Takes gear very well.

 Varied, fun, and at times techy climbing with five pitches at a very consistent 5.10 grade, some beautiful ridge climbing up high.

 P1  - 5.10, 40m, start below obvious splitter crack off of glacier. Climb right-trending crack system until possible to traverse into splitter hand crack. Execute thin traverse 15' left into hand crack, climb to ledge below red rock face. P2&3 - traverse right on ledge below red rock face into 4th class gully for 2 pitches then traverse back left to bottom of white pillar. A direct line could likely be established between the top of P1 and the bottom of white pillar, we attempted this terrain but it was wet and dirty at the time of the FA, so we traversed right above the red face. P4 - 5.10, 20m, start below red corner in middle of face, climb cracks, flakes, and face holds to gain small ledge below red corner P5 - 5.10, 20m, stem and jam up red corner to gain ledge below final left facing dihedral P6 - 5.10+, 30m, climb dihedral, thin stemming low to #0.75 layback handcrack and easy corner exit at top of headwall P7 - Short 5.10 handrack on ridge to gain lower angled ground P8-9 -  4th-5th class ridge to final steep pitch below summit P10 - 5.10, 10m, climb steep twin cracks just to the lookers right of the summit snowfield then 4th class to summit

 Several options for descent: A - Descend Fogels-Visscher (ridge to climber's left of White Pillar) to the low point on the ridge then rap back to the south side snowfield B - Partially descend SE ridge then rap 'Balancing Act' C - Partially descent SE then rap to notch between midget and West Tower, then traverse to Mountaineer's route and rap Mountaineer's route

White Pillar Route #1- The Gear Gobbler

Fogels-Visscher

Northeast Face of the Southeast spur of the Southwest Ridge of the West Tower

4th of July Ridge

Balancing Act - West Tower

This is the southwest arete of the West Mendenhall Tower.  See the map image for a rough idea of the route.  The route climbs the prominent gray pillar up the middle of the face.  The only aid used was for one short stretch of expanding flake.  The FA team used no air support, instead they approached via skis.  They descended the route climbed.

Gain bottom of white pillar route via either start of white pillar, easy ground to the lookers left of white pillar, or preliminary pitches of 'Balancing Act'. Approximately 3-5 pitches

 Climb backside of white pillar, on northeast face of the southeast spur that forms the white pillar. First pitch 4th class chimney, then two 5.10 pitches up interesting alpine terrain to gain the southeast spur. Continue up southeast spur to summit as per the upper pitches of Gear Gobbler.

 Descent as per Gear Gobbler

Jordan and I climbed the west tower's southeast ridge on July 4th 2019. This route offers moderate, high quality climbing roughly comparable to solva buttress in difficulty and is probably the easiest way up the west tower from the south. We had no route information and our description likely varied from the first ascent nearly half a century ago, but who knows? In any case, I recommend repeating this climb.First 2 pitches follow mountaineers route on main towerP1 climb blocky terrain to base of gully 5- 50mP2 climb gully, then walk up and left 5- 60mP3 walk left to base of ridge (class 2) then up ledgy terrain 5.6 100mP4 terrain steepens slightly, finished on delightful 5.1 handcrack 5.7 55mP5 climb up hand crack in corner. Really fun but careful of hollow flake on left part way up. Went left to finish pitch, but straight up goes too. 5.8 40mP6 climb up corner/groove to regain ridge then continue up. Groove is dirtier than previous and subsequent climbing on ridge. 5.8 60m Continuing straight up is apparently no harder than 5.8 also.P7 triple chimneys. First two are easy, third has a block on top with wide 5.9 moves to get around. You can avoid last chimney by traversing right for an easier pitch. 60mP8-10 exposed, fun, but licheny ridge climbing 5-P11 short traverse around North side of summit class 4 with a snow patch when we did it. Belay just north of summit and you're there.Descent: rap Foggels Vischer and continue rapping skiers left back to the glacial bench or rap to notch between west and midget, climb midget (5- 60m), 1 60 rap with a short down scramble to main tower ridge and descend mountaineers route.

Approach: Start on south side of Mendenhall towers, several hundred feet west of Mountaineer's Route start. Start below gully leading out from the large perched basin on the west tower(Tower #1). 

  Climb:   P1: Climb 5.7 terrain up gully to intermediate ledge.   P2: Climb up through 5.10 offwidth to gain low angle gully system leading to upper faces.   Scramble up gully to base of upper faces.   P3: Climb 5.8 terrain to gain base of razor-edge flake leading up and leftwards.   P4: Follow razor-edge flake, 5.9, moving up and left towards prominent red arete two pitches away.   P5: Boulder moves off the belay to gain large flake leading to the red corner system. Climb thin right facing corner up to roof traverse to the right and the belay. 5.11   P6: Climb thin crack and face moves up the red face in large right facing corner, traverse left to arete when possible. Climb arete into shallow corner inset onto the arete. Climb corner to the top of the arete. Belay below final roof. 5.11   P7. Climb final 5.10 roof around chockstone to gain easier terrain on ridgeline. Can likely be linked with P6. 

  See route overlay images for additional guidance. 

  Follow easy terrain to summit of West Tower.  

  Descend face to the climber's left of the route.

Western Summit of Mendenhall Towers, lookers left when viewed from town

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 1st Tower - West Tower