Matt and I had a day so we busted out toward Blanding to climb a two headed tower that I assumed had been climbed because of its proximity to the road. After walking around the base we were pleasantly surprised to not see any evidence of a previous ascent. We scoped out a few options but decided to start on the South side slab. Some loose sandy rock made the easy climbing feel plenty sporty. Luckily I was able to wander around and find some gear here and there to protect the slab. At the top of the slab was a little headwall with a thin crack splitting it. Getting to the crack required a bolt but then some tiny cams and a couple pin placements got me to a spot that was free climbable. I belayed Matt up to the top of the first summit off a gear anchor as I strategized the next section. On the second shorty pitch we were able to stem across the gap between the summits and do some easy free climbing to the taller summit. We decided to name the tower after the two headed dog that guarded Geryon's Cattle. Unfortunately it was killed by Hercules. Not cool Hercules.
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| The Orthrus |
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| Top of the slab. |
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| Matt on the first summit. |
On the way back to Durango we stopped at the Butler Wash Ruins which were super cool and worth the short hike.
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| Small arch near Butler Wash Ruins |
