Wyo Road Trip: 1of4 Devils Tower aka Bearlodge

Sam and I took off for a week in Wyoming hoping to climb 3 of Steve and Roper's (America's) 50 classic climbs. Long story short, we only got one. Obviously we still had a blast though. The first stop on the agenda was the 600' Devil's Tower. The Durrance route is the classic and goes at 5.8, 6 pitches if you dont link up some of the short ones. Somehow we had it entirely to ourselves! I linked pitches 3 and 4 as well as 5 and 6. Nobody on lead actually jumps the jump traverse, dont kid yourself (pitch 6). We climbed the South facing route in 87* weather with no wind or clouds; got a little warm up there. We killed half of our water just getting to the base of the climb! Oops! But we got to the top and Sam was extra excited to get his next biggest climb done (we climbed the Wedge a week prior). I was hoping to give El Matador a go the next day but I felt like I had climbed a mountain in Patagonia... sore! The Durrance route isnt so much rock climbing as it is mountaineering. I had fun and recommend it but I doubt Ill go back up it. Theres too many lines to really ever repeat something on the Tower.

Sam following the Durrance Cracks (P2). This was really the only pitch that demanded rock skill.

While I was belaying Sam up P3 and P4 (linked), a little dove whispered sweet nothings in my ear. 

Sam on the summit overlooking the visitor's center. 

The summit is a 1 acre grassy top/field.

The Durrance route is easy to spot: see the leaning column in the far left of the photo? You climb that (P1) and basically follow a procession of column tops.