Obscure Choss and Epic looking wingate around Hanksville???

Hey I'm seeking a bit of advice and/or beta from anyone who's in the know when it comes to this area...

I'll be canyoneering over the weekend of new years with base camp being 30 miles E,SE out of Hanksville on highway 95. On the 1st we were planning on doing some climbing as we can't exactly do the canyon that everyone else is doing because of equipment issues. Anyway I have a friend that thinks he's into climbing choss and we had talked about putting up something on the scary looking cliffs just out side of hanksville east on 95 just south of the road.

They appear to be shale and seem as though they would be extremely exciting to climb. I remember eyeing some chimneys that might be climbable. The problem is I don't know how far they are from the road and if there are any other roads that get us closer to them, seeing as we only have a day to climb this might not be a good option especially because neither of us has experience with this type of rock(although it seems it might be a great adventure). Anyone have experience with this formation or this type of rock in general? what can be used for pro and anchors? Re-bar spikes and ice axes? How is it to climb (free and aid)?

Second choice would be around the view finder towers North of Hanksville on 24, something new as well... Looking for photos of either location to try to do some pre scouting to save some time.
I also left a comment under the view finders that might be useful to read to get a little more perspective on my experience with them and what I'm looking for:
mountainproject.com/v/utah/…

The total fail safe would be the numerous classic looking lines to be had on the wingate formations down the road from camp towards and slightly beyond the hog springs area. I'm sure we could put something up in a day on that stuff, I'm not too sure how realistic the other options are for a day.

I would appreciate any beta or advice on any of these areas, I have heard there has been some development in the hog springs area. I will have other friends that might just want to climb pre established routes too so I'll take route beta too if your willing and if there are any moderate free routes for them.

THANKS!

Try contacting Paul Ross from his personal page. He knows a lot of stuff.

those tiramisu cliffs look like death-on-a-stick.

Check out the climbing around Starr Spring for a really fun day.

I though death on a stick was the appeal of trying to climb that sort of thing??? Considering logistics I'm thinking we'll be more sucessful sticking around camp on the lice looking wingate. I remember spying all kinds of lines, lots of dihiedrals from thin to OW, and quite a few splitter looking lines from beaking to OW I'm assuming. Maybe even a couple insignificant towers. I'm really having a hard time scrapping the idea of putting up something on the sand castles in the sky (view finder towers and surrounding stuff). Looks like lots of cool summits to be had in that area with proud lines up them. I remember eyeing us one that had a super cool for sure un-climbed summit but I don't know how sturdy it is. Not to mention I'm not sure how long it would take and how hard it would be (probly A3). I worry that a route on these would result in only 1 person climbing.

Kinda a one man game though and a time consuming one at that. I really want to make it a group effort so either 2 short routes, or maybe 1 long one (on the wingate), is what I'm thinking at this point in time. Any one have photos of the cliffs around hog springs (Mile 28-38 on HWY 95)? Really trying to pin down my options before hand becaue of the time constraint. Still interested in photos of the view finder and surrounding stuff too.

Where's Paul Ross at? I'd figure he'd chime in here at some point.

Are you really debating this?
Desert FA's are scary enough on Wingate.

Yes, I am seriously debating this. Takes some serious skill and nuts to climb choss well, might as well get some practice I figure.

I think I'm as prepared for anything now as I can possibly be at this time. Triple rack of cams to #3, doubles on 4&5's one #6, a #5, and #6 big bro, double set of offset micro stoppers, single set of regular micro's, 1 set offset aliens, 1 set lowe balls, 3 or 4 scream aids and a screamer. I got a bunch of peckers/beaks (probly like 20) a toucan, set of hooks munus large radius hook, assorted angles which are probly mostly sawed off, rurps, beaked rurps,12 60d x 6" nails, 10 8" x 3/8" nails, working on turning 6 13" x 1/2" all thread rods into spikes with a grinder(pickets for the shale and rotten entrada)... Also bought 4 1' long sections of some thick chain a box of 25 1/2" X 4" expansion bolts, also a couple 1/2" x 7" expansion bolts.

Turns out we will probly be leaving tomorrow or tomorrow evening so we will have time for some where between 2-3 climbing days. Probly going to put some stuff up in the view finder area most likely for the first climbing day and probly something on the nice looking wingate on the other climbing day.

I can't wait, time to send some sick lines!

Hi Jason, I can't comment about the climbing out there, though some looks like fun... but... say hi to Ram out there over new years for me - thanks ;)

M