shit.
Looking down from the lead of the 4-star 5.9 pitch on a route that otherwise gets no quality stars (Snibble Tower). This is the "open book" Watts raves about in his guidebook as being one of the best 5.9's in the Park. The deck is ~400 feet below. The pitch is indeed great and the rock is perfectly solid (after you cross a sea of choss to get there). The pitch is not really visible from belays below or above and so this is the best shot of the crux that I have (July 10, 2005).
The two summits of the Smith Rock Group (the east one is on the left).
Shirley topping out on pitch 5 of Snibble Tower. She's just above the 5.9 dihedral and above the quality rock....back in choss! Shadows of The Platform (left) and The East Summit are visible below; as is Crooked River (July 10, 2005).
Looking back down towards the Crooked River and Shiprock from top of the fifth pitch of Snibble Tower.
Shirley at the final belay (atop the 4-star 5.9 pitch) on Snibble Tower.
Shirley on the 4th - low 5th class downclimb/traverse on pitch 6 of Snibble Tower. Choss - total choss! The Platform spire is on the left; Smith Summit spires are out of the photo on the right (July 10, 2005).
Shirley finishing Snibble Tower on Smith Rock Group. On the right are the Smith Summit Spires (East and West); Crooked River is below. Dark brown spire in center is the ultra chossy Ship Rock. In far background are Marsupial Crags (July 10, 2005).
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