Yucca Flower Tower to Great Escape, 5.10c, 4 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Two of the more popular 5.10 crack climbs in all of the Sandias are Yucca Flower Tower, 5.10b, and the Great Escape, 5.10c.  These two classics are stacked atop of each other on the west face of Yucca Flower Tower which is located in Echo Canyon which is one of the more southern destinations (to the south of Torreon) of the main climbing walls making up the Sandias.  The approach is short as well as are the climbs.   Although Yucca Flower Tower (the route) is listed as four pitches in the local guide.  Most competent 5.10 leaders will combine pitches two and three and replace the original 4^th pitch with a link up with the Great Escape instead. 

Find the signed Sandia Crest Spur trail at the south end of the Sandia Crest paved parking lot. Follow it down and past its junction with the La Luz trail.   Continue south (left) on the La Luz.  Before the trail turns northeast, leave the trail onto a climbers trail towards Echo Canyon (west) which splits into many trails.  You are now 100’ or so above the rap-in for Yucca Flower Tower.   Descend west to the cliff’s edge to locate a decent ledge with the first rap.  A single 60m rope rap gets you down to a ledge system below the Great Escape.  Traverse over loose blocks to the northwestern edge of this broad ledge to another fixed rap.  Extend the rap chains with your own cord to make sure a true 70m single rope can get down to the next set of anchors.  Then another single 70m rap down to loose blocks perched below, climbers right.  It is also possible to hike down Echo Canyon to the base of the formation although this is not recommended, reportedly due to 4th class in a heavily vegatated gully.

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 80’-5.10b/ This pitch is more technically challenging for pure crack climbers than the Great Escape pitch and vice versa, sport climbers will have an easier time on this pitch than the Great Escape.  From the blocky perch climber’s right, head straight up into the rounded and shallow chimney section below two obvious roofs.  The second roof is the technical crux, an awkward stem/layback move to pull the small roof and land at the two-bolt belay up and left.  Sort of a shallow chimney move to stem to face climbing back to crack. 

2^nd/3^rd Pitches- 200’-5.9+/ The FAers have the next 200’ divided into two pitches, but it makes for one nice long pitch with the first 100’ much more challenging than the last.  Tricky lay back moves at the grade get you off the deck as you follow a finger splitter, that bites down often, for some time. I was surprised at how many micro pieces became my pro of choice vs finger pieces.  The steepness wears off after a 100’ and you just meander over lessor grade ground, trending left at the end to the fixed bolted anchor you rapped in on. 

4^th Pitch-115’-5.10c/ Climb the Great Escape route.  This is the best pitch of the route and makes the only sensible finish to Yucca Flower since it is of similar grade.  Traverse back right to the base of the first rap-in and climb the obvious vertical finger crack to a horizontal crack below a roof. Traverse out right and mantle your feet on small edges as you reach for the upper finger crack and a few good face holds.  This crux on the Great Escape felt quite a bit easier to me than the 5.10b crux on the 1st pitch of Yucca Flower Tower.  Enjoy continued steep climbing as you traverse left above the roof to another crack and up to your packs.  

Climbing Sequence

Essential Gear

Double rack to #1 including micro cams/off-sets and/or good set of wires.  Half draws, half slings.  Helmets are in order, even though cleaner than many routes in the Sandias, still loose rocks on the ledges.  Gets full afternoon sun, shaded until noon in the fall.