Climb the lovely chimney on the west face.

Harding's Other Chimney

Unnamed

Candyass

Rain Song

Slowdancer

Corn Flakes

Cockabooty

The Prow

Over Easy

Chainsaw Willie

Fancy Dancin'

Candyland

Hooray Hooray!

Hard Up

The Clam

Anal Sex

Penny Candy

Regular Route

Tyro's Test Piece

Unknown

Leaner and Meaner

Lean And Mean

This climb hosts a tricky crux right below the chains. I won't spoil it for you here.

Climb cracks and the knobby face above, passing a bolt and a fixed pin.

A short pure slab route, with its crux near the ground. Keeping right above the bolt makes this 5.7 R, but heading left after clipping keeps it around 5.6 R.

To the right of "Hard Up", climb up to a crack. Follow this (5.9) and climb the face above.

Climb the flake to the right of "Lean and Mean", then face climb  to the roof. Move left and follow "Lean and Mean".

A good route. There was a bat in the crack last time I did it.

The usual route follows a crack system up a dihedral. Many variations are possible, with jams, stemming and face moves available. Above the dihedral, step left over a couple of ledges and humps to protect it well, then finger traverse back right to the anchor using a crack under a roof. Alternately, go direct from the end of the dihedral to the anchor.

The Prow is a great route with plenty of exposure.  The route climbs the left side of the large rectangular block on the upper North Side of Middle Spire.  This is a wonderful second pitch to Over Easy (5.7) or any of the routes in this area.  From the two anchors (at the bottom left side of the rectangular block) climb up a few feet and step out to the arete.  The first bolt is hidden just around the corner.  You definitely want to find this and clip it prior to committing yourself out on the arete.  Fun and exposed face climbing using the left edge gains the summit 30' up.  Safe and airy!

On the left side of the north face is a detatched flake with a roof above it.

Climb up the flake, pull the roof, move up the steep knobby face, up and right to a belay below a corner.

Follow the corner to the top.

Crux near the ground where a crescent-shaped overhanging little bump makes you traverse left. After stepping over, the route is a cruise on slabs with a mix of the Spires' usual bumpy positive features.

Climb a short, very thin crack to a short slab run-out.  First set of anchors are around the right of the headwall in front of you.  Second pitch consists of some vertical face climbing on bolts on the west side of the headwall to the top.

I didn't climb the second pitch, so I am unsure if the 10b rating comes from this section or not.  Otherwise I would rate the crack section 9+.  Those with bigger fingers might call it 10a.

This climbs an overhanging knobby wall, with a thin crack at the top.

This climb faces west.

The original route is technically a variation of Hard Up. It starts with that 5.9 lieback crack for 20 feet, then goes around the hump to the right, and up the face, trending right to finish at the bolted anchor under the roof.

On toprope, I preferred starting on the balancey arete and face section, right of the Hard Up crack start. This also avoids encroaching on climbers on that route when the rope is already hung.

Climb the crack/corner right of the start of "Over Easy" to the roof, then join that route.

This is a much better start to "Over Easy".

Follows the right facing corner left of "Anal Sex". It's a pile!

Starts from a triangular rock, against the base.

Left of "Regular Route".

Climb straight up the face, through a tunnel.

A fun, easy solo.

The description in the Supertopo Tahoe Guide is incorrect.

This is the pitch above Lean and Mean and Slowdancer, which follows 3 bolts up the arete.  I recommend skipping the intermediate belay and linking the pitches for a great 90ft pitch.  You will most likely want a couple long slings on the first two bolts, if linking the pitches.

Regular Route lies on the East side of Middle Spire and starts about 25' left of the large dead horizontal tree/log.  The first pitch is 70' and the start is an obvious left slanting hand crack on a near vertical face.  Gear placement for the first 10' is a bit strenous as the crack wants to spit you out and you are falling to the left with little feet!  A few hard moves brings you to an in-balance stance and from here on up the difficulty eases all the way to the slabby ledges.  The second pitch is a 5.8 chimney which we didn't do.  See The Prow!

Follow a low angle left facing corner through a awkward wide section. The last 30ft of the climb has an enjoyable lieback section.

Walk off to the left on 4th class ledges...

Mistakenly listed as "Anal Sex" in the Supertopo guide.

Climb a left leaning lieback, then climb face to the ledge.

Climb 5.8 face to the summit.

Fingerlocks and some awkward jamming are the name of the game. Would be one of Tahoe's best splitter cracks of its grade if it weren't so contrived. You can use the wall to the right most of the way for your feet making the route much easier. Staying off this wall makes it classic and hard. You get forced off the (stem) wall by the time you hit the crux but it makes it a whole lot easier. Endurance is the real crux had the right wall not been there. I don't know, seems a bit contrived. Still a really good "laser cut" splitter that is a challenge no matter how you choose to climb it.

Follow the obvious right facing corner right of "Over Easy". Do some roof moves and belay. Continue to top.

A great climb with the crux about two thirds up the first pitch.

This is a great route!

Description

Protection

Routes in Middle Spire