Starts up a groove that has rather poor rock on the NW side of the Tower. A cleaner and easier looking first pitch was seen when the FA party rapped off and was climbed by the second ascent party, though sadly it was buried by rockfall. These will be both shown on a photo of the tower.

Original start P1) Climb the groove past two bolts to the shoulder area below the twin towers to double anchors on the left side of the ledge. 100' 5.8 C1.

P1A) An easier and safer first pitch was located on the north side. Scramble under a chockstone to a 5.10 or C1 finger crack that widens to an offwidth and then a 5.8 chimney capped by a small roof. Scramble easily to the anchor after pulling over the roof.  Unfortunately this pitch was obliterated by a huge rockfall.

P2) Climb intermittent cracks in the center of the rock leading up to the gap between the two towers. 70' 5.8 C1.

P3) Follow about 4 to 5 drilled angles to a ramp leading to the right edge, then two more angles to a fine summit and register in cairn. 70' 5.8 C1.

Rap the route. From the shoulder rap straight down from the anchors.

Twin Priest Tower - Act of Contrition

Mueller Tower - Hurry the F Up

Mirage Tower - Make Coal Wash Great Again

Joe and His Dog - His Dog Tower

Make Coal Wash Great Again climbs a ground to summit splitter in the center of the side of Mirage Tower facing away from the road.  The rock is soft Wingate typical in this part of the swell.

P1) Start right of some really neat tree roots that drape down the wall.  Climb 25' of hard to protect 5.8 face climbing to a large ledge system.  Wander to the end of the ledge system, go up a 5.4 ramp, and then back right to a 2 bolt belay at the base of the splitter.  70 feet of climbing to gain about 30 feet of vertical.  5.8 kinda Rish - falling on the opening moves is a bad idea.

P2) Start up a tips dihedral to a shallow chimney past 4 bolts until a lovely fingercrack is reached.  Follow the fingercrack to a stance with a 2 bolt belay.  80 feet, C2.  This would be an excellent free pitch in the 5.11/5.12 range - there are lots of face features in the bolted opening section.

P3) Climb past 2 bolts to a long handcrack that gets weird when it jogs to the left past 2 more bolts to the summit ridge of the tower.  110 feet C2. This will be an excellent free pitch in the 5.11 range.

P4) A drilled angle protects a boulder problem overhang on bad rock to an easy scramble to the summit.  The summit is 20 feet of class 3 scrambling past the anchor.  25 feet, and  probably 5.9 or 5.10 on bad rock to free, but an aider on the drilled angle makes it easy.

To descend, do a short rap to the top of P3.  We rapped to the ground with 2 70 meter ropes.  Future parties could rap the route with a single 70 meter line if they bring some webbing/rings for the intermediate anchors.

Pitches 2 and 3 could be easily combined into a very long pitch - they take completely different gear so the rack size wouldn't change, and the stance at the top of P2 is fairly uncomfortable.

This would be an excellent free climb now that the bolts are in - the gear is good and there are lots of face features.

Mueller Tower has one ground to summit crack system on the north side of the tower.  Start left of the crack system and climb an easy but hard to protect slab until the crack can be reached.  Two physical offwidth bulges lead to an easier chimney and the summit.

The rock on this one is a little softer and looser than the other towers in Coal Wash.

His Dog is an adventurous tower route. The tower is very narrow and has cracks you can see through even at the base.

P1) Aid up a crack to a 4 bolt ladder to an awkward bulging crack. After pulling over an overhang, 5.6 free climbing leads to a belay ledge and a 3 bolt anchor. 80' 5.6 C2.

P2) Do a weird mantle move right off the belay onto the next ledge system. Walk 20' along the ledge to the summit headwall. Free climb easy terrain past a crack and one bolt, and then climb a steep 5 bolt ladder to another weird mantle move onto the summit. 80' 5.8 C0.

A single 70 meter rope rappel from a 3 bolt anchor gets you back to the ground - anything shorter will require two raps. At least 25' of webbing will be necessary to back up the tat if it is bleached out when this thing gets climbed again.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Coal Wash