| Find
a dirt road on the east side of highway 95 just north of the
general store in Parson, 237592. Follow to a T-junction, 257600, and
turn right. Take the first left (300 meters), 259598, and drive on the
main road avoiding several branch roads. Take the left fork at
277592 and follow to the landing, 268602. High clearance vehicle
recommended. The goal is to gain a ramp that leads to the ascent gully,
276606. The gully is steep; bluffs are bypassed climber's right on the
treed rib. Higher up on the rib, bluffs forced us back in the gully,
which we followed until its end. We then skirted an impressive
rock wall back to the treed rib. From there, the summit ridge is
quickly gained. |
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Tower Peak from
Parson. |
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Our ascent from the
truck. |
| Scramble:
RT 9.0; 4.75 up. The milder temperature and forecasted sunny
sky prompted us to stay in our region. I had been contemplating Tower
Peak for a while but no obvious route presented itself. Fab
spotted a possible way up off Google Earth. Although the route appeared
interrupted by several bluffs, we hoped the treed terrain would offer
breaks. We set off with all the navigational
tools necessary. Route finding starts from the highway where you must
find the access road; it looks like a driveway between two houses. We
followed it to the appropriate landing. From the truck, the route
appears
impassable and puzzling. Already feeling defeated, we decided to go and
check it out at least. Fab's good navigational skills came
in
handy
as he picked his way up, finding the best moderate options for me to
follow up the crux section. After numerous bluffs and some back and
forth between the gully and the treed rib, we finally attained the
summit ridge. The weather was not the best, snow squalls
on the ascent and lack of visibility above. Nonetheless, the ridge walk
was pleasant; we followed goat tracks. The summit cairn is not big but
it was a great sight. The view must be just as great! On the way
down, we soon realized the skiff of snow was advantageous for
backtracking. Lower down, Fab's flagging was a welcome sight; we really
had to put our route finding caps on to retrace our descent precisely.
This scramble is moderate at best; being off route would not be
desirable! |
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We encounter bluffs
from the start. |
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We must find our way
up the treed rib, climber's right of the impassable gully. |
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The gully. This is
where we went right. |
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Going up these
bluffs is the crux. |
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This chimney leads
to the treed rib and easier terrain. |
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Bluffs are visible
ahead and eventually pushed us in the upper gully, climber's left. |
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On the treed rib
nearing the summit ridge. |
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We lost visibility
on the ridge. |
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Trees at the
ridgeline. |
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We skirted this
bluff on the left towards the false summit. |
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At the top; slightly anticlimactic! |
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Heading back along
the summit ridge, visibility returns. |
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The top is just at
cloud level. |
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Looking back at the
false summit. |
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Leaving the ridge
crest, descending towards the ascent gully. |
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Clouds are lifting. |
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Random picture of
sheer bluffs along the way. |
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Backtracking along
the rock wall at the top of the ascent gully. |
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Top of the chimney. |
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From the bottom of
the chimney, we continued ahead to find another short break in the
bluffs. |
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Looking back, the
red line shows the way to the crux. |
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Our route, crux
circled. Picture taken from across the valley. |
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