This climb was conceived by Huntley Ingalls and led by Layton Kor. I could have participated in the first ascent but my school schedule didn't fit with their timeline. Never did this route, but no longer possible for me due to health issues. I'm still doing gym climbing and occasional trad routes at City of Rocks and in the Dolomites; limiting myself to ~5.6-5.7 these days, Watching this ascent made me think about how much easier it is with cams and chocks; when put up, they were still climbing with piton protection--and lotsa balls!

Thanks for the memory. I did Kor-Ingalls about 25 years ago. We stayed left in the calcite chimney. Got my knee stuck in it for about 20 minutes. The chimneys on the other side were more fun imho

Dope dude! Good to see ya post!

"Remember kids, climbing is fun!" Lol. Sitting here in my office, ceiling fan making a breeze, my hands are sweating from watching you climb this.

I missed this shit :D nice to see you again

Having done my first lead 6a+ some days ago I was thinking "doesn't seem like 5.8 to me" the whole time, anyways thanks for yet another wonderful no bs climbing video.

Castleton's definitely on my list. Got any international climbing trips coming up?

Thank you for sharing this. And now you have intimate knowledge of every inch of that pitch... as compared to those who just sail up it! Seriously though, great job, and keep on climbing! Oh... did the rules change? Aren't those abandoned pieces considered as booty?

This route is properly Kor-Ingalls, not Kors, I know not so far from Colorado and those mountain streams filled with Coors, but this was a Layton Kor, not Adolf Coors route. Love the Channel BTW, pardon the pedantry, couldn't help it, Castleton is one of my faves.

Classic tower, climbed it 30 years ago and had to put my girlfiend in tension to assist in hauling her through the chimneys.

The thing about those desert towers is they look like they could fall down at any minute but they won't.

It's fine to clip stuck pieces as you go but I wouldn't rely on them, especially in sequence...

why would you climb so far above the belay before placing pro? Ensuring a potentially disastrous factor 1 fall onto the belay...

When there's that much loose stuff it can be a lot to process...like too much information. I mean technically the whole tower is detached.

That is one sexy choss pile

Phew! What was the issue? Just didn’t trust your gear placements?

Dude spend some time cragging, top roping cracks, clipping bolts, placing not shoving cams clear to the back. That was the scariest 5.6 climbing I've ever watched. Glad yer OK.