This route ascends the North face of the lower & upper buttresses or ribs of Witches' Tower & Sherwood Forest with an optional traverse pitch in between them. While currently still scruffy & loose in places, this route could clean up into a nice, low-end moderate. There is room for more trad routes on either buttress. Cross the creek via Tyrolean or wade. Approach along the creek on a decent path. Shortly after the path heads uphill toward the sport climbs on the West face, break off left to the base of the lower chunk of rock. Find the left edge of the North face of Witches' Tower.

P1. This starts on the left edge of the North face of Witches' Tower. Ascend near an arête of sorts, pass a flexing proboscis-like flake. There is a black Alien placement to the right. Stand on it, and gain the crux face moves. Move up & right on to easier terrain. Pass some large, hanging flakes/boulders on their left. Find a broken ledge system about half height. Continue up wider, lower-angle cracks to the top of the buttress, 120 feet, 5.8.

P2. You can avoid the small gendarmes by moving left or, if you are of the mountaineering spirit, hop a number of small gendarmes (a bit contrived) with the cruxes being on the first & last of these. Note, there are definitely loose blocks, not cleared yet, along this path. Belay at a tree at a notch on the left side of the North face of Sherwood Forest. You can exit here down a steep path-like direction East if needed, 110 feet, 5.7 S.

P3. Continue up the L edge of the N face of Sherwood Forest. Weave in and around cracks, blocks (some of which are loose), as you trend right to the summit of Sherwood Forest, 140 feet, 5.7.

Other lines may be unearthed on Sherwood Forest's North face....

Walk off around the buttresses on the West side on loose scree, & connect with the path below the West face sport climbs.

1.12 stars for the line & adventure :)

Little Ogre

It's My Swamp

Tese

War is Love

Nala

Teenage Terrorists

Tipskin Jihad

Panic Attack (AKA BOB...Bombs Over Baghdad))

Romancing the Stone

The Wisk

Pumpkin Eater

Scarecrow

Witch Hunt

No Direction Home

Start right of Romancing the Stone. Climb up a cool face making nice moves on edges and knobs past two bolts. A yellow Alien can be place before the third bolt. Make cool moves stemming up and over several small overhangs to the anchor.

ADD on: 6/10/08...Greg Hand and Bob D just added a extension past the anchor climbing along a cool arete with great moves. The route is now 100 feet long and 11 bolts. Be careful lowering as a 60-meter rope just makes it to the ground.

A great addition and one of the best 5.10 sport routes in the Canyon.

Start on a big boulder that leans against the north face of Witches Tower. Make a high first clip and power up laybacks to series of technical face moves (crux). Reach the third bolt and move right to a short left-facing corner. Climb up passing two more bolts to the anchor. You can place a small stopper or Alien before reaching the anchor. Great climb on good rock. This should clean up nicely and in my opinion is one of the best face pitches in the canyon at this grade.

The crux is cool stemming through the downward-pointing roofs.  Excellent climbing and good gear the whole way.

This is the second route in from the right (so, third from the left) on the north face of Witches' Tower. It climbs directly out the wall above the Vee between the two big blocks, to join the anchors on

Teenage Terrorists

. Sustained and bouldery down low to mellower climbing up high.

Sequential moves from the ground to the fifth bolt.

Great route!

The route starts on the northwest face of Witches Tower. Climb up to the first bolt on good holds. Good face moves on knobs and edges get you to the second bolt. A red Alien can be placed in between bolts here. Veer a little left and place gear to gain a ledge and the third bolt. Fire up past the third bolt using a hanging, weird block. Reach the arete and climb up past three more bolts to a two-bolt anchor. A purple Camalot can be place before reaching the anchor.

Good holds throughout overhanging traverse. Perfect arm warm-up for before attemping

Witch Hunt

.

Mid way and at the end of the upper diagonaling arete is the thinnest arete moves, but the rock is course and prime for heel hooking and palm friction. A granite version of the Close to the Edge boulder problem in Eldorado Canyon.

Strange, it appears that route was previously entered in the database under

mountainproject.com/v/color…

, but it appears to have been deleted.  So, we'll just enter it again....

This is an odd crack system that lies just to the right of

No Direction Home

and appears to currently be the right-most climb on this small crag.  The curbside appeal is a bit low on this one, but the climbing is somewhat engaging.  To improve the experience, you can continue on the upper half of

No Direction Home

by just moving a bit left at the anchor (bring 48" slings for each if you decide to clip both) to make a 90' pitch.  The rock appears shattered but seems more solid than on

Romancing The Stone

.

Start up the crack system, move right to a jug, go up, then left, then up.  Clip the bolt, traverse left.  Now, if you are thug-like, you'll just yard and paw your feet on the lichen (crux).  Smarter folk will use a knob to the left.  Continue up easy terrain to the 2 bolt anchor.

Rap ~45'.

To continue, move left and follow 4 more bolts up moderate terrain to the 2 bolt anchor of

No Direction Home

.

Rap ~90'.

First 10 feet involving pinky slot crimp pinch, heel and toe hooks and swing outs from shallow pocket to slopey, right-angling arete, powerful and technical. Another great Schulte route.

Start just right of Tese. Climb up fun layback moves to a small roof. Clip a bolt and make a strenuous move up to the next clip. Power up and over the bigger roof to good holds. Power over the roof past six more bolts to a two bolt anchor.

Description

Protection

Routes in Witches' Tower