Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep is a fun trad route that goes up a steep crack system right of the second pitch of Stayin' Alive.

This route is a good reason to bring your trad rack to Tonnere Tower -- it's not just for bolt clippers anymore! The cruxes are well protected, but you'll need good pro-placing skills along the way.

Start by climbing the first pitch of Stayin' Alive (5.9, 7 bolts), Face Off (5.8, 6 bolts), or Nick Of Time (5.6, gear). Bring your partner up. Now move the belay 15' right to a second 2-bolt anchor. Clean Sweep starts here. You could also climb Buried Treasure (5.9, bolts, 2 pitches) to get to this anchor.

Traverse right below a small roof for about 20' until you're below a nice-looking crack system. Climb up the cracks, with a fun 5.8 layback (#2 Camalot for pro). At a steep headwall, get a green Alien in a small finger pocket on the right, and traverse a bit right (5.8) and up to the top of a flake. A second steep crack system looms above. Climb up the steep cracks with a 5.9 crux (#13 Stopper for pro). Continue up and traverse right around an airy bulge (purple tricam in horizontal quartz crack for pro). Climb up to a big grassy ledge, and go up a short steep section to a 2-bolt anchor on a small ledge, just down and right from the top anchor on Stayin' Alive.

Descent: rappel 90' back to the ledge at the start; angle the rappel a bit to the left. Then rappel 95' from the Stayin' Alive anchor back to the ground. From the anchor at the start of Clean Sweep, you could also rappel Buried Treasure (2 rappels, 70' and 95') back to the start of that route.

On the northeast face of Tonnere Tower, right of the second pitch of Stayin' Alive.

Eds. the beta photo has been deleted by its submitter.

Lots of finger- to hand-sized pro. A large wired nut (#13 Stopper), a #2 tricam (purple), double set of cams from green Alien to #2 Camalot, and a #3 Camalot. A third #2 Camalot could be useful.

There are some flared cracks along the way; a set of hybrid Aliens is useful if you have them. I placed a red/yellow hybrid Alien on the pitch.

2-bolt belay anchor at the start; 2-bolt anchor at the top.

I put in about 14 pieces of pro on the first ascent; stronger leaders could get by with less.