Concord Tower - Cave Route

[EV]

Has anyone done Concord Tower, the Cave Route? Any beta on that route or the north face would be appreciated.

TIA.

[goatboy]

The Cave Route is a good one. Here's what I recall:

Approach via Beckey Gully (between Liberty Bell and Concord)

Rope up and start climbing about 40 feet below the notch at the top of the gully -- maybe a bit lower -- what you're looking for is a little crack/ledge system you can traverse about 20-some feet out (to the right) before pulling a 5.8/5.9 move up into easier climbing. You're aiming for the little tree; this is the top of the first pitch.

Second pitch is kinda yucky -- gritty, friable rock leads up and left about 50 feet or less to the base of the CAVE, which is huge (big enough to walk through without touching the walls on either side, and about 20 feet long).

So you walk through the cave . . . and then

Third pitch climbs out the west side of the cave up a STELLAR crack -- intially wide, narrows to easy hand jamming at about 5.5 or so. This pitch goes to the fixed anchors just below the summit.

We rappeled down the South side and climbed Lexington North Face next, calling the link-up "The Battle of Lexington and Concord" just to be cute.

Hope this info is helpful, though it comes months after you initally asked.

Gear: Small rack of stoppers and cams to about 3'.

Rap Anchors are all fixed.

It is easy to Rap back to the base of the NF too, if you like, as there are rap anchors in place there as well.

A fun route, and not as hard to protect (I thought) as Beckey indicates. A good one to do when the ever-popular Beckey Route is crowded.

[hakioawa]

Good description. I'd add a couple of things.

The first pitch of the cave route is ugly. The begining is fine, but soon you will encounter a single ugle 5.8/5.9 move. It's much gutsier than hard. You can't protect it. So make sure you protect the easier bottom section (it's kind of a diagonal traverse) with good pro. As I recall its a nasty pendulum if you fall with the posibility of hitting the deck.

The second pitch is easier. Go up diagonally to the left. About 2/3 of the way you eill come to an area where the route splits. Going low looks easier than the high route. Stay high. If you go low (to climbers left) the route gets much thinner. Staying high is a little more difficult to begin with but finished much easier.

[Terry]

North Face is also fun. We did it after doing the Beckey route last weekend. First pitch is easy 5.6, second is a little more interesting with some weird moves on semi-poor quality rock. I could pull a fixed pin almost all the way out by hand, but it had good stopper placement nearby and 1/4 bolt (not sure what the purpose of the bolt was, unless I was off-route)right above it. The last pitch is fun with a variety of climbing on good quality rock.

With 60 meter rope I was about 5 feet short of making the first rappel - downclimbed to anchor. Next two raps were easy.

Terry