Drain Bamage

Center Route, Geek Towers

Misty Wall (with free variation finishing on Escape from Tora Bora)

Freestone (Geek Towers, Left)

A decent moderate wide route to the right of Freestone. Not as classic as Freestone but a good option if you're tired and scared when you get to the base of Geek Towers (this was us). Some vegetation and a small amount of loose rock but nothing terrible: the rock up here is solid, grippy and gold.

We started as for Freestone, at the large platform around the left of the base (and to the right of Upper falls). This gives you an extra approach pitch up easy low angle solid rock. I believe the traditional start involves scrambling up the center of the base of geek towers and continuing directly up from there. Our pitches were as follows,

p0 (easy approach pitch as mentioned above): Almost 60 meters up the low angle right facing corner. You should pass the Freestone p1 bolt about 20ft up. I set up a belay just under the left facing corner described below.

p1: Traverse slightly left and up into the left facing corner. Somewhat vegetated but the important parts were cleaned out. Awkward 5.9, 20m to a bolted belay.

p2: Climb into the chimney/corner from the left side of the belay, then onto the face, then into the main corner to a fixed belay. 5.7, 50m.

p3: Climb up the awkward chimney, traverse left a bit at the hanging teeth, then around the little corner and up the crack to a fixed belay in an alcove. More awkward 5.9.

Looking up p3 (climbing in the shadows)

p4: The crux, and the standout pitch on the route in both climbing and rock quality. Traverse left from the belay and head up the corner into the 10a offwidth. I found two tricky sections with a break in between and some cool full splits stemming. Don't drop your large cams early! Belay in the comfy alcove under the small roof, 50m.

Bad photo looking up the OW: the good climbing is in the shadows on the right. The OW itself is clean and plant free.

Looking down the OW from the belay.

From the cool alcove at the top of the OW

p5/6: This is a single 5.8 pitch on the topo but we broke it into a short pitch to the fixed belay at the base of the chimney and another long pitch up the chimney. I think it would have been hard to stretch our 60m ropes (or double rack) to the top. I think the right/middle crack out the roof on the p4 belay is the best choice but there's still a tree to negotiate and some rough rock. The chimney is an aesthetic and unwelcome sight at this point in the route, watch out for the shifting chockstone.

10a felt like a fair grade for the offwidth. It's a ton of work for 10a but probably easier than p2 of "Ying-Yang" at Sentinel Creek or Generator or maybe even Book of Job. I liked having a #4 and #5 but I think it could be protected safely with one or neither.

Excellent climbing! Beautiful view of the falls. Best done when the falls are running so you can fetch water.  If referencing Sloan guide then link p1-2 and p6-7. All belays have at least one good bolt. Expect some grass, mud, and adventure.

Goes free at 5.13. If aiding, there are a few hammered beak placements that would require 5.11 and 5.12 climbing to skip. Otherwise, the climb is characterized by moderate free and easy aid climbing.

There are rap rings on the anchors until the top of pitch 7 in the Sloan topo.

P1: 11a. Climb up some 3rd class and clip the only bolt on the route. Make a tough move up and left to gain a ramp/corner system. Corner gets steeper and a little tough/spicy in spots. Eventually move out left of the main corner and climb up to a nice ledge. This pitch was wet in March. Not necessarily from the falls, but from seasonal seepage. Still doable though.

P2: 10b. Climb up 15 ft. or so and make a face move out left to get established below a splitter crack/groove. Clip a pin and start up. It looks like it will be unprotected but good gear consistently becomes available. short pitch, belay at a horrendous stance marked by some tat. If you have the bravery/gear left I would link it into the next one.

P3: 10b. Noted as "thin and scary" in the Reid guide and "really thin" in the Sloan guide, it's not that big of a deal. Make sure to get in some gear off the belay and then make some tough moves up and right to gain the next crack/groove splitter. Climb this thing for a ways to a somewhat nicer stance at some tat.

P4: 10d and, indeed, a tad spicy. Big hollow flakes off the belay lead up until you must make a difficult face move with pro at/below your feet to gain a ledge/ramp. This ramp becomes the corner system of the upper half of the route. Many options for a belay but I went all the way up to a little stance right below the obvious thin corner of the next pitch.

P5: Sweet 11a tips crack in a corner. Infamously pinned out, I didn't think it was too crazy. Anyway, keep going until you get to a much-deserved, amazing, plush-as-it-gets belay ledge. Plan on having lunch here. Sit back and enjoy the falls thundering right next to you...

P6: 10d. Really fun pitch, if a tad stout, and the geometry of the crack makes pro a little hard to get. Short pitch. I belayed in an alcove of crap rock. A little higher up might be better but will require bigger gear that you may need on the next one.

P7: 11c and every bit of it. Climb the steep, mostly fist/cupped crack past a fixed #4. Higher, another crux wide section is encountered. Make sure to save a #4 of your own for this!! Eventually the climbing eases and then a belay ledge is reached out right. Belay takes .75-3. A long, burly pitch.

P8: Easy climbing to the summit of the Geek Towers.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Yosemite Falls Wall