Texas Tower Direct

Texas Tower Direct is a great, sustained rock climb on bulletproof rock. When linked with the upper half of Texas Hold 'Em, this makes for one of the best long, hard routes in Red Rocks -- rivaling even the Rainbow Wall.

Begin 100' right of the start of Epinephrine.

P1, P2: Scramble 50' up and left across 5.0 ledges just left of a huge, hanging left-facing dihedral high above. Optional Belay on a large ledge with lots of bushes, otherwise: scramble left through the bushes to a small left-facing corner, up this and then traverse back right across a slab to a higher, small, left-facing corner/arete. Up this, passing a bolt, and continue more easily to a great belay ledge with bolted anchor. 130' to this point and a good place to stop and belay. From here, continue up the slab above, then diagonal rightwards across the slab (#2 or #3 Camalots in horizontals, and higher a thread) until reaching the previously mentioned huge, hanging left-facing dihedral just above a tree. Climb this to near it's top where there is a bolt up and left and another one up and right (the righthand one is situated above a shelf. Either way goes, but I find the righthand variation both easier and more direct. Belay just above at a good ledge with a bolted anchor. 260' to this point.

P3: Where Texas Hold 'Em goes right, TTD goes up and left off the belay. Climb ledgy terrain past a small cam placement before clipping a bolt. Continue up the bolted wall above past a difficult 5.12 stemming section to an intermediate anchor at a steep stance (do not belay here). Head up and left, then back right along an interesting feature on a beautiful wall. Some balancey 5.12 in there before reaching a bolted belay. An amazing pitch!

P4: The Velvet Tongue goes straight up the left-facing corner above. Instead, step straight right past a bolt and a difficult boulder problem. Clip the first bolt on the next pitch and down climb to a bolted anchor. V6-7, 20'.

P5: Head up the interesting right-facing flare/corner passing a tightly bolted crux section (5.12d, desparate). Alternatively, break off to the right and up a green, mossy face and head back left, bypassing the crux. Either way, continue up the corner past some hand-size gear placements before stepping wildly out left around the arete and up to another bolted belay. Spectacular.

P6: Climb up off the belay to the left on gorgeous, burgundy-varnished rock. Do a difficult move to a good finger lock (5.12a), then pass a roof above. There's good gear in a hidden crack out right. Continue up, eventually joining with Texas Hold 'Em and arriving at a bolted belay at the very top of Texas Tower.

Single set from 0.3 to #2 Camalot. Lots of draws.