Yellow Rose of Texas

With a few good pitches and a few bad ones, Yellow Rose of Texas is a mixed bag. It is also a bit of a sandbag - I’ll try to correct the grades in this description. In my opinion, the best value might be to climb the lower half of Texas Hold ‘em to the top of Texas Tower, then to rap into the last pitch (the OW) and do this in isolation, but if you want to do the route in its entirety read on.Begin just behind the large water pool in Black Velvet Canyon - about 200’ past Epinephrine. Tunnel through some bushes and scramble onto some boulders below the starting crack.P1 (5.10+, 115’): This pitch was rated 10a but is much harder, colored by soft rock and imperfect pro. Do a funky move to gain the crack. Climb the crack, which seams out, to a committing move using some pockets and the seam to get onto a ledge. Continue up an awkward corner to a roof protected by a bolt (3/8” but old SMC hanger). Pull around the roof and follow a wide crack up to a ledge and belay from scrub oak. You can reach this same point by climbing the first pitch of Twixt and scrambling rightwards but it’ll be tricky to know where to stop if doing this.P2 (5.8, 100’): Move the belay by tunneling straight through the scrub oak. Climb the thin crack right in front of you up and left to a bolted anchor at the base of a narrow ramp.P3 (4th Class, 150’): Scramble up the ramp being careful of loose blocks until you can turn the corner. Wade through scrub oak across a slope to a nice water polished groove feature. Belay from gear.P4 (5.8): Climb the funky groove feature up and left, taking either a slot or a handcrack and passing a bolted anchor and belaying at the second bolted anchor. This pitch is also Texas Hold ‘em’s 4th pitch.P5 (5.11): This pitch was rated 11a but is harder and reach-dependent. Extend the belay 30’ back down the way you came to a lower ledge. Climb a tricky height-dependent slab - protected by 4 bolts - to gain a scoop formed by two striking flakes that meet at the bottom. Going right will get you onto Tri Tip just above its scariest climbing; going left up a groove is Yellow Rose. Belay on a broken ledge at a bolted anchor in need of updating (and relocating).P6 (5.10a, 150’): Climb the impressive OW to a ledge, then up twin cracks to the top of Texas Tower.P7 (5.7, -20’): Unless you’re continuing up the incomplete project above, downclimb (this can be done on TR) 20’ to a lower ledge and bolted anchor. From here you can rap or continue up either Texas Tower Connection or Texas Hold ‘em.

Begin just behind the large water pool in Black Velvet Canyon - about 200’ past Epinephrine.

1x 0.2 to #5 Camalot (a single #5 should be considered mandatory but multiples or larger cams are unnecessary if you’re comfortable walking the #5). Stoppers. Draws and Slings.