On the right (western) side of the Aquarium Wall, there is a very clean corner that leads toward an unpromising slab.  Delightful climbing ascends the corner to a stance where the crack widens to hand size.  Pitch 2 follows the crack to its end, then frictions up and left to another crack, eventually belaying beneath a steeper section.  Three more pitches go up the crack system to the top.

Guppies on Ritalin

Minnows on Mescaline

Aquarium

Balsamic

The Octopus Cave

Moondog

Climb the varnished crack to the major chimney.  The direct start is hard (5.10?) but there are easier variations on the adjacent face.  Three pitches up the chimney system lead to an exit on the right.  The fourth pitch continues straight up the rounded buttress above, passing a few delicate moves to a belay stance near an obvious diagonal crack.  Go right along the diagonal, then up to a small stance on the side of a chimney.  A long pitch up the chimney leads to the top.  (The last pitch is also the top pitch of Guppies on Ritalin.)

Both the Handren and the Supertopo guides make this route sound a lot harder and scarier than it is. In reality, it’s a great long moderate with good protection. However, both the approach and the exit off the top of the tower make for a full and adventurous day. It may be possible to combine some of the pitches with careful rope management. 

  P. 1: Climb the slot chimney to a great, huge flat ledge. 5.5,150’ 

  P. 2: The original route apparently climbs a 5.9 flake that’s quite a bit to the right, then traverses back left, but it’s a lot more obvious to go straight up the slab, left on a ramp, and up a corner to a nice stance on a pedestal below a wide section. (This is the third pitch of Luna.) 5.6, 60’  

  P. 3: Both Handren and Supertopo describe the start of this pitch as unprotected 5.9, but the gear is quite good and the climbing is never above 5.8 (at most). Stem up the obvious wide section, placing the #6 when convenient, then continue up the crack. Step right when the crack gets brushy and climb the crack and corner system on the right, passing a bolt, to a bolted belay/rappel anchor at a good stance on the right. 5.8, 120’ 

  P. 4: Continue up the right-leaning crack, then traverse right (there are a couple of opportunities) to a corner with a hand crack, and follow it to any of several possible belay stances. 5.6 or 5.7 depending on reach, 150’ 

  P. 5: Climb up and traverse left around a bulge, then follow an easy right-leaning corner to a stance below an obvious offwidth section. 5.6, 60’ 

  P. 6: Pass the short offwidth section by face climbing on the right (a #6 gives toprope protection), then continue up the crack on much more moderate climbing to a good stance. 5.7-5.8, 80’ 

  P. 7: Traverse straight left on easy ledges (passing about 20’ above the top anchor of Luna), then climb the varnished face left of a big corner to a stance. 5.6, 80’ 

  P. 8: More or less straight up, passing a short varnished headwall down low, on mostly easy white rock with limited protection opportunities. Near the top, a #.75 Camalot in a horizontal protects a short set of face moves; continue up to a good ledge at the base of a wide crack. 5.6-5.7, 210’ 

  P. 9: Up the wide crack, then step left and go up easy ground through a wide notch. Continue up easy ground on the left side of the notch to the summit of the tower. 5.6, 200’ (It’s easy to split this pitch by belaying in the notch.) 

  P. 10: But wait, there’s more! Easy but poorly protected downclimbing leads to a step across to the main wall. 5.4, 60’. From here, 4th-class climbing leads to easy ground. Both Handren and Supertopo mention a fixed rappel to get down the downclimbing section, but we saw no sign of one.

The steep wide crack with black varnish insides through a bulge. Wild and fun and a lot easier than it looks - but you better know what a chicken wing is!

A wild pitch up into the deep, huge chimney left of Aquarium leads to a tunnel through to the outside. The second pitch starts up the big right-leaning corner, then transfers left to the thin crack which ends in the middle of a black face.

The first two pitches are the main attraction in addition to a lovely ~spire summit with great views of Crimson Chrysalis.

 P1 5.8 (Scary Larryesque / Herbsty) 115': Up the chimney. The initial roof goes easier than you might expect, but then things gradually escalate. Suspect rock at times contributes to an adventurous pitch. Upon exit from the chimney climb ten more feet over a bulge to chain anchors.

 P2 5.7 125': Move left 8' to the left hand crack system and launch straight up for ~120' until a belay is convenient ~30-40' below a tree up and left.

 P3 5.7 190': Move up and left close to the tree but then launch up and right following the right trending crack / ramp. When you see bolted anchors to the left set a belay just under a steeper headwall with a mossy finger crack splitting it.

 P4 5.9 (soft) 150': Follow the finger crack over the steep bit onto a yellow slab. Continue straight up to a small ledge and set a belay.

 P5 5.7 180': Move up and left to a right trending crack / ramp. Follow this over a bulge and continue past its end to the summit. Hip belay or small gear just below summit for an anchor.

 Drop down the back side of the spire and climb up a left facing corner crack to the next spire top. Another dip down and back up gets you to the last spiry bit. Most folks should feel comfortable unroping here. Contour back to Brownstone and follow its descent.

This tall, north-facing wall is directly across the canyon from Olive Oil on Rose Tower.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Aquarium Wall