North America, United States, Wyoming, Block Tower and Warbonnet, Southern Wind River Range

Publication Year: 1959.

Block Tower and Warbonnet, Southern Wind River Range. The Iowa Mountaineers 1958 summer-climbing base camp was held at Lonesome Lake August 11-22. Thirty-three members plus guests participated in the outing and climbed 17 major peaks, several unnamed. The Block Tower was climbed by a new route on the west face by Felix Hagerman, Warren Pagel, Ollie Swarding, and John Davidge. They ascended scree to the col between Overhanging Tower and Wolf’s Head and traversed the west face of Overhanging Tower on easy ledges to the col between it and Shark’s Nose. They then descended a steep rock and snow chute for 200 feet before moving right on easy ledges, which they followed downward, keeping right to avoid steep slabs, until they reached scree. After contouring left on scree and snow around the base of Shark’s Nose to the first couloir leading southwest, they ascended the couloir, bearing left, until they were under the west face of Block Tower. The climb led straight up the left side of the face on ledges, chimneys, and cracks. Three overhangs were encountered; the first was climbed to the left, the second to the right, and the third, which was just below the northeast ridge, to the left. After a walk up the ridge to the base of Block Tower, they climbed up a chimney formed by the summit block and a large flake. Steep and horribly loose rock necessitated extreme care on the entire ascent.

William Primak and Kenneth Henderson ascended a new route on the east face of Warbonnet Peak. They started up grassy ledges on the southern side of the face to try to turn the southeast corner, but overhanging ledges forced them north. They eventually gained the col of the thumb and climbed ledges toward the summit ridge. They passed the tension pitch used by Paul Stettner in 1953 and gained the ridge.

A small tower behind Pingora, apparently a first ascent, was climbed by Jean Pascoe, Warren Pagel, and Dan Doody.

John Ebert