Tooth Extraction, 5.10, 5 Pitches

Overview/Approach

In May of 2021, I ventured into a new trad climbing destination (for me) in North America.  For someone who had been climbing full time for several decades, that is not always an easy task.  I had the fortune of climbing three days straight with a local who insisted every morning that few folks would or could climb three days straight in the Organ Mountain Range.  The approaches do require a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm, no doubt.  Perhaps the most iconic looking features in the Organs are the Tooth and the Wedge.  The Tooth resembling more of a mini tooth in the foreground of a much larger one (the Wedge).

The routes on the Tooth are not long.  Tooth Fairy can easily be done in three pitches versus the four as listed at MP.com and takes you to the left side shoulder summit of the southwest face.  The 1^st and 2^nd pitches combined on Tooth Fairy lands you at a comfortable treed ledge that also is the jumping off point for Tooth Extraction, which is essentially a two-pitch variation (easy to combine the 4^th-5^th pitches) that offers the most sustained moderate lead on the face that leads to the same top rap anchor as the Fairy.

The 1^st-2^nd pitch combo of Tooth Fairy starts up an easy crack to a traverse right under a roof to an airy arete with a hand crack in it that leads to the beforementioned ledge.  This is where you diverge from Tooth Fairy for Tooth Extraction.  Follow the grass filled right leaning crack up right to a belay below the obvious left facing corner above.  Pull a bulge above into the main corner and layback up the sustained finger crack with a minute amount of help from facial features.  Near the top of the corner, the rock deteriorates and you have to pull out of the corner onto sand and brush.  Scramble up and left and descend to the fixed top rap anchor on Tooth Fairy.  By combining the first two pitches of Tooth Fairy and the last two pitches of Tooth Extraction, you can make this a three-pitch route.

This is one of the easier approaches in the Organs but still takes approximately 2 hours for a fit team.  Approach from the campground by hiking up the main road.  You leave the road at a well-marked cairn on the left.  This single-track trail crosses a drainage and then switchbacks right up to trees that offer plenty of shade directly below the Tooth.  Tooth Fairy starts at the far-left end of the southwest face. 

Route Description

1st-2nd Pitches- 180’-5.9/ (first two pitches of Tooth Fairy) A fun and enjoyable pitch with varied climbing.  Start up a short 5th class crack heading for the obvious crack above.  Traverse right well below the roof.  Pull out the right upper arete into airy climbing.  Hand jam up the arete and trend up and right to a fixed rap.  Extend your pro or don’t combine these first two pitches.

3^rd Pitch- 150’-5.9/ From the top of the first two pitches of Tooth Fairy, climb up and right eventually slab climbing under the arch out right.  Climb up to a ledge up and right below the obvious left facing corner above. 

4^th-5^th Pitches- 190’-5.10/ A stout and sustained pitch.  Climb the corner through an immediate bulge with a crux move.  Then continue up the strenuous and slightly overhanging corner via intermittent lie back. Climb through a fixed belay to the top.  Few rests are to be had on lead and the slab out left offers few features.  Best to have your own rack for this lead because the crack size varies constantly, many times you are on tips or fingers inserting gear blindly.   I placed one #2 and nothing larger.  The rock deteriorates towards the end where you need to pull out right to a better corner. Tons of dirt, loose rocks and cactus at the top.  Meander back left and descend to the fixed rap atop the wall.  You can cut out left of the corner before the top and join Tooth Fairy if you would rather.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

We made five raps with a 70m single rope.  From the top of Tooth Fairy, one rap down to near the bush.  Another short rap down to the top of pitch 3 of the Tooth Fairy.  A 3^rd rap to the top of pitch 2 (ledge).  Two more single rope raps to the ground. Hardware is in good shape as of 2021.

Essential Gear

Single rack to #2.  Triple to #.75 if you are going to lead the dihedral in one long pitch.  MP.com mentions double hand sizes, but I led the dihedral in one lead and felt finger and micro pieces were essentially all I needed.   Shoulder length slings.  Route receives a significant amount of sun but at this elevation is easily doable as late as May.