Those who climb the Kor-Ingalls Route of Castleton Tower, a classic adventure on a coveted desert tower, face a choice near the top. There are two ways to scale the rough, tough, foot-wide crack between its vertical sandstone faces.
Option one requires shoving the left side of the body into the crack and painfully forcing one’s way up through awkward contortions about an inch at a time. I jammed my left arm and leg into the crevice and attempted the inchworm maneuver. After multiple grunts, groans and expletives, I realized an inchworm would have made better progress.
Time for option two: a lieback, a more common climbing move that involves pulling with the arms while pushing on the legs. This felt far more secure and I moved through the crux fairly smoothly. The trouble with liebacks is that they require full exertion from all four limbs; there’s no easy way to free a hand to place a piece of gear in the crack. A climber could ascend the rock high above the last protection, feeling solid right until the instant he takes a long fall. Thankfully, my partner Jerome had led the pitch and I climbed with the security of a top-roped belay.
I’d always wanted to visit Moab and experience Utah. When the calendar and circumstances finally cooperated, I jumped at the chance to climb some of the classic towers of the Utah desert.
Castleton Tower in an area near Moab called Castle Valley was one. Its Kor-Ingalls Route (rated 5.9, fairly difficult but achievable for climbers in my ability range) is one of the coveted 50 classic climbs of North America, as named by climbing pioneers Steve Roper and Allen Steck. First climbed in 1961, it was also the site of a 1964 Chevrolet commercial featuring a convertible and a pretty model delivered by helicopter to the peak. Both were gone when Jerome and I arrived and found a condom in the summit register box.
Attractive sandstone surrounds Moab, enough to provide a lifetime of climbing challenges. Evan, my other partner, suggested trying an area about an hour south of town called Indian Creek in Donnelly Canyon. There we found perfect spring conditions, friendly fellow climbers and a lifetime supply of hard crack climbing.
Beginners need not apply around here. Most everything is rated 5.10 or higher, providing a paradise for high-end climbers and a suitably challenging setting for a moderate climber like me. The Naked and the Dead, Elephant Ear and Chocolate Corner were a few of our enjoyable routes. Evan saved the best for last: Generic Crack. Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing bland about this long, physical crack climb that requires sustained effort and endurance. But as much as I enjoyed the climbing, Moab offers far more than that.
Arches National Park, just a few minutes from town, boasts some of Utah’s most beloved short hikes and scenery. Wonderful photo opportunities await at Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch in Devils Garden, Balanced Rock and many other easy destinations. Stick to hiking and photography here; climbing Utah’s favorite landmarks is strictly off-limits and ticks off the locals, as alpinist Dean Potter discovered after scaling Delicate Arch in 2006.
Canyonlands National Park offers equally striking landscapes and countless hiking and backpacking opportunities. Easily-reached vistas abound in Island in the Sky, the popular northern region of the park. The photogenic Mesa Arch attracts many; sunrise bathes it in the best colorful light for photography. Ponder the mysterious Upheaval Dome or explore the magnificent Grand View Point. Visitors can easily see all of the above in a day, and those with more time can find rewarding discoveries in The Needles or other more remote areas.
Aside from the nearly infinite outdoors opportunities, Moab has interesting character, and characters. I was astonished to learn about the exploits of “Arch Enemy,” a daredevil pilot who flew airplanes through the region’s trademark arches. Other interesting Utahns created “Hole N The Rock,” a home, a zoo, a store and a tourist draw burrowed over 20 years into 50,000 square feet of an enormous sandstone cliff. Perhaps taking inspiration from this, a group of polygamists dug and blasted into rocks of their own, building a unique community that now houses about 80 people.
For me, the trip was all about climbing and I had one other route in mind. The Fisher Towers area sports Ancient Art, a four-pitch, 300-foot route with a wildly exposed summit shaped like a giant corkscrew. Climbers line up all day to “send” this gem, so Jerome and I met at 5:30 a.m. to beat the rush. This great call placed us ahead of a dozen others who arrived while we climbed up the red sandstone.
The lower pitches involved some fun stemming (extending the arms and splitting the legs) at a stout but manageable difficulty of 5.10. Then climbers tread cautiously along a narrow ledge with steep drops on either side to reach the final pitch. The fragile-looking but hopefully solid corkscrew is one of a kind and great fun. A photo here is a must, and for extra points, stand on the tiny summit block before your partner takes the shot.
Visiting Moab afforded me new discoveries and adventures which were worth the time and expense. I’m glad I made the effort; it was a better choice than staying home.
