Raven

The route was put in the late 80's at 5.11 C1 and was the first ascent of Cogswell Tower. It's unclear whether a free ascent had yet been done, though my partner and I freed the aid sections; a tenuous section on the top of the second pitch and the offwidth roof on the third, at 5.11+ and 5.11 respectively. The route begins on the right side of the south face.

p1: Start in a cleft which tapers into a fist/hand crack and a right-facing dihedral, the pitch angles right through easier ground and ends at a good belay ledge with bolted anchors. 5.10

p2: Climb straight up from the belay following an incipient seam and faceholds into the crescent-shaped pod. the line arcs left through easier ground to a dihedral feature with a flake to it's right (the crux). Some groveling ends at another good ledge with bolted anchors. 5.11+.

p3: Follow the 6' crack into the slot and out the roof. Past the roof a short section of easier offwidth ends on the summit. 5.11

Descent: Double ropes (70m) gets you down in two raps.

There are two options for accessing Cogswell tower and the scattered routes in this section of Hatch Wash, though we opted for the west approach which is the longer drive though enables a hike in rather than the shorter east approach which involves a long rappel-in-jug-out. Turn off Hwy. 191 on the Needles/Anticline Overlook Road, continue for 14.9 miles and take a right just after passing the Needles Overlook spur to the left. Follow the graded 2wd road 2.5 miles and take a left, shortly you'll cross a cattle guard and come to another fork; take the right. After .9 mile there will be a natural gas mine and another fork, stay to the right. 1.2 miles later is another fork, again stay right and in another .8 mile you'll be at the rim and a campsite which looks directly over the tower. An old cairn-marked cow trail drops into the canyon which is reached by walking the rim to the right for a hundred yards or so.

A standard desert rack, with 1 #5 and #6 Camalot or equivalent.