Once you've contacted it - once it has infected you - there is no hope. For
there is no cure. Only treatment...
Climbing the soft sandstone towers of the southeast Utah is
a study in contrasts. The stark, harsh desert environment yet the grandeur of
the awesome, chaotic, geological jumble that is canyonlands. The beautiful red
and brown hues contrast sharply with the perfectly smooth, unbroken, deep blue
sky. The climbing is steep, relentless, difficult and a bit dangerous, yet the
approach must not be overly aggressive and one must climb with a soft touch.
Thursday night, Hardly and I headed for the White Rim Trail
in Canyonlands National Park. I had sent out a note to my climbers mailing
list, but no one else was interested. Apparently Tower Fever isn't very
contagious. We left town around 4:30 p.m. and drove to the Gemini Bridges
trailhead. We threw down the bags and went to sleep. I brought my giant -40
degree Marmot bag and had a warm, cushy night. We were up at 6 a.m. to find ice
in my water bottle. It must have dropped into the 20's at night, but it would
approach 70 degrees before the day was out. We packed quickly and drove over to
the Shafer Trail - the start of the White Rim Loop. Our main goals for this
trip were the towers on the cover of the new guidebook: Monster Tower and
Washer Woman. These 600 foot towers loom over the White Rim Trail about 20
miles from the pavement.
The White Rim Trail is a very popular mountain biking trail.
It is about 80 miles of 4WD trail along the White Rim in Canyonlands National
Park. The White Rim is a very flat level of the canyon that is about 1200 below
the top of the canyon and 500-2000 feet above the river. The width of this rim
ranges from the width of the road to almost a mile. From above the hard white
rock of the plateau sharply defines the rim. I rode this trail in a day last
Spring and thought it was the greatest bike ride of my life. But I'm biased. I
love the desert. I've got Tower Fever. On that ride, a ways past the Airport
Campground, we stopped and lusted after the frightening towers. Wanting to
climb them, but happy that we didn't have to do it right then. We pedaled on,
but I vowed to return.
Now in November and experiencing one of the mildest falls I
can remember, we headed back. This time without the bikes, but with a rope and
a rack. I had thought the White Rim would be mobbed with bikers with this
weather, but we hardly saw a soul in our two days on the trail. We would have
got a permit to camp at Airport Campground, the closest site, but we would have
had to wait until 8 a.m. and then thought they would all be taken anyway. This
was not the case. No one camped at Airport on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday
nights. The drive into the towers took us two hours of tedious driving.
Thankfully the scenery was stunning.
We pulled off the trail onto slickrock and parked. We had
breakfast and packed for the trip. The hike to the towers is steep and loose
like most tower approaches, but this one didn't have a well defined trail.
Occasionally we spotted cairns and faint trails, but nothing that lasted very
long or was very well defined. We took a different route up and down each time
in search of a better trail. The approach took us about 45 minutes and gained
about 1000 vertical feet. Our first objective was the route called In Search of
Suds on Washer Woman. We hiked up to the northeast side of the towers - they
can also be approached from the other side, but that doesn't seem to offer any
advantages and the disadvantage of having to drive another 15 minutes on the
White Rim Trail.
We geared and I set off leading the 5.6 pitch up to the
notch between Washer Woman and Monster Towers. Once up there, we hit the sun
and were pleasantly warmed. We climbed in long pants and long sleeve shirts and
were never hot or cold. I carried a Camelback for water and Hardly carried our
7mm second line on his back. This route called for four #2 Camalots! This is my
favorite piece because when I can place these, I can also get a perfect hand
jam. Hardly ran the rope north along the ridge and to the base of the first
pitch of In Search of Suds. I came across and Hardly led the first 5.9+ pitch.
This pitch, like all on this route, is outstanding! Steep hands leads to a
challenging roof. Above is a short offwidth section and then steep flakes and
more cracks to a small ledge. I followed, getting by the offwidth section with
the second handstack of my life. I used it merely to walk my feet up into a
high stem and then was able to reach up for a perfect hand jam.
I led the next pitch which is mostly easier, but I found the
top section a bit awkward. I put my left side into the offwidth at the top and
had some trouble until I could turn around and get my right side in. Once
there, getting by the offwidth was easy, but the overhanging exit moves to the
ledge were challenging: 5.9+ or 5.10-. This pitch ended on a perfectly flat, 5
foot square ledge. What a position! We hadn't seen a sole since the previous
night and would only see two jeeps on the road far below all day. Where was
everyone? The weather was perfect. We felt so lucky.
Hardly led the very interesting bulge above the belay. This
is rated 5.10+, but seemed easier. It is a bit tricky, but the holds are large
and positive. We both solved it via a mantle and a reach to a good hold. Fun,
exciting climbing with tremendous exposure. This pitch ended on a flat ridge
and I ran out the rope along the easy ridge to the first step. Hardly led the
5.9+ step and we were at the base of final 5.10+ headwall. This final headwall
is devoid of cracks, but has three bolts on it. I led the technical, delicate
face climbing to the summit. The moves were challenging, but very well
protected and probably only two moves were 5.10. The whole day, and indeed the
entire three days, we wouldn't have a breath of wind. This is the first trip
I've ever had to the desert without any wind. We lounged on the summit for
quite awhile before heading down.
We did a single rope rappel off the summit back to the
ridge. At this point we are on top of the arch formed by the Woman's hands
reaching out to the wash basin. The rappel from the top of this arch is one of
the more dramatic you will do. First, it starts well over the edge. I clipped a
sling into the chain anchors below the edge and downclimbed via a fixed sling.
From here the rappel goes down the arch and then into free space for over a
hundred feet! It ends on some broken ledges and we did another double rope
rappel. Unfortunately we couldn't pull the rope down. Fortunately, we had
rappelled down another route. Hardly led back up half a pitch and freed the
rope. He thought the climbing was fun so I followed up also. Two more rappels
and were on the ground - on the wrong side of the tower! I had heard the
traverse around Monster Tower wasn't enjoyable so we soloed back up to the
saddle (this is probably 5.2-4 from this side) and did a double rope rappel
back down to our packs.
The climb had taken us just under 5 hours for the roundtrip back
to our packs. We had plenty of time so we reconnoitered the ridge straight down
from the towers to the White Rim Trail. This was a fun, adventure hike. A
number of steep bands were passed, but a rope was never necessary as the
climbing was either ten feet or less or easy. I love ridge walks because the
views are so expansive.
Back at camp we decided to camp there for the night. We'd
leave absolutely no trace and felt we weren't hurting anyone or damaging the
environment. We cooked dinner and relaxed. At 5:15 p.m. - nearing dark - a
group of ten mountain bikers came by. They were headed to Gooseberry Campground
seven miles away. They'd be riding some in the dark, but were having a great
time. We chatted with them briefly before they moved on. These were the first
people we had seem in 24 hours.
The next morning we were up at 7 a.m. and hiking by 8:30
back up to the towers. Today's objective was the bigger and harder Monster
Tower. We were headed for the 5.11a North Ridge. This climb faces Washer Woman
and we had a great view of this route while climbing the previous day. A couple
of the pitches looked relentless. Hardly led the first pitch which was a bit
loose and scary. This pitch starts off with a perfect 5.8 hand crack, but then
traverses left and runs into harder climbing. I felt the crux was maybe 10-,
but Hardly felt the crux was the loose rock. This wasn't as noticeable to me,
but I was safe on a toprope. This first pitch, the second easiest on the route
was already harder and more serious than any pitch on Washer Woman.
The next pitch is one of the best I've done in the desert. A
dead vertical, serpentine crack led upwards. This crack, rated 10d, was
wide hands to fist at the start and I lost my leading head early. I couldn't
get a solid jam and hung on my second piece, a #3 Camalot. I'm a bad wide
hands/fist crack climber. I didn't give up though and climbed higher to where
the crack closed down to tight hands. I placed a #1 Camalot and hung again.
Further up I hung a third time on a #4 Camalot. The climbing here was more
reminiscent of Indian Creek: relentless, no rest, no footholds crack climbing.
Something I need to work on. A lot. Above this crack was a short tricky
dihedral and then a 40 foot 5.9 offwidth. This offwidth was pretty easy since
it laid back quite a bit. The topo says to face climb it instead, but there was
no chance of me doing that since there would be no gear. I slowly worked my way
up the crack, leaving a #3 BigBro halfway up.
Hardly followed this pitch without trouble but did comment
on its burly nature. Above was an off-fingers crack that was rated 5.11a.
Hardly got about twenty feet up the pitch, right where it became relentless and
took tension. It was just too burly and we only had two pieces that would
protect it. Hardly recommends four red Aliens for this pitch. I think you'd
want four Aliens to aid it (with no backcleaning) or only two to freeclimb it
because it would be very difficult to stop and place more than two pieces on
this section. The really hard section is only about twenty feet long, but
jamming it was too much for Hardly. Liebacking this section is the way to go,
but he didn't think he could let go to place gear. I certainly couldn't. After
a few aid moves, Hardly got into a hand crack, which turned to offwidth, than
back to hands and then back to offwidth again. At the second offwidth section
Hardly got the #4 Camalot stuck badly. He hung on gear and worked on it for ten
minutes or more before he got it out. He then continued up to a large ledge
with lots of loose rock.
Following this pitch, I could make good progress by
liebacking though I was at my limit. I had to hang on the rope to pull the gear
out, but didn't need any aid to make progress. Judging from our usual
abilities, I think this pitch is quite a bit harder than 11a. I would guess at
least 11c. Hardly is a good crack climber and flashed the 11b Country Club
Crack at Castle Rock so he isn't a rookie. He also has numerous hard 5.10+
crack leads on desert towers. The pitch is stellar though - just a bit hard for
us to free. I came off once on the offwidth section above trying to get my foot
up into the base of the crack. The offwidth sections aren't very long, but they
are very steep and very pure.
I led the next, broken 5.9 pitch. This had a short squeeze
section, the obligatory offwidth section and my blocky climbing with numerous
big rests. It was quite a change from the last two pitches. Hardly then led a
short, but very thought provoking 5.10 pitch through an overhang. This pitch
required flare moves, leg hooks, drop knees, fingerlocks, handjams, etc. A
stellar pitch to a good, small ledge. One welcome aspect of both of these tower
routes was the excellent ledges at the end of every pitch. Once again I led the
last pitch up the blank face. We could have taken the bolt ladder directly
above the belay, but I opted to try the 5.11 free climbing variation out to the
left. The guidebook says that there is at least one bolt on this variation and
that was all we could see. I did a couple of moves up to the bolt and clipped
it. The next move was the crux and it was a very dicey, boulder move involving
a very high step onto crumbling sandstone. The handholds were a waist high
crimp for the right hand and an arete pinch for the left hand. This was too
much for me and I pulled on the draw to just get my foot up. Once here I free
climbed left around the corner - heading for a fixed pin. A big hueco offered
sanctuary and I made the clip. Above I got in a small Alien and turned the
bulge to easier ground. Soon I was on the summit. Hardly also pinched the bolt
hanger. This move seemed more like 11c also.
While we were climbing Monster Tower another party was
climbing Washer Woman. We conversed a bit. They were hoping to climb both
towers today. Impressive goals, by they didn't make it. They climbed only one
pitch on Monster Tower (the 10d crack pitch - they avoided the first pitch by
coming in from the saddle) before retreating. We went quite awhile on the
summit admiring the views that our perch afforded us. Then we rappelled the
route back to the ground. We hiked back to the car, threw in the gear and drove
out of Canyonlands. We camped once again at the Gemini Bridges trailhead. We
were thrilled to have done both towers with such perfect weather and near solitude.
The next day we drove to Arches National Park. I wanted to
climb Dark Angel, a two pitch tower at the end of the Devil's Garden trail.
This tower is unique in that it has the greatest, most enjoyable approach you
could wish for. The two and a half mile approach is so nice that the most
jaded, approach-hating, sport climber's only regret will be that it isn't long
enough. The trail winds around some of the largest and most beautiful desert
arches in the world. It is a mini-adventure hike with only about 500 feet of
climbing and lots of the trail is on slick rock and some along rock ribs. We
were the first hikers on the trail at 8:30 a.m. It was still quite cold in the
shade, but beautiful out and warmth was coming.
Dark Angel can be seen from a long way away. Though only
about 150 feet tall, it is overhanging on all sides and thrusts straight out of
the ground without any talus cone - like most structures in Arches. The south
face, the face you see as you approach it, is especially imposing as it is
completely smooth - devoid of any climbable features. Of course, we don't climb
that side. The route starts on the left side of a large flake on the west face
and then traverses around to finish on the north side.
At the base of the tower, Hardly claimed the first pitch.
This starts off with a sandy chimney in white, Navajo sandstone. Calling Navajo
sandstone "sandstone" seems quite charitable since it seems much
closer to sand than to sand. It should be called Navajo stonesand. This scary
chimney led into the Entrada sandstone out of which most Arches features are
comprised. The only good thing you can say about Entrada sandstone is that it
isn't Navajo sandstone. The towers above the White Rim were made of the desert
granite known as Wingate sandstone. Though this is soft, crumbly rock, it is by
far the best the Utah desert has to offer.
Hardly cruised the chimney and then encountered the steep,
sandy finger/hand 5.9+ crack. At the top of this fifteen foot crack is a
tricky, awkward move onto a ledge on the left. Hardly, reluctant to give up his
handjams under a bulge, dragged his body and feet up onto this ledge. It was
his most aesthetic moment. When I got to that same position while following, he
said, "See if you can match the elegant style with which I conquered this
section." "You set the bar awfully high!" I responded.
I found an edge high on the right that I could lieback on
and was able to pass the bulge without any groveling or crawling. But, as is so
often the case when I one-up Hardly, my due was coming. The next pitch starts
with an extremely awkward bulge to a tiny ledge with a bulge above it. There
was a huge hold I could grab on the ledge and mantle up on, but because of the
wall above me I could not step up or stand up. I ended up straddling the point
and groveling onto the ledge. Hardly could barely contain his laughter at my
hilarious predicament.
Above me was a bolt ladder that led over a bulge to runout
easier climbing to the summit. It was supposed to be 5.10 to free climb this
section but the guidebook cautioned that the ancient bolts probably wouldn't
hold a free climbing fall. I clipped the first drilled angle and thought it
looked fine. I attempted to free climb the bulge but the holds were so rounded
and so sandy that it was too much for me. After a couple of dynamic moves to
holds that were no better, I gave up and called for Hardly to take. I clipped
on a sling and stood up over the bulge. From here I was able to free climb the
rest of the moves to the summit. There was probably another move that was 5.10,
but also right next to the bolt. The upper section wasn't as runout as expected
as I got in a couple of Aliens though I don't think they would have held much
of a fall. Hardly didn't free the bulge either and that move must be solid 5.11
in its current state. This rock is so soft it seems that the difficulty would
change from ascent to ascent.
We lounged on the summit once again. The hikers were
starting to occupy the trail and a number of them photographed us. Reluctantly,
we did the double rope rappel back to the ground. The climbing was done. It was
time to head home. But it had been one of the most enjoyable and successful
trips I've had. Three towers in three days under perfect skies. It was also
probably my last trip this year. Winter can only hold off so long and the next
two weekends I will be busy with family down in Texas. But I'm already dreaming
of the spring desert season...