Trip Report
Castleton Tower with Jimmy Newberry
Thursday January 19, 2017 6:54am
Jimmy Newberry had been one of my most consistent climbing partners all through the 1970’s. It was not uncommon for new partners to decide that my brand of fun was not really their cup of tea after one or two outings into the backcountry, but Jimmy was always ready for more. While I liked to think this was due to his overweening sense of loyalty and adventure, it could have been that we both suffered from a pronounced inability to learn from previous experiences and recognized this trait in each other. “In sickness and in health, nanyon cries out for its self.” Regardless of cause, it led us to share many exciting mountaineering, ice climbing, back-country skiing, and canyoneering adventures together over the years.

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Two bros suffering from an inability to learn from previous experience...
Two bros suffering from an inability to learn from previous experiences.
Credit: Nick Danger
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By and by, we were led to give the Castleton Tower a go, based on the description published in “50 Crowded Climbs of North America”, plus its relative proximity to Gunnison. Late in the spring of ’74 or ’75 (my mind, like Billy Pilgrim, has become unstuck in time) we drove over to Castleton Valley and camped out in the wash leading up to this magnificent desert tower.

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Castleton Tower, one of the great desert towers, in the late afternoon...
Castleton Tower, one of the great desert towers, in the late afternoon sun from our campsite.
Credit: Nick Danger
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After a not-so-alpine start we trudged our way up the clayey slopes of the Moenkopi and Chinle Formations and approached the base of the Kor-Ingalls route on the south side of the tower. For those that have not yet climbed it, this is one of the great rock climbs at any grade in all of the known universe and we, unusually, had it all to ourselves. The weather was perfect, clear, windless, with warm spring temperatures. The first pitch went quickly enough, with clean cracks, perfect dihedrals, and one squeezy little chimney that was not such a big deal for our skinny selves (were I to repeat this climb today, getting my “more robust” self up that crack might be the crux). Likewise, the second pitch was similar in style to the first pitch, but longer and only slightly harder. Given the rack of hexes and stoppers we were using, though, it tended to be a bit run out in places and we were thankful for the occasional bolts.

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Jimmy Newberry leading the second pitch in fine style.
Jimmy Newberry leading the second pitch in fine style.
Credit: Nick Danger
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The third pitch is the crux, with a long wide crack in the crotch of a 90 degree dihedral yielding a somewhat run out 5.9 lead. Every sandstone climb in the desert seems to be required, by law, to have an offwidth pitch somewhere in the mix, but I got really lucky on this one. Right where options to stem or otherwise cheat on the offwidth section petered out, the crack had developed a nice coating of secondary calcite crystals about half an inch long on one face of the crack. This allowed me to face climb on the crystals just at the edge of the offwidth crack and lean back into the opposing wall for rest stances. At the top of the 3rd pitch was a nice flat ledge for belaying and watching Jimmy come on up. A short 4th pitch scramble led to the top and glorious views all around.

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Jimmy and me on the summit of Castleton Tower.
Jimmy and me on the summit of Castleton Tower.
Credit: Nick Danger
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Jimmy recording the fabulous scenery from the top of Castleton.
Jimmy recording the fabulous scenery from the top of Castleton.
Credit: Nick Danger
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After a leisurely amount of time spent on the summit, we rapped off and wandered back down the clayey slopes to our camp site. The traditional victory feast of Mexican food was enjoyed by all.

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Jimmy starting his rap off.
Jimmy starting his rap off.
Credit: Nick Danger
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Jimmy rapping down.
Jimmy rapping down.
Credit: Nick Danger
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  Trip Report Views: 2,577
Nick Danger
About the Author
Nick Danger is a ice climber from Arvada, CO.

Comments
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Jan 19, 2017 - 08:56am PT
Nice memories. I first did that route in spring '83, and then again in '14 or so. I don't think I recall the first time as well as you, but the differences ( bigger cams, sticky rubber, cameras in phones in pockets, shot blocks, etc) in those two ascents of mine are striking. After several more ascents though, I think it's the similarities, and motivations that I'm aware of more than anything.
ydpl8s

Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
  Jan 19, 2017 - 10:16am PT
Nice old pics Bob! I had to laugh when I saw that pic of you and Jimmy in front the Cimmaron store with your slings and casts. I remember at one point (before operation) that your shoulder was popping out with alarming regularity. I even remember it happening on a tall boulder problem at Hartman's and I had to climb up to help you pop it back in.

How did Jimmy get that injury?

Keep em coming,
Moss
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
  Jan 19, 2017 - 10:50am PT
I thought the route was like a so so Yamnuska climb but with an awesome summit plateau. I would like to go back and do another line.
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
Author's Reply  Jan 19, 2017 - 11:41am PT
Jaybro, I would love to go back and do it again with modern rubber and pro. I BET it makes a difference.

Scot, I have completely forgotten how Jimmy did his shoulder in, although I certainly knew at one time. Am working on a story and pics of a canoe trip Jimmy, Michael Bain and I did down and back up the Colorado River in Candylands around this same time period.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Jan 19, 2017 - 01:40pm PT
tiffypoo!

One of many on the to-do list for me.
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
  Jan 19, 2017 - 06:58pm PT
Jim Newberry, What a good guy!
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
  Jan 21, 2017 - 09:44am PT
I like your awe shucks, we were just knuckleheads, but our hearts were in the right place and we had a fab time of it all tone in these pieces. Gives the reading primacy over the pictures!

Jimmy Newberry ... Say, Mr. Danger, got some Black Canyon stuff in the pipeline for us?
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
Author's Reply  Jan 23, 2017 - 08:19am PT
Tarbuster, thanks for your kind comments. I have a piece on the Black Canyon with Jimmy and others to post, and will do so next week. Thanks for reading what is for me a labor of love commemorating the friendships and adventures that have so enriched my time on our shared blue marble in space.
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
  Jan 25, 2017 - 12:57am PT
Hey Nick
A great halcyon and evocative trip down memory lane so happy days! :-)
Cheers
Dave
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
  Jan 25, 2017 - 07:49pm PT

I did the chimley in '77 with Kent Lugbill--we got to drive
over the rickety old one lane bridge over the Colorado,
and were something like 42nd ascent. What a place!
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
Author's Reply  Jan 26, 2017 - 08:22am PT
SteveW, Ah yes, the Dewey Bridge. The only bridge in Colorado with a formation named after it. Made many a contribution to California's water supply off that bridge. Too bad a couple of local kids accidently burned it down shooting fireworks into the underbrush.

A correction here: the Dewey Bridge was in Utah approx. 20 or so miles west of the state line. Also, the Dewey Bridge Member of the Entrada Sandstone is a "Member" and not a "Formation". Interestingly, the Dewey Bridge Member pinches out a few miles east of it's type locality there at the former Dewey Bridge, but is quite thick and extensive to the west.
Rustie

climber
Coeur d\\\\\\\'Alene
  Feb 9, 2017 - 04:51pm PT
That shoulder injury may well have been caused by Newberry lifting a pint pot too high......a sad but genuine cost of being hardcore OldSchool. Keep the West Slope free amigo.............
7SacredPools

Trad climber
Ontario, Canada
  Feb 9, 2017 - 07:23pm PT
A great read, wished it were longer!
I climbed this beauty of a route with the indomitable Bruce Adams about 10 years ago and this TR brought back some very fond memories.
Managed to get my helmet quite stuck while run-out on the 3rd pitch and we had a bit of an adventure on the hike down in the dark, but we lived to go on to eat at Denny's by 2 AM.
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Feb 10, 2017 - 09:35am PT
Hey, that looks like Poway's Bruce Adams!
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