STEWART M. GREEN

Best ClimbsMoab

Over 140 of the Best Routes in the Area

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www.falcon.com

F I E RY

F UR

NA

CE

Park

Roa

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River Road

ParkVisitorCenter

Delicate ArchViewpoint

To WallStreet To Moab

To

To CastleValleyand

To Devils Gardenand Dark Angel

Balanced RockOwl Rock

TonkaTower

BullwinkleTower

Turret Arch

Elephant Butte

The

Gre

at W

all

Chinese Eyes

The Organ

ThreeGossips

CourthouseWashThree

Penguins

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

ARCHES

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Arches National Park

128

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70

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191

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Kilometers

Miles

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ArchesNationalPark,a73,234-acrewonderlandofsandstonefins,towers,ribs,gargoyles,hoodoos,balancedrocks,andarchesnorthwestofMoab,protectsthelargestcollectionofarchesintheworld.Over2,000archeswithatleastoneside3ormorefeetwidehavebeencatalogedbyexplor-ers,including306-foot-longLand-scapeArchandDelicateArch,Utah’sstatesymbol.

Whilevisitorscomefromaroundtheworldtoviewthearchesandscenery,climbersalsovisittoascendthepark’stowersandcliffs.Overadozenspiresupto300feethighrisewithinaten-minutehikefromtheparkroad.ThearchesandtowersarecomposedofEntradasandstone,asoftrockdepositedassanddunesduringJurassictimesover160millionyearsago.ThesandstoneatArchesisnotoriouslysandy,especiallyafterrainorsnow.Mostroutesfollowcracksys-temswithonlyoccasionalfacemoves.

ArchesNationalParkhasseveralimportantclimbingregulationstoprotectthearea’suniquegeologi-calresources.Theuseofwhitechalkisbannedinthepark.Gowithoutchalkoruseanearth-tonechalkthatmatchesthesandstone’scolor.Onlyrust-coloredslingsshouldbeusedat

belayandrappelanchorstominimizevisualimpact.Theuseofpowerdrillsisprohibited,andnonewboltscanbeplacedwithoutpriorpermission.Donotclimbonornearanyarchestoavoiddamage.Dogsmustbeleashedatalltimesandarenotallowedonanytrails.DogkennelsinMoabcancareforyourdogwhileyou’reclimb-ing.Followexistingpathstothecliffswheneverpossibletoavoiddamaging

Arches National Park1.

EntradasandstoneformsthearchesandtowersatArchesNationalPark.TheEntradadividesintothreeseparatelayers—DeweyBridge,SlickRock,andMoabTongue.SeverewrinklingcharacterizestheDeweyBridgelayer.ItcomposesOwlRock,ElephantButte,TonkaTower,andtheWindowsarea.TheSlickRockmemberformsverticalcliffsintheCourthouseTowersarea,includingtheThreeGossips,TheOrgan,andThreePenguins,aswellasDevil’sGar-denandFieryFurnace.TheMoabTongueisathinwhitecaprockatoptheSlickRockmember.

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Brett Green jamming the upper crack on Owl Rock.

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fragilecryptobioticsoil.Ifyouhavetowalkcross-country,avoidthesoilandhikeondurablerocksurfacesorinwashes.

Getting there:ThemainentrancetoArchesNationalParkis5milesnorthwestofMoabonUS191.Thepaved24-mile-longparkroadtravelsfromthevisitorcenterattheentrancetoDevil’sGardenandthefifty-two-siteparkcampground.Allthedescribedclimbsbeginfromthisroad.ArchesNationalParkisafeearea.

Cryptobioticsoil,composedofalivingmicroscopicorganismcalledcynaobacteria,formsablackcrustonthegroundinthecanyoncountry.Cryptobioticsoilisavaluablepartoftheecosystemsinceitpreventssoilerosionbywindandwaterandretainsmoisture.Thisdelicatesoiliscrushedifyousteponit.Toavoiddamagingthecrust,followtheseguidelines—stayonexistingpaths,walksingle-file,stepondurablesurfaceslikerockorfollowwashes,anddon’tcamponit.

ThegreatAmericanwriterEdwardAbbey(1927–1989)spenttwoyearsasaseasonalrangerinArchesNationalMonumentinthe1950s.Desert Solitaire,amemoirdetailinghisfirstsummerin1956,burstonthescenein1968,notonlypopularizingthecanyoncountrybutalsochanginglives.Edsummarizeshisseasoninthewildernessinthelastchapter:“Thefinestqualityofthisstone,theseplantsandanimals,thisdesertlandscapeistheindifferencetoourpresence,ourabsence,ourcoming,ourstayingorourgoing.Whetherweliveordieisamatterofabsolutelynoconcernwhatsoevertothedesert.”

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5.10a5.10a

.10c.10c

OWOW

handshands

fistsfists

handshands

140'140'

approach ledgeapproach ledge

1

The Three Penguins

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Avenuetrail.TheWest Face,theforma-tion’sbestclimb,ascendsthewestfaceoftheGossipsoppositetheroad.

Approach:ReachtheThreeGos-sipsbydriving3.5milesfromtheparkentrancetotheCourthouseTowers/ParkAvenueparkingareawestofTheOrganonthenorthsideoftheroad

The Three Penguins The140-foot-highThreePenguinstowerabovetheparkroadasitloopsupHeadquartersHilljustpastthevisi-torcenter.TheRight ChimneyrouteisoneofArches’bestclimbswithgoodstoneandsuperbjamming.

Approach:Fromtheparkvisitorcenter,driveuptheroadtoapull-outat0.9mile(GPSN38.37.177/W109.36.917).ParkandscrambleupaloosemudstonegullytoahorizontalledgesystemthatthePenguinssiton.Followtheledgetothebaseoftheeastfaceabovetheroad.

1. Right Chimney(5.10c)Excellentrouteupanobviousright-facingdihe-dral.Pitch 1:Jamaperfectcrackthatwidensfromhandstofists(5.10c)toa3-boltledgebelay.80feet.Pitch 2:Continueupthesteepcrack—handstofiststooff-width(5.10a).Above,faceclimbtothesummitofthecen-terPenguin.Descent:Double-rope,140-footrappelfroma3-boltanchordowntheroute.Rack:TwosetsofFriendswithextra#2.5sto#4s,one#4Camalot,andlargeStoppersforthestart.

The Three GossipsTheThreeGossips,oneofthemostimpressiveformationsinthepark’sCourthouseTowerssection,isaspectaculartrioofblockysummitstowering300feetabovearoundedslickrockbase.TheGossipsrisesouthoftheparkroadandwestofthePark

CaliforniaclimbersSteveRoperandAllenSteckmadethefirstascentofTheThreeGossipsinOctober1970.Roper,whomadethe1963thirdascentofCastleton,letSteck,asandstonevirgin,dothefirstpitchuptheWest Faceroute.“Hepoundedpinsupthelonginitialcrackforhours,itseemed,”Roperlaterwrote.“Onceinawhilehewouldyelldown:‘Iwonderifthisone’sanygood?’Iwouldyellback:‘It’suptoyou,man,but,hell,didn’tyouhearitring?’MeanwhileIbracedmyselftocatchafall,forsandstonewasnotgranite,andaringintheonewasnotthesameasaringintheother.”WhenRopercleanedthepitch,noneofthepitonspulledoutalthoughthey“shiftedandcreaked.”Atthetop,Steckledthefinalpitch,whichRopernotedwas“aboldendtoourinsignificantfirstascent.”

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off-widthcrack(5.10)foranother50feet.Stemlefttoaparallelcracksys-temandbegintheroute’scrux.Jamandstemupthethinfingercrackandseamintoatightcorner(5.11b/c).Finishupasqueezechimney(5.7).Belayfroma3-boltanchoronaledgebelowthesummitblock.Pitch 3:Climbasandyslab(5.7)uprighttoahidden4-foot-widechimney(5.5)thatsplitsthesummitblock.Climbtheunprotectedchimney(5.5)tothesummit.Descent:Threerappelsdowntheroute.Rappel 1:Summittoanchorsonthesaddleatoppitch2(50feet).Rappel 2:110-footrappel(tworopes)topitch1’sanchors.Rap-pel 3:120-footrappeltothebase.Becarefulpullingropes—theycanjam.Rack:SetsofStoppersandTCUs,twosetsofcams,acouplelargerpieces,andtworopes.Ifyouaid,bringextra2-to3-inchpieces.

(GPSN38.38.214/W109.36.006).Parkandwalkaquartermilewestontheroadshouldertoadrywashontheleft.Followthewashsouthtosandyslopesbelowtheformation.Continueupaclimber’spathtotheslickrockslabsbelowthewestface.Avoidwalk-ingonanddamagingthefragilecryp-tobioticsoilbystayinginthewashandfollowingexistingtrails.

2. West Face(II5.11cor5.9C1)Excel-lentandcontinuousrouteupacracksystemontheleftsideofthefacetotheshoulderrightoftheNorthGos-sip.Thehardpartsareeasilyclean-aided.Pitch 1:Doanawkwardmantle(5.9)ontoashelf.Jamathinhandandhandcrack(5.9+)upaflareddihedraluntilitwidens.Continueuptheoff-widthcrack(5.10+)overarooftoagoodbelayledgewith3bolts.Pitch 2:Jamathinhandcrack(5.10-)pastablockontheright.Continueupan

overflow

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BestClimbsM

oab

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.9+.9+

.10+.10+

.10 .10

.11b/c.11b/c

.10-.10-

.5.5

.7.7

OWOW

OWOW

thinthin

handshands

thin handsthin hands

hidden chimneyhidden chimney

120'120'120'

110'110'

50'50'

2

The Three Gossips

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Contents

Introduction x ClimbingSeasons x ClimbingRegulationsand Etiquette xii DesertClimbingSkills xiii DesertClimbingRackand Extras xiii ClimbingDangersand Safety xiv

1.ArchesNationalPark 1 TheThreePenguins 5 TheThreeGossips 5 TheGreatWall 8 OffBalancedRock 8 OwlRock 11 ElephantButte 11 BullwinkleTower 15 TonkaTower 17

2. SunshineWall 19 BakerSlab 19 ScienceFrictionSlab 21 FalconFace 22 Tezcatlipoca 22

3. WallStreet 27

4. MaverickButtress 63

5. IceCreamParlor 71

6. LighthouseTower 81

7. CastleValleyTowers 85 CastletonTower 86 TheRectory 92 ThePriest 94 SisterSuperior 97

8. FisherTowers 99 LizardRock 100 DockRock 102 GreatGooglyMoogly 102 AncientArt 104 Carson’sTower 106

9. LookingGlassRock 107

10. CanyonlandsNational Park 111 WasherWoman 112 Moses 115

Appendix:AdditionalInformation 120

Index 121

AbouttheAuthor 125

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ARCHES

NATIONAL

PARK

313

279

128

128

46

191

191

70

To GrandJunction

To GreenRiver

To Colorado

L A S A L

M O U N T A I N S

Colorad

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Colorad

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4

5

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3

1

6 7

8

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CANYONLANDS

NATIONAL

PARK

Moab

CrescentJunction

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Miles

Moab Overview

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279

191

70

Trail

State Highway

US Highway

Interstate

Unimproved Road

Lake/Reservoir

Natural gear belay stance

Single piece of fixed protection(bolt or piton)

Fixed belay station

Building

Camping

Town

City

Climbing Area

Elevation

Parking

Restroom

Gate

Point of Interest

Gravel Road

Waterway

National Forest/State Park Boundary

Crag/Boulder

Cliff Edge

Map Legend

Topo Legend

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AllinteriorphotosbyStewartM.Greenunlessotherwisenoted.

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Textdesign:SherylP.Kober

Projecteditor:JohnBurbidge

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ISBN978-0-7627-6058-9

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DedicatedtoLaytonKor—thegreatestdesertclimbingpioneer.Layton,thanksforallthegreatclimbsandforyourfriendship.

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