Danse Macabre

Climb a piece of history when you get on this route, the first 5.10 at Devils Tower. Though rated 10d by Royal Robbins in 1964 I think most people would agree that Robbins really put up the first 5.11 on the Tower! The original route starts one crack to the left of the main crack with 2 pitons that protect a short but spicy traverse to the right to gain the main crack. Or you can do the direct start like I did at a supposed easier grade of 10c, though it still felt like 11a/b to me! With the direct start fight your way up flared and leaning fingers/hands until finally reaching good jams about 25-30 feet up. With the original start you skip out on some of the flared fingers, but instead have what looked to be a short but tricky traverse. After passing a bush the crack becomes mostly #3 and #4 camalot size for about 100 feet, turns into a really fun double cracks and then makes a traverse to the left about 20 feet below a roof. Continue from here up an offwidth (protected by a red totem/#1 camalot in a horizontal) for about 10 feet to a nice big ledge. The best gear you can get for an anchor here is #4 camalot size or larger, so save at least 1 of those. There only other anchor piece option is a tiny but decent nut placement to the right of the crack in a horizontal. For pitch 2 (5.9) continue up the wide, dirty chimney (the home of the pigeons) until you encounter a body length sized roof. A #3 and #4 protect this well. After that you are practically at the meadows. Build your own anchor. Move to the left to descend the Meadows rappels.

To find the route take the climbers approach trail from the Tower trail by the viewing tubes/historic stake ladder up to the base of the bowling alley and approach pitch for the Durrance. Rack up here, then continue to the right on the 3rd and 4th class ramp until you reach the roping up area for the route, Bon Homme. Danse Macabre is 8 cracks to the left of the start of Bon Homme. Continue back to the left for about 50 or 60 feet until a flat area is reached. From here I did a short approach pitch to the base of the route. Watch out for a large loose flake (about 3ft x 4ft) that is sitting precariously just down and left of the start of the main crack. It is easily avoided but it moved a few inches when I put my hand on it.

Nuts, single green c3, and doubles from blue metolius size gear up to #2 camalot. Recommend triples in #3 and #4 camalots.