Texas Hold 'Em

An engaging, awesome route. Each pitch is progressively better making this one of the best climbs in Black Velvet.

Begin 100' right of the start of Epinephrine.

P1, P2, P3: 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. Continue up the left-facing corner right of the belay to a huge, bushy terrace. Cut right through the bushes and belay on gear below a water-polished groove/crack feature at the right end of the terrace. 400' to this point and most of the climbing on these pitches checks in at 5.8.

P4: Follow the groove up and left, taking either a slot or a handcrack and passing (or stopping at) a couple bolted anchors, to a gear belay on a good ledge. 150', 5.8.

P5: Climb up through the roof with a few wide-hands moves to a stance, then continue up the spectacular, exposed crack system past 3 bolts to a bolted belay on a big ledge just below the top of Texas Tower. 180', 5.10.

P6: There are two left-trending crack systems above. Begin up the right of the two, then traverse to the left crack about 50' up. Follow this to a bolted belay way left of the line. You can link this into the next pitch but the rope drag through the crux is heinous. 100', 5.9. Alternatively, you can stay in the right-hand crack at awesome 5.12 with one move of aid past a small roof midway up. This variation has several bolts and joins up with the following pitch near the end. 140', 5.12.

P7: Perform a bouldery move off the belay, then climb up an easy corner to a bolt. Hand traverse right to a pumpy clip and stand up on a sloping ledge. Follow this up to a small roof (bolt over the roof) and climb up into the left-facing corner above, clipping a couple bolts along the way to a bolted belay below an obvious V-slot. 100', 5.11c.

P8: Climb the V-slot (two bolts protect) to a cruxy traverse/downclimb at a bolt, then more V-slot action up to a bolted belay at a stance. 100', 5.11b.

P9: I won't spoil it all by giving away the last pitch, but from here the route is obvious. If you're rapping, make sure to fix your tag line to the previous belay or you will be dangling in space. Otherwise, continue on with Lone Star. 140', 5.10.

Rappel the route with two ropes.

Single 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 Camalots, Double 0.75, #1, #2, and #3 Camalots (the second #2 and #3's are optional for confident Creek climbers). Wires. A dozen draws/slings. Two ropes.