Durrance Route

Devils Tower

Go back to Wyoming page.
Go back to Cirque portion of trip.

Summary

Devils Tower
Devils Tower in August of 2004.
In August of 2004, after being hosed for 4 days in the Cirque Of The Towers, Shirley & I got fed up with that shit, hiked out and drove to Devils Tower to try and bag the classic Durrance Route. Fun stuff in such a unique setting. After climbing the route, we drove back to Salt Lake City and cragged for half a day in Lower Cottonwood Canyon before catching our flight home.

Photos

Durrance Route

Durrance Route
First views of Devils Tower on the drive in (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Devils Tower rising out of the green pastures of eastern Wyoming (Aug. 2004).

Devils Tower
Devils Tower in August of 2004.

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
What's wrong with this picture? Parking lot at Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
A view of Durrance Route on Devils Tower...there's a climber on pitch 1 (the broken column; Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
We met Frank (a.k.a. bigwally) at the base of the Durrance route. We're very much grateful for his invitation to come and camp at his Devils Tower Lodge (August 6, 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Leading pitch 1 of Durrance Route (August 6, 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley atop pitch 1 of Durrance Route on Devils Tower.

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Starting up the crux (5.6+) pitch 2 of Durrance Route on Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Almost done with pitch 2 of Durrance...very nice climbing (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley admiring pitch 3 of Durrance Route with the Wyoming prairies in the background (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Looking back towards Shirley from the start of pitch 3 of Durrance Route (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Eastern Wyoming landscape from the top of the third pitch of Durrance Route on Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley topping out on pitch 3 of Durrance Route (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 4 of Durrance Route on Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley topping out on pitch 4 of Durrance Route (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
In the pitch 5 chimney of Durrance Route (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
A short little hop (pitch 6 of Durrance) to the summit of Devils Tower.

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley topping out on Durrance Route and the summit of Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Shirley hiking towards the summit cairn on Devils Tower (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Attacked by a swarm of somethings on the summit of Devils Tower...we retreated very quickly (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
Devils Tower on the hike out following our climb of Durrance Route (Aug. 2004).

Durrance Route
Devils Tower as seen at dusk from our campsite at the KOA (Aug. 2004).

Lower Cottonwood Canyon

Gate Buttress
Gate Buttress formation in Little Cottonwood Canyon outside of Salt Lake City. The nice 2-pitch line called Beckey's Wall (5.7) follows the huge, right-facing dihedral (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Shirley following pitch 1 of Beckey's Wall in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Shirely nearing the top of pitch 1 of Beckey's Wall in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Leading pitch 2 of Beckey's Wall (5.7) in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Nearing the top of pitch 2 of Beckey's Wall in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Looking upcanyon from the top of pitch 2 of Beckey's Wall in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Beckey's Wall
Shirley atop the Beckey's Wall (2 pitches, 5.7) in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Satan's Corner
Leading Satan's Corner (first pitch only; 5.8) in Little Cottonwood Canyon (Aug. 2004).

Go back to Cirque portion of trip.
Go back to Wyoming page.