Piece of Cake

Drumstick Direct

Camera Obscura

Wudamudafuka (1st pitch)

Termination

Second Helping

Shoobertapotamai Feathers

Sidewinder

Dark Side of the Moon

Quiver and Quill

Wild Turkey

Eclipse

East Side Story

Gobble This

Turkey Turd

Inner Reaches

Turkey in the Straw

Live Fire

Brush Turkey

I Turkey/ Resurrection

Double Trouble

Rasmussen Crack

The Chop

Shoo Kitty

Whimsical Dreams

Make the Cut

Snake

Squeeze Chimney

Consternation

Turkey's Delight

Jello Party

Easy Offwidth

For Turkeys Only

Johnny Lat

Journey to Ixtlan (1st Pitch)

Spider Lady

Captain Hook

In Search of Unicorns

Dark Meat

Hummingbird Way aka Snively's Crack

Left Side of the Key

Fuzzy Caterpillar

Roofus

Acoplopse

The first pitch is long and stellar.  Bring two ropes to rap of the first pitch at the shuts.  You should know how to crack climb and have some endurance if you hop on this baby.

You can't miss this thing, especially if you locate the heinous-looking flaring fat roof of For Turkeys Only.  Our route is just to the right and has plenty of chalk on it (you don't need any).  Look for a crack parallel crack system that starts off a small pedestal/ledge about 15-20 ft off the ground.It steepens and switches from a left-facing to a right-facing dihedral about 1/2 way and leads to a roof.  Now you can't miss it.

Start in a left-facing corner and stem upwards to a small ledge, continue about 6 ft. up to a second small ledge to enter the parallel crack system.  The right crack is part of a left-facing dihedral initially.  You will most likely favor the left crack initially and eventually move to the right crack.  Continue on this steepening crack.  It switches to a right facing dihedral crack, eventually capped by a roof.  Move upwards to the roof via stemming and jamming.  Move out the left roof crack, up a few more feet, and onto an easy face to gain a ledge.  Move right on the ledge to the rap anchors.

This thing is stellar.  I can't believe that Hubbel doesn't give it any stars when it deserves 3.  Come to think of it, he didn't give Gobbler's Grunt (2 stars IMHO) any, either.  This thing is long and fairly sustained.  I say it is easily better than Quiver and Quill.  This is one of the best pitches I have done at the Platte - at least as good as the P1 of

Straw Turkey

and P2 on the

Center Route

.

Camera Obscura is a worthwhile climb that runs through all the sizes, from tips to wide. Climb a low-angle, left-facing corner for ~50' to a bulge with a hand crack, surmount another bulge (offwidth, easy), and finish up the steep, right-facing corner that attracted your eye in the first place.

It sounds ok, right? As it happened, this end-of-the-day quick pitch turned into one of those enormous PITA experiences that had us both wishing we'd just headed down for beers in camp instead. Essentially, the crack you are climbing is formed by a flake which you then climb over, down, and behind (the

Camera Obscura

), leaving the rope running over your gear in the crack to cause all manner of mayhem when belaying up the second. Hassles we experienced included cams flipped around in the crack, rope wedged in finger crack, the leader rapping down to free the flipped cams, a free end tossed down to the second to tie into whilst unwedging the original lineand that was before the descent shenanigans began.

None of these issues likely arose back in the day when leaders solved the problem of wide cracks with tube chocks and huge run-outs. Today, however, most folks lack access to these sack-enhancing tools and are forced to resort to the use of camming units, which are prone to flipping round, getting stuck, pinning the rope, etc. etc. A modern solution might look as follows:

Put an anchor on top of the route.

A couple ring bolts on the pillar up and right of the topout would eliminate the cam-flipping, rope-pinching, and descent shenanigans. I make this recommendation in full cognizance of the loss to the modern climbing community of the hairy virtues of route-finding, problem-solving, and subsequent practice of rescue techniques afforded by the nature of this route. This weekend I noticed a couple of handy two-bolt anchors replacing the crafty cable contraptions atop

Whimsical Dreams

and

Turkey's Delight

: bringing the Turkey Rocks into the 1990s, kicking and screaming! I love it. Thanks, folks.

This route is located on Turkey Tail.  It starts behind a large pine tree, about 40' right of

Whimsical Dreams

.  The first crux involves a short, but very burly lieback about 15'off the ground with slippery footholds.  Make sure you place good gear.  Above that, easy finger locks reach a sloping ledge.  From here, I highly recommend the bolted arete, 4 bolts lead you through typical arete moves.  Resist the temptation to dive back into the crack when the arete hits the roof.  Stay on the face until you can reach a good hand jam formed by a chockstone.  One hand-sized piece gets you to the anchors, where you can rap 70' to the ground.  The 2 star rating applies to the arete, the crack section is nothing to write home about, and I thought it felt much harder than the 11a rating the guidebook gives it.

Located on the north side of the Turkey Tail, Termination is described by the Cheney guide as a hand and fist crack. Looking up at it might bring other thought to mind as well!

It starts out looking wide and nasty. Don't let it fool you though, because its bite is not as bad as its bark.... Squeeze, thrash, and wriggle your way though the opening moves and then enjoy a much nicer crack that goes up to a point that shares the same anchors as

Eclipse

. We climbed the route using a 70 meter rope, but I think you can lower off with a 60 meter rope just fine.

Locating the route might be a little tricky. A lot of the lines on the north face of Turkey Tail are mixed up and unobvious looking. Walk around a little and study the guidebook if you have one. Maybe ignoring if you have one is not a bad suggestion either. Let your mind expand and

Eclipse

should be one of the first logical looking climbs you might try, especially if you are coming from the direction of the "Perch." Termination is just to the right of and shares the same slings as

Eclipse

. The ledge you start from is not the most obvious thing to get to. You can crank some nice moves through a wide section to reach the starting ledge, or scramble up from well to the right of the start for both routes. If you are like me, this will become clear after you have cranked the moves on the left side of the ledge, eh? Termination is a good climb to combine with

Eclipse

while you are hanging out on this neat ledge. Enjoy.

This excellent route climbs the right side of the stem box shared with

Drumstick Direct

. Start in the same place as

Drumstick

, climb to the top of a ledge, step right, and climb the wide crack to near the top of the pillar on

Turkey Turd

. Clip a fixed pin, step up and left, and go over a steep, bulging block and into the stem box. Stay in the right side up to the roof, then crank hard moves out the right side of the roof. Continue a short ways to a two bolt anchor.

Rap with a 70m, or climb the 2nd pitch of

Turkey Turd

to the top.

This is a variation to

Dark Meat

that was previously unclimbed.

1) Climb

Rasmussen Crack

to the bolt/chain anchor, 5.10.

2) Climb the best part of

Dark Meat

up the chimney and past the roof and belay at the horizontal where the climbing begins to get easy, 5.8.

3) Step right a few feet and climb a steep, finger crack with some painful jams, a little crumbly rock, and a sequential crux. Where the crack ends, place a couple pieces, and finish directly up the prow of the buttress on slabby crystals for 20' with no protection. This is pretty exciting but definitely all there, 5.11-.

It's possible you could link the 2nd and 3rd pitches, but it was nice having my belayer within sight on the finger crack and not having any rope drag on the slab.

I almost forgot how sweet offwidths are.  This gorgeous route begins as a left-facing dihedral not too far to the right of

Drumstick Direct

on the Turkey Tail.  Without a doubt, this route gets 3 stars and has nearly everything you would want in a fatty.  Hubbel's book does this route a disservice by only giving this route 2 stars.  It seems that there is some sort of unfounded prejudice against cracks wider than 3' - yet another debasing of a noble form of climbing. If you liked

Honeymoon Chimney

in Castle Valley, Utah, then you'll definitely appreciate this proud line.

Begin in a *relatively* thin crack, where some hand jams can actually be found.  Follow up the widening crack towards the 1/4" trinket placed on the right side of the dihedral.  Place a 4-1/2" piece nearby.  Flow past this section and enter a large pod.  Take a breather here before you continue.  The dihedral crack becomes thinner (hand to thin hands) before opening into a small chimney.  Move up the chimney and onto easier ground.  Past the chimney, there are numerous face holds and the crack gets thinner.  At the roof, where the crack ends, you can either move left or right and move to the top.  Find your own way off the top.  Topos for this climb in the books, especially the top, are less than adequate - I mean they suck.  I moved left to the base of a really low-angled crack system that looked no harder than 5.easy to set my belay.

My descent. Because my second was the last thing on my mind as a did this route, I neglected to consider that he is a fat ass.  When he entered the first pod and tried to clean his #1 Big Dude that I placed in the back of the pod, it wasn't happening without a good rubbing of Crisco - if at all.  At first this was funny, but after several minutes of hearing him grovel, grunt and use my name in vain while the sun was setting, I knew that I would be leaving some stoppers.  I lowered him, had him put me back on belay, traversed back to the right and downclimbed to the first keyhole stopper placements.  There is a set of anchors in the dihedral just to the left of Sidewinder about 50 or so feet of the ground if you only have one rope (50 m may reach?) and my stoppers and biners are still near the top of P1 for added convenience.

This is a squeeze crack that grows into a large chimney. Establish yourself in the #6 offwidth crack, and work your way upward (crux). Get inside when it widens into a chimney, and take advantage of numerous helpful features for your feet on the left wall. End in an obvious notch.

This climb stands alone on a rock at the north corner of Turkey Tail, and can be seen looking left from Turkey Perch.  This is only maybe 50-60 feet long, but it is very hard for its rating.  It is an overhanging crack that climbs up jams through some weird pods and up into a squeeze chimney.  Rap from bolts.

This is a good, stout climb on solid rock, for the most part.  The difficulty is up for debate, but it seemed significantly harder than Hubbel's assigned grade of 10c according to myself and my partner. It was harder than any other 10 I've done there.  Then again, the experience was subjective and perhaps I should mention that the roof crack can hold ice in the winter.... Absent jamming, the route felt more like hard 5.11, and was more difficult to protect.

Start on P1 of

Hummingbird's Way

and climb that to the large, left-leaning overhang above, placing long slings before continuing up and left on to Wild Turkey proper.  Pass the leaning overhang and stop below the large roof, placing some more gear and more long slings.  An off-fists crack appears surprisingly on the right, and a "rest" can be contrived in this, surprisingly, before continuing through the crack out of the roof.  Launch up into that crack on hand to fist sized gear and... and....

Well, at this point I'll describe what I saw, and then my experience.  I saw a hand and fist-sized crack out to the lip. I saw icicles hanging in my face... I felt up into the freezing wet crack trying to find purchase on a frozen flow...  Finally, pumping out, I under-clinged the roof, pasted a foot out to the right onto a bare overhang and pulled up into a knee-bar scum and then into a layback - some distance above my last piece of gear below the ice-flow.  From there, I proceeded... to make some of the most improbable and fantastic moves I've pulled in a long time, and shall remember for some time to come. YMMV - depending on ice and style.

From a good rest just above the roof, the ice was passed.  There is a short distance of moderate, but potentially exhausted climbing to a ledge, but it could be runout in the absence of more fist-sized gear.  From the ledge, one can belay or step up and left into a left-facing corner (use long runners) and ride a predominantly 3-4" easy crack for 50 more feet to the final belay slot up top.  Set a belay from 2- 3.5" gear.

The summit and walk-off can be gained via a scramble (5.6-ish, 20 feet) up and to the climber's right in that slot.

I totally encourage people to do this infrequently passed route - and advise to have a lot of "margin" Vs the assigned 5.10 grade if it is winter and might be holding ice.

This is a terrific Turkey Tail route.  From the trail, you'll see a beautiful hand crack perhaps forty feet above you.  That's your start.  To the left is an OW that gets progressively bigger.  To your right, splitting the slab, is a crack that opens and closes and looks nasty (it's

Termination

, 5.8, and after the start it's very good).

Another approach: look up and locate the slings.

From the trail, scramble up to the base of the climb.  Climb about 50 feet of hand crack to a ledge, then another shorter crack section to an easy face, which leads to the anchor.

This is a well-protected, beautiful line.

On the east end of Turkey Tail's south face, just uphill or east of Cheap Trick rises the East Side Story. Another reference would be to describe this as the last major chimney looking thing as you are walking uphill from

Journey to Ixtlan

before the Tail dies out all together. From the chimney start, an off-width forms along the left side of a slab with a right facing dihedral on the left side of the off-width. The off-width/slab leads to a short, but stellar hand crack.

Begin climbing up either side of the chimney start. I think the right side is better even though it moves through a few loose flakes, but that is only because I ran into a few bees on the left side. The bees didn't sting too bad, so I accommodated them by climbing up the right side. Either start will deliver the climber to the same fate. About mid-height the crack widens and a slab forms on the right, with a right facing dihedral on the left of the off-width. Excellent climbing on the slab along with using the off-width thing at your left side will yield the top of Tail, which is much lower on the east end. On your left will be a stellar hand crack, which leads through steeper terrain to a higher tier on the east end of the Tail. Too bad this crack isn't longer, because it is so good. After a few moves with perfect number 2 Camalot jams, reach a nice perch to belay your partner up to.

To descend, locate a tree a few feet to the west that will allow you to rappel back down the south face to the Tail. The route might be a hundred feet tall if that. A 60 meter rope should suffice for rappelling back down with. You may want to bring a sling for the tree. Enjoy.

This is the bolted arete variation to

Wudamudafuka

. Start on on the finger crack for

Wudamudafuka

until it ends on a sloping ramp. Delicately reach out left around the arete and clip your first bolt. Balancy, thin face climbing leads you past 3 more bolts to a thin, perplexing crux getting to a hand jam under a chockstone on

Wudamudafuka

. Cruise up good jams to 2 coldshuts.

This route is located on Turkey Tail, about 75' right of

Whimsical Dreams

. Locate the "Turkey Turd", which is a narrow pillar of rock that sticks out from the wall, about 60' off the ground.

Climb either side of that pillar (5.8 or so either way), the left side involves some easy OW while the right side requires stemming on good rock. The crux involves pulling the roof above the "Turkey Turd" pillar. An awkward, series of insecure thin hand jams pulls the roof where the crack widens to perfect hands.  Luckily the gear is bomber. Two bolts are reached after about 120'.

You can rap (and TR [P1&2]) with a single 70m rope, or continue to the summit.

Per

Mark Rolofson

:

Pitch 2 is the business (5.11c). Obviously this above description combines the first two pitches. It seemed nice to be in close communication with your partner. Nowadays it makes sense to stretch the rope out.

Pitch 3: (5.9) ascend a beautiful finger crack that peters out. Face climb past one bolt to the top. Definitely do the whole route.

Inner Reaches climbs a wonderful, right-leaning crack system with a surprise hand crack hidden inside. It is located more on the eastern end of the north side of the Turkey Tail and feels much more user friendly than some other routes of a similar grade at the Turkey Rock area. Being one of the more obvious and aesthetic routes on the north side of the Tail, it is relatively easy to find. As of this writing, there was also a large cairn of rocks at its base. It also has what is probably one of the best belay spots on the north side as well.

At the top of the crack, make a wonderful mantel, and then step right to clip some fixed slings. We climbed the route using a 70 meter rope, but I think you could lower off from a 60 meter rope as well. Enjoy. This is one of the nicest (though shorter) routes of this grade at Turkey Rock.

There are sections of good climbing on the route, but overall it is a waste of opportunity, being that there are so many GOOD routes around. The crux isn't the climbing, it's fighting with vegetation and dirt, some while run out.

Climb up the right hand edge of a big slab to the higher of to leftward-rising ramp systems. Place a small, narrow cam in an undercling, and then traverse up and left (R) to gain a flaring crack on the left side of the same slab.  This crack is mostly full of plants and dirt and offers little in terms of protection. Ge left of it to good holds on an arete and climb up past the dirt and salad (5.7, R) and past a shrub into a good crack.  Climb the crack (hand sized gear) past a few bushes and up to a massive chockstone (crux, 5.8) and onto the top.  Belay from a gear anchor.

To descend, walk East to a fixed-slings rap and go off SE to the ground, 90'.

Live Fires is a pretty good route, in the class of

Termination

or

Eclipse

, but despite the Hubbel rating of 5.8, it is a bit harder than either of those.  The rock is solid and the protection is good, with one 'wake up' location at a wide pod, which is the crux and also above your gear unless you brought 1 large cam.  Hubbel suggests pro to 4", I suggest one larger cam.  The crux ends at a 2.5" cap to the pod (bomber yellow Camalot), and the climb retains a more consistent grade of 5.7 to 5.8 to the top, where you belay from gear before wandering Eastward to find the 2-bolt rap station as for

Eclipse

and

Termination

.

Technically 4 routes to the right of

Drumstick Direct

is a pretty cool mixed line on the arete.  If you rap off

Drumstick Direct

and look down to your right, you will see the 2 bolt anchor at the top of the climb.

Begin underneath an overhanging crack where you can get good fingers in a few spots, the crux here is probably negotiating the bushes at the start of the climb.  Boulder up to a good 2 finger gaston which enables you to get your feet situated in a way where you can place a piece of gear in the crack once it turns vertical.  Most mortals will appreciate a spot while getting in the first piece of gear.  The crack pinches out and now follow 3 bolts to the 2 bolt anchor.  It has fun climbing on great edges and good use of the arete.

This has technical arete climbing, finishing with a reach out left to a finger crack which is followed to the top. It was bolted, chopped, and rebolted, hence the name.

-It does not receive the traffic it deserves.

-Originally it was graded 5.11d, but it's quite a bit harder than that.

Start in a great crack and continue up "widening" terrain until you reach the first roof. Surmount the first roof (5.9) and continue into a large slot. Devise a way to the base of the next roof where cryptic moves set you up for the grand finale. I really had fun on this one.

Although other options are available, the best belay is right after the final roof. Extend your clove hitch 5 or 6' to tend the rope running through the final roof. A belay any higher could leave your rope stuck in the piece(s) you place at the final roof.

IMO: 4 star moves that are not obvious from the ground with some 2 star rock quality in places.

Rasmussen Crack is located between

Hummingbird Crack

and

Turkey's Delight

on an inset wall on the left side of the Turkey Tail.  A pine tree stands at the base of the route, access the climb from the left side of this tree.

Pull up and right through a blocky section and into the thin crack above.  This continues straight up and then arches left.  Follow the crack until it is possible to hand traverse left along a rail reaching a hand sized crack (#2 Camalot), climb this for a couple moves and move left onto a ledge with a fixed anchor.  This climb is thin and sustained and excellent.  It ends up being more of a face climb than a crack as the crack gets pretty small and there are some great edges on the face.

This gets two stars for rock and moves and pro, but it's short and the crack dies before becoming a classic.  70 feet is a guess.  A 60 meter rope easily made the rappel from the anchor, a 50m probably would as well.  Watch the dead tree when tossing your rope, it's a potential snag.

This is a good route, if that is your thing.

Get out your long sleeves and canvas pants... the rock is solid and the climbing varies between tight, squeeze chimney and wide O.W.  It is PG-13 or maybe R unless you have a really big piece (

i.e.

bigger than a #6 Friend or C4, which you might want 2 of otherwise).  So get out your Valley Giants or Big Bros or be ready to get up above your gear a way.

Start up a crack and as it gets wide, stuff yourself inside for a brief time.  A #6 C4 Camalot will just fit back in the back of this before it gets too narrow to negotiate.  If you lack anything bigger, place on of those then back out with your left side in, and then run it out for a bit to a #0.5 and #0.75 placement on a flake to the right.  Pinch this and head up to a bigger placement (red Camalot) and some stemming along with arm-bars and heel-toe cams.  Continue up to a welcome rest where 3" jams (#2 and then #3 Camalots here, use slings or get some drag) can be placed for a few moves, then back left into the OW.  A second #6 Camalot (I wish) will probably ease nerves on the last 20' or you get nothing.... Climb a few tense moves until it gets low angle to the ledge at 50'.

Belay on the ledge from a good crack with thin-hands-to-fist sized gear and a cordalette.

From the belay, there is a second pitch.  We found two options -  up and right a steep splitter just left of the skyline arete through a bright yellow face.  This is mostly hand-sized and is awkward and steep, at 5.9+.  Otherwise, head up and left, 3 meters left of that in a grey face for and obvious 5.8 crack finish to the top.

Scramble and walk off to the West and down onto a ledge, eventually descending through a tunnel and back East to the base.

P1. Climb

Rasmussen Crack

, and instead of stepping left to the 2-bolt anchor below

Dark Meat

, continue up a steep off-width for twenty more feet to a belay stance at a block.

P2. Climb up the chimney past the bush, and then step left to reach the start of the left-facing corner/flake. This has steep, sustained, fun climbing with decent gear and good holds to the top. It is definitely more adventurous than

Rasmussen Crack

! (Brad pulled a large block off on the FA which nearly hit me, and there's still a little crumbly rock, but it should clean up nicely with more ascents).

Whimsical Dreams is on the Turkey Tail. This route is fantastic and it does not let go of you until you reach the anchors at the ledge.  It was a very humbling experience to make it through the 2 5.11- sections and then blow the 5.10 exit roof.

This climb is the first crack on the left side of the wall with all kind of chalk on it.  It starts in a small, right-facing corner.  Above, you will see a slot through a very small roof.  After that, the crack system continues straight upwards into a left-facing corner that leads to a roof.  Pull out of this and continue for maybe 15 feet to the anchors.  This climb protects very-well.  Keep a cool head, don't get to anxious on it, and milk your rests one you find them.

This is a good route with good protection in the right spots.  The rock is a bit sharp and tape on the hands would be wise for those with thin skin.

Find

Consternation

and

The Chop

and look about 2 meters to the right of the wide crack of '

The Chop

P1: A fingers-to-thin-hands shallow crack and flare starts from the ground and works upward past several stopper and cam placements (to 2").  This section is a bit insecure as the crack flares in many places and is too small for good jams, but very good gear is available if you are willing to place it from insecure stances.

The crack briefly ends right below an overlapping flake that runs up and right from the original crack.  From this stance (2" cam on a sling), reach out and left "Make the Cut" into a second crack on the same face (2.5"-3" wide) and a solid hand-jam there and swing through to that crack. Place protection (hand sized cam, with sling) and make a few moves up that crack for a body length or two until it ends.  When that one ends, move left again, "Making the Cut" left once more into '

The Chop

' into the top of that OW.  If you brought one very large cam, place it here with a sling again, before topping out on that crack to a ledge and belay on gear.

P2: Continue up and right to get into a splitter through a bright yellow tower.  The climbing there is surprisingly awkward or gymnastic and goes from thin hands through a wide pod (your big cam again, if you brought one) and up to a nice hand crack to top out.

To descend, climb back down the back of that tower (4 meters, 5.6?), protecting with a #2 Camalot if desired, and then scramble out as for other climbs in this area such as

Consternation

.

Crank hard to establish in the crack and climb 70 feet of big #5 and #6 offwidth. The crack tapers to handjams and squeezes through an overhang. Belay above this squeeze and before the hanging, triangular block. Pass the block in a hand and fist crack on the right, neatly step through a bombay chimney above, and crank up to a mantel topout.

Located on the sunny side of the Turkey Tail, this route appears as Unnamed 5.8 in the Cheney/Couchman guide.  Ken Trout calls it Squeeze Chimney 5.7 in the orange South Platte guide.  Either way, it is a fun and typical Turkey Rocks overhanging squeeze chimney experience.  It can be done in 3 pitches easily, but would go in 2 pitches as well.

Locate a left facing corner 20 feet right of the start to

Drumstick Direct

.  This is the right side of the pinnacle that goes up to

Turkey Turd

.

Pitch 1. Climb the left-facing corner with good hand jamming near the top. Continue up above the corner a few feet and find the least sufferable spot to belay.

Pitch 2. Climb up into the overhanging squeeze chimney. Really, this section is more of a slot. Sling the chock stone and go for it. There is a crack/flake out to the right that may help with this section. It is short but brutal. Once you get into the chimney, climb over some more chock stones and belay in a nice area on a pile of loose stones that fill the chimney.

Pitch 3. Climb up to a big flake, and traverse out to the right to gain an arete. A long section of moderate, lower angled cracks take you to a notch in the summit ridge of Turkey Tail.

Descent - depending on the time of year, you have at least 2 options. If snow is not too bad on the dark side of Turkey Tail, rappel straight down the backside of the tail from a good station in the notch. If it looks like a post hole from hell in climbing shoes, another option is to traverse east out of the notch along the summit ridge of Turkey Tail. At the end of the ridge, look for a rappel station that is located down and to the north. This may consist of knotted slings jammed into cracks. Rappel into the wide chimney/gully with a single rope. Walk along the crest of the ridge for a few feet to the east.  Another rappel should be encountered. It consists of knotted slings jammed in cracks and a slung boulder. A single rope rappel will land you near the base of a route named Double Trouble. The base of this route and your gear is just a few steps back to the west. Enjoy.

Consternation is basically a hand and finger crack.  The climb ends where the crack flattens out.  It is a one pitch climb but looks like you could continue for a second.  We started the climb behind the boulder (came in from the right). Like

Left Side of the Key

, just as fun as many Perch routes but without the convenience of a walk off (read more adventure).

The route starts off great.  The first pitch would get two stars.  There's a small boulder sticking out at the top of the first pitch with slings around it (bring your own double sling).  Best advise is to rap from here.  Second and third pitch continue up and to the right of the belay.  The descent off the back is really odd, especially if you haven't been up top of Turkey Tail before.  It's best done by going to the right from the top and finding spots to hop down between rocks.  -Tyler Jones

Thin crack climbing leads to small flaring crack and weird crack and face climbing crux. It is a cool route on good stone.

Climb up a short face, move into a chimney and follow the offwidth/slab up.

Mr. Hubbel lists this climb as Easy Offwidth.  I believe this is the start for East Side Story as listed on this website.  I am listing it separate because there are not many climbs at this grade here.  We enjoyed this climb more than Easy Chimney and Sangaphogos on the Perch.  The descent is quite adventurous for the grade.

This route caught the eye of Jimmy Dunn in 1975.  Some say it's one of the hardest offwidths out there.  Comparable to some of the most difficult of Vedauwoo's and anything else in the Platte. Some would say the grade might be a sandbag.

Head up into the obvious overhanging roof, and start sorting it out.  Rumor has it that there is a micro edge on the face that makes this possible.  Stuff yourself in there and at the right moment, pivot out on to that edge and climb for all your worth.

Remember, the first rule of offwidth: don't offwidth.

Continuous climbing with big reaches, right on the arete, crimpy.

*It climbs steeper than it looks because of the right wall overhanging.

*This stays cool, is north-facing with a breeze coming through the corridor.

*If you can climb the grade, you should definitely take the time to do this route. It does not get anywhere near the attention it deserves.

This route is located on the far right edge of Turkey Tail and is considered a classic.

P1. Locate a roof about 20' up behind a big pine tree.  Step off a boulder, and make a long reach between cracks to a fixed pin.  The crux section involves strenuous lieback/undercling moves on insecure footholds.  It's much harder than it looks.  Lucky for you, it's protected by a bolt.  Another bolt awaits at the lip of the roof where you can get a rest.  Pulling the roof is also strenuous, especially if you're short, then another bad rest, and more hard moves.  By the time you get to the slab above, your toes will be thoroughly worked, and the final easy moves will feel hard.  A 60' rap gets you back on the ground, but you might need to TR to clean your gear, or have someone follow.

I didn't think it was anything spectacular (I prefer splitter cracks), but it kept my attention and is solid for the grade.

As Per MP User

Mark Rolofson

Pitch 2 ascends the slab with a very thin crack protected by RPs & small stoppers. Reach a horizontal break & clip a bolt. Traverse right to join Roofus at its semi hanging belay. We rated this pitch 5.10d.

Pitch 3 is the second pitch of Roofus (I spelled it Rufus in my 1984 & 1988 guidebooks). This pitch is rated .11d, but the finger jamming moves over the first roof are the hardest moves on the climb. It is easily .12a. It feels especially difficult after doing the first two pitches. There is a short 5.3 fourth pitch to the top.

Located on the sunny side of the Turkey Tail, Spider Lady is an awesome route.  It combines a little bit of everything, fingers, hands, and off width.  Too bad getting on the route is such a hassle.  See the description for the traverse.

Locate a left-facing corner 20 feet right of the start to

Drumstick Direct

. This is the right side of the pinnacle that goes up to

Turkey Turd

.

Pitch 1 - Climb the left-facing corner with good hand jamming near the top. Continue up above the corner a few feet and find the least sufferable spot to belay.

Pitch 2 - From the belay, climb down and to the right, traversing across a step, blank slab.  Aim for a left-facing corner with a pin, fixed stopper, and crispy webbing.  (This traverse is awful.  Both the leader and the 2nd will have a tough time.  Consider bringing something to leave so the pitch can be back cleaned and done with a tension traverse.)  Continue up the superb, left-facing corner.  It throws a little bit of everything at you from fingers, to hands, to off width.  There are many exciting flakes and good foot holds as well.  Belay from a nice ledge at the left side of a giant roof.

Pitch 3 - Step left and gain a long section of moderate, lower-angled cracks take you to a notch in the summit ridge of Turkey Tail.

Descent - Depending on the time of year, you have at least 2 options. If snow is not too bad on the dark side of Turkey Tail, rappel straight down the backside of the tail from a good station in the notch. If it looks like a post hole from hell in climbing shoes, another option is to traverse east out of the notch along the summit ridge of Turkey Tail. At the end of the ridge, look for a rappel station that is located down and to the north. This may consist of knotted slings jammed into cracks. Rappel into the wide chimney/gully with a single rope. Walk along the crest of the ridge for a few feet to the east. Another rappel should be encountered. It consists of knotted slings jammed in cracks and a slung boulder. A single rope rappel will land you near the base of a route named

Double Trouble

. The base of this route and your gear is just a few steps back to the west. Enjoy.

Captain Hook is located on the west face of the Turkey Tail (if

Quivering Quill

is on the north, and most of the routes on the south) around the corner from

Quivering Quill

.  It starts on a large ledge and climbs the steep face on edges past four bolts.  I thought the crux came passing the first bolt, but the pitch is sustained most of the way.  The first bolt has a piece of grey sling on it.  This is a fantastic face climb on solid rock (mostly).

This route lies on the South Face of Turkey Tail.  It is about 30 feet East (right) of

Whimsical Dreams

.

It is an "obvious" splitter.  Begin by climbing 15' up a curving crack, it is possible to deck here, as there are hard moves right off the ground.  When the curving crack pinches down, reach right to an adjacent crack.  This second crack is typically wet near the ground, and if you try to jump over too early, you'll find a nice surprise!

A no hands rest is reached shortly after switching cracks, then power through a thin hands/off fingers section.  The crux just might be clipping the anchors--remember, you didn't send if you grab the anchors!

Climb an "approach" pitch via

Rasmussen Crack

or

Turkey Delight

to the bolt/chain anchor on the ledge out left. Dark Meat climbs directly above this, up the chimney and out the roof (good hands), and then continues straight up some wider climbing to the top.

This is a quality route located on the left side of Turkey Tail, in the same alcove as

Turkey's Delight

, but on the opposite side.

P1 ascends a fairly sustained hand and fist crack to the top of the dihedral, followed by an interesting and airy traverse right to a large belay ledge (8).

P2 pulls over the roof on initial jugs and then an awkward move or two (8); go up a low fifth-class ramp to the obvious flaring offwidth (9).  A #4 Camalot provides reasonably protection - a #5 would be quite solid.  The P2 offwidth felt like a Vedauwoo 9 to me.

I give it 3 stars for the splendid South Platte granite, two quality pitches, and great position.

Follow the left crack system in the photo.  The route has a nice variety of crack climbing. It starts a little wide,  then some hand crack,  a weird chimney section,  some more hand crack and a little offwidth at the end.

This is a nice little hand crack on the back side of the Tail that is short but quite pleasant.

Gain the spacious ledge left of

Consternation

via a few awkward 5th Class moves. You can either belay from here or from the base of

Consternation

. Climb the steep hands and wide hands crack in the left-facing corner into the lower angled, right-facing corner above. This first pitch ends on a large ledge system. Belay on large gear (BD #4-5) at the top of the crack or scramble around to find other options further away from the crack. There is sometimes a cordelette anchor atop the neighboring

Consternation

crack.

To descend, use the anchor atop

Consternation

if there is one. If there is not, you can try to find the complicated 4th Class scramble off described elsewhere for the Tail or bring some anchor material to leave behind.

There is a second pitch which I did not do, but it looks good. Climb a short hand crack to another ledge and then continue up an offwidth that tightens to hands. Apparently this pitch is 5.7 and a #5 cam is recommended.

This is a three pitch route on the right side of Turkey Tail. It doesn't get done much, which is a shame. The first pitch is good, and the second is excellent.

P1 (5.10-). Begin just right of the bolted scoop on

Journey to Ixtlan

. Follow a wide crack past two horizontals. This crack becomes slabbier and thinner. From atop the slab, move left across thin face holds, and up the corner to a hanging belay off two fixed wires. This spot is also the top of the second pitch (slab pitch) of "

Journey to Ixtlan

." It's best to extend the belay to well-below the fixed wires, or the crux of p2 will be super awkward. You'll want a single set to #4 or #5 on this pitch.

P2 (5.11d). Past the fixed wires, a powerful sequence up into the tips corner (blue alien size) leads to excellent laybacking and stemming through the hanging dihedral. Undercling left out the roof, and belay off thin-hands gear. Watch rope beneath lip of roof.

P3 (5.7). Head up left past a small tree, and up the obvious corner. Top out by moving up and right to the summit.

Descent - find a two-bolt rap anchor on the far East (climber's right) edge of the summit area, and rap to the East. Walk east on a large ledge and rappel again off a slung block anchor. One 60m rope is fine.

This is a unique climb that would improve a bit with more traffic.  Also it is very height-dependent, as the foot ledge and hands lie a distance apart that might be difficult to reach for people shorter than 5'9".

Step down and right a meter from the starting dihedral shared with '

Live Fire

' and up onto a boulder to reach the start of the rightward-rising crack and flake.  A small stopper or nut can be placed just before committing to the climb.  Smalll clings at the edge of the tips crack are positive at first and become 1/2 pad size after a move or two, where more gear (smallest of cams) can be had.  Continue onward, with the challenge being to keep the feet within reach of the hands for smaller climbers, and the small edges become a good rail on a flake just before reaching the arete and turning the corner (crux) from the East onto the North side of the arete.   A 2" piece can be placed here prior to standing up on the hand rail and getting on a ledge with a cord anchor (to rap down from).  A second pitch goes up less interesting rock in the crack above.

Description

Routes in Turkey Tail