Peter Terbush Tower

Peter Terbush Tower is a pretty fun climb with a definite Black Canyon adventure feel. It would be a great route to link up with something on the Newberry Slabs. This would avoid the bushwhack approach that you must otherwise take. The major redeeming qualities of the route are the crux pitch and its position in the canyon, which gives a great view of a number of other climbs, including everything on the east face of the North Chasm View Wall, from

Leisure Climb

all the way down to

The Cruise

, as well as the

Checkerboard Wall

, and many of the routes on the South Rim.

While approaching the tower (located directly above the Newberry Slabs), look for a right-slanting, wide crack on the left side of a prominent pegmatite band that splits the whole tower. That is the route’s second pitch.

Pitch 1. (5.9+). Climb the thin, left-leaning crack/seam, face climbing through sections, to reach a bulge above. Traverse out left to a stance below an obvious, right-leaning splitter crack above. This pitch is little dirty but not bad.

Pitch 2. (5.9). Head up the 5.8 hand crack. It will get wide, but you can still get some smaller gear in to the right. Pull onto a ledge (optional belay), and continue up 5.9 climbing to a larger ledge above. This pitch is a lot of fun, and the rock quality is good.

Pitch 3. (5.11-). There are two parallel cracks heading out and left from the ledge. This is the crux – a stellar hands and fists crack that climbs up and left through strenuous moves, which are well protected. At the end of the crack, pull a bulge onto a stance. From here, head straight up through some pegmatite, and traverse left on slabs to a good belay in a crack system (save a bigger piece for the belay if you can).

Pitch 4. (5.6). Continue on cracks and slabs to the top of the tower.

Once on top, walk to the far end (towards the

Checkerboard Wall

) Here you’ll find a slung block (it may need some extra cordage). Rap straight down into the chasm between the two buttress and swing to the other side, onto a ledge. One 70 meter is fine, but one 60m would be cutting it really close. Chances are if don't have a 70m, you’ll need a double rope rappel to get to the ledge.

Pitch 5. (5.7). From this ledge, climb up a chossy crack to the top of the other buttress.

Descent: unrope and walk towards the

Checkerboard Wall

. Take the gully behind it, and intersect

The Maiden Voyage

walkoff.

Descend the Cruise Gully and down the fixed raps. From there, shoot for the prominent buttress above the Newberry Slabs. Walk past the start of the

Checkerboard Wall

and bushwhack, heading downhill, towards a gully that leads you to the base of the tower. The approach isn't too bad, but it might be more enjoyable to start something lower on the Newberry Slabs, and top out at the base of the Terbush Tower.

Standard double rack, (1 or 2) #4s.