Out Tower, Surfing the Biscuit

Hike around the left side to start on the east face of Out Tower. This route was done ground up, onsight. It was named for the summit boulder, which shifts. DO NOT rappel all the way off of it down the front side back to your car!!!! This is the biscuit Lukas and I almost surfed to the ground as it started to wobble forward when Andrew rapped off of it, intensifying the load the lower he rapped. Lukas and I ran back to the other side of the boulder to try and counter balance the block (and also downclimb off it) P1: 5.10c Climb up loose blocks to a prominent dihedral. Layback and jam to the notch between Down and Out Towers. Belay on finger-sized cams (140') Rack (4) 0.5-.75, (2-3) #2, plus a standard rack P2: 5.11b Crux chimney off belay to flared slot on left wall (Out Tower). We placed two pins here while stemming between the two towers (they were subsequently removed by the second). Head up a flared slot to a ledge, finger crack to overhang, then traverse right and up to offwidth. Follow the 5.10- offwidth to the big ledge. Belay below summit boulder (bolt is to your right). (70') 2 lost arrows, (2) finger-sized cams, (2-3) #5-#6 Camalots. P3: 5.10a Step left around the corner and do a short, face boulder problem and mantle onto true summit with a two-bolt anchor (15') Again do not rappel off this! Reverse pitch and rap down the way you climbed up. There's two 1/2" bolts atop P2 to rap down the east face (roughly 170-180'). Use two ropes.

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