Vertical Gain 500 feet (150 m) Rating | Route Type Trad climb Pitches 6 | |
Climbing Area Devils Tower, Durrance Approach | ||
The Durrance Route is a climbing route on Devils Tower in the U.S. state of Wyoming. First pioneered by Jack Durrance and Harrison Butterworth in September 1938, it was the second free ascent of Devils Tower, following the first ascent led by Fritz Wiessner in 1937. The Wiessner Route lies a few hundred feet to the right of the Durrance Route and has a comparable difficulty. Today the Durrance Route is the most popular route on Devils Tower. It is considered a more interesting and enjoyable route than the Wiessner Route due to variable terrain and better belay stances. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and other guide books.
Leaning Column
An 8-metre (26 ft) volcanic column has been slightly tipped from vertical. Reports that it was too unstable prompted a U.S. Geological Survey inspection in 2006. The inspection found that it was unlikely that a climber's weight would dislodge the pillar.