North America, United States, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Bollinger, East Face, Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range

Publication Year: 1971.

Bollinger, East Face, Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range. Dave Goeddel and I completed an exhilarating new route on the vertical east face of Bollinger. The route follows a prominent diagonal crack system for four leads before zigzagging to the summit ridge. When seen from below, it appears that there would be considerable nailing, but almost all went free. Our first attempt was interrupted by bad weather after we had climbed five and a half pitches. On August 22 we climbed ropes left on the last two pitches and finished in a long day. We started at the top of blocks below the summit. After climbing an easy slab and a bench, we diagonaled right along a crack, using a couple of aid pins before gaining the upper crack system from a ledge. Hard laybacking followed by easier climbing led to a grassy area and then a long easy ramp. Above this we climbed an overhang, reaching another ramp, which steepened and narrowed into another short aid section below a belay ledge. A short lead left on friction led us up a chimney, over a notch and down into a whitish V-inset visible from the ground. From that belay an A3 pitch led up and left to a belay among huge detached blocks and flakes, from which an enjoyable and mostly free lead passed several overhangs, going up and right to a ledge. Due to lack of time, we traversed right and climbed sometimes difficult ramps and overhangs, finishing some yards from the summit; a direct route could probably be forced. 8 pitches, some over 150 feet; 30 to 35 pitons up to 2 inches. NCCS IV, F9, A3 or UIAA VI, A3.

Andrew Embick, Claremont Outing Club