One month living in a van, climbing and discovering the Utah. It was a great experience to climb in Indian creek and Zion. Here are some tips if you plan to travel there.
Applications to download:
- "Mountain project", then download Moab area and Zion. You will find some good informations about how many cams you need for a route.
- "Maps me" (great off line road maps)
Vincent Oliva at the top of the very nice and classic Ancien art on Fisher Tower.
I. Moab area (Castelton valley / Fisher tower)
Strategic places in Moab:
Climbing area:
- Fisher towers: Ancien Art (You can sleep at the parking)
- Castelton tower (You can sleep at the parking)
II. Indian Creek:
Renaud dans Anunaki 5.12
Where to sleep:
There are 3 big campsites wear you can sleep and leave your tent during the day. (Super bowl / Creek Pasture / Cottonwood)
Climbing gear:
- a rope of 100 m (80 works also) for sport climbing and 2x50 for the multi pitch routes
- 2 set of cams per person
- Crack gloves + a lot of strap.
- Large rock climbing shoes (The local climber mainly use the Mocassym 5.10 or the Caldwel la sportiva.)
Sinestra 5.11****
Way rambo 5.12
Cool Areas: (as much as I can say...)
- Supercrack Buttress: routes: The incredible hand Crack 5.10 / Supercrack 5.10
- Scarface wall: routes: Scarface 5.11- / Torque Wrench 5.11 (at the roof go on the right!!!)
- Réservoir wall: route: Pente 5.11
- 4×4: very good when the weather is warm. Routes: 4x4 5.11 / Unamed n°18 5.11+
- Optimator, a lot of easy routes, good the first day. take the road is bad. Anunaki 5.12 "overhanging euro style"
- Sparks: Go Spark Go 511+
- Cat Wall: one of the biggest area of indian creek, mostly sunny: routes: supercat of the desert 5.12 / King Cat 5.11+ (crazy hand crack roof!) / Jonny Cat 5.11+
- Original Meat wall: Sinestra 5.11 (2 crack and an impressive movement to from one to the other ;-)
- Sacred Cow: 5.12 amazing finish!
- Rrambo Wall, routes: way rambo 5.12- amazing red and green crack!
- Sinestra (meet wall) 5.11
Sacred cow 5.12
Cool tower: North 6 shooters (Lightning bolt crack) amazing view at the top!
III. Kolob:
Amazing place in order to climb on bolt with "good" holds. It's perfect in order to take a break with crack climbing. Every routes are about the same... but all of it are gorgeous! Importante: You'll need a list a 80m rope.
How to find it:
IV. Zion:
Marjo dans Shunes butress
Parking place:
Nice routes in Zion national park:
Some more tips:
Period: April is apparently very good. we have been too warm and too cold.
Make american Breakfasts with eggs and bacon:
Make good Crack gloves and have fun!
