Fitz Cahall, James Q Martin, and Albert Newman completed the first free ascent of Tooth Rock, a 1,600-foot-high sandstone monolith in the Vermilion Cliffs near Lee’s Ferry, Arizona. Martin and Newman had been working on More Sand Than Stone (V 5.11, 1,400 feet) for three and a half years. Guarded by a long approach, scorching temperatures, and mostly chossy cliffs, Tooth Rock is the biggest sandstone spire in the U.S., but its handful of mixed free and aid routes are rarely climbed. However, the two men discovered an isolated band of solid Navajo sandstone on the steep southern aspect, and they set to work cleaning and climbing it. Newman, who has pioneered several other big routes in the dangerous Vermilion Cliffs, made more than 20 trips to the formation before the redpoint. 

More Sand Than Stone follows a clean 600-foot corner on the huge formation’s south face, then cuts left for two pitches of bolt-protected face climbing to reach a broad ledge system; above this, the line joins the 1977 Lost Love Route (VI 5.10 C2+) for six pitches of easier free-climbing to reach the summit. In usually hot mid-March weather, the team could only free-climb in the shade, so they completed the route over two days, fixing ropes and returning before dawn on the second day to fire for the top. The team led and followed the route’s four 5.11 pitches without falls. 

Cahall, who wrote a feature story about Tooth Rock’s Lost Love Route in Climbing No. 243, first saw the new line during his descent from the summit. “I remember rappelling down More Sand Than Stone just after Albert and James had aided it and thinking, ‘Why the hell didn’t we climb this?’” After returning for the free ascent, Cahall said, “I know a lot of climbers spew about their new routes, but More Sand Than Stone has to be one of the best routes in the desert. [It’s got] exposure, immaculate climbing, classic free climbing cruxes that can be aided, and a bad-ass summit.” 

You can hear the full story of More Sand Than Stone’s first ascent at Cahall’s excellent podcast site: The Dirtbag Diaries (http://thedirtbag.libsyn.com/). 

Date of Ascent: March 15, 2007 

Sources: Fitz Cahall, Albert Newman

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