Lotus Flower Tower in a day

So you want to do the Lotus Flower Tower in a day? Here are some hints that got us up it in 12.5 hours. Note that pitch numbers correspond to George Bell's excellent topo of the SE face route. We carried a small day pack with food, rain gear, and water:

1. Use 60 meter ropes.
2. Push pitch (4) higher to get the next pitches closer together.
3. Run Pitches (5) - (9) into three 60m pitches. Basically go till you run out of rope as the climbing is very easy.
4. Push pitch (11) to the edge of the face in order to be able to move pitch (12) higher. It's a more comfy belay for (11) too!
5. Push pitch (12) about 10 meters higher and setup your own belay. This enables you to skip (13) entirely and go straight to the anchors at (14) if you followed step number 1.
6. Run pitches (17) and (18) together on the LEFT side of the face where the climbing is a bit easier than the OW section of (18).
7. Enjoy the extra daylight you have to do the rappel. [Added 2/2000 GB: There is now a bolted rappel line right (NE) of the chimneys on pitches 4-10. It leaves the NE end of the bivy ledge and goes all the way to the top of pitch 3. You can also rap from the top of pitch 3 to the top of pitch 1. Take note of rap anchors on the headwall as you go up.]

Paul Friberg (paulf@ldeo.columbia.edu) and Kurt Blair (kblair@celwave.com)

August 24, 1997