Indian Creek is Cool, but...

After my first trip down to Indian Creek I find myself a little bit bummed. I mean, splitter cracks as far as the eye can see, perfect Wingate sandstone faces hundreds of feet high, forgetaboutit. But the people... Oh man, the people.

They would ignore you when asking for beta, talk smack about your rack/gear/style/dog audibly near you. We met a really nice lady in the Supercrack parking lot who had been unable to meet up with a friend and was looking to share her rack in exchange for belay/camaraderie. People were total assholes to this women! Up by generic crack people told her to go away, and laughed at her and her slightly antiquated rack. After climbing a few routes with her, my group felt sure that she was good people, willing to lead almost anything and encouraged even the weakest climbers in our party.

Also, sidebar - I saw one group treating their rope like it was a newborn baby. The scowled when we approached (chocolate corner), actually yelled at me when a friend's dog got too close to their rope tarp and they put it away so carefully that I'm not sure the rope ever touched the ground. I mean I have seen surgical procedures done less sterilely.

Where are the easy going trad leaders that I thought I was akin to? What is it about IC that attracts the almost "sport climber" mentality? I am sorry to use that as my describing term, but I felt like I was climbing at the Pipedream Wall in Maple...

Most of them are from Boulder

Andrewprime1 wrote: Where are the easy going trad leaders that I thought I was akin to? What is it about IC that attracts the almost "sport climber" mentality? I am sorry to use that as my describing term, but I felt like I was climbing at the Pipedream Wall in Maple...

You are from Salt Lake and you have to ask that question? Real simple. Single pitch, non-committing cracks that protect like sport climbs in a safe crag type setting attract a certain crowd. Not sure what you were expecting or why you did not seek out the stellar tower routes in Moab if you really were looking for and/or expecting something different???

Get away from super crack / Donnelly canyon. Everywhere else out there is super chill - least that's my experience

Sounds about right. The Creek is part of the Bromuda Triangle and is subject to this type of debauchery. It is definitely sport climbing with cams instead of bolts. There was even a post not too long ago on here about how too much climbing at Indian Creek has ruined some climbers lead heads, because you can just plug a cam in just about anywhere you deem necessary and unwanted run outs are almost never encountered(unless you run out of gear).

The people on the other hand have no excuse, that is pretty sad from what you say and I hope that was just several bad groups coincidentally there at the same time. I wouldn't count all the people that visit IC out just yet.

I spent 3 days down in Indian Creek this last fall. I had a great trip. However, I was struck by some of the same crap. IC is a really obnoxious scene.

One of the gals in our group flew in from Vermont. Her mom drove down from Idaho to meet her. The mom was camped about 25 yards from us. A bunch of d-bags from Durango showed up and told her she had to move camp because this was "their spot." This was after everyone had gone to bed.

We met a really cool trio from Moab. Besides them, we mostly met teenagers trapped in adult bodies. I saw a lot of ironic mustaches, PBR, loose dogs, and stupid tattoos. Not to mention the top rope gang bang mentality: one dude leads it, fifteen people TR it.

The creek was cool and I'm sure I'll go back, but I'd much rather be in RMNP, or some other place where a good stiff hike will shake off all the hipster losers.

Dow Williams wrote: You are from Salt Lake and you have to ask that question? Real simple. Single pitch, non-committing cracks that protect like sport climbs in a safe crag type setting attract a certain crowd. Not sure what you were expecting or why you did not seek out the stellar tower routes in Moab if you really were looking for and/or expecting something different???

I have been to Moab many a time, and usually I opt for the deserted desert tower or obscure crag. I was with a group of people though, and figured I would see what all the fuss was about. I though I would meet some cool people, share a rack and just lazily plug in cams and drink beer all weekend.

I was wrong. It was still fun, but I felt judged the whole time. Maybe Chris is right, too many green license plates...

The Colorado license plates have nothing to do with it unless you embrace the bizarre Utah inferiority complex that so many people here seem to have. It is just that Indian Creek is an extremely well known and popular world class climbing area. Places like that always turn into a weird vibe zoo - Yosemite is just like that. It just seems more jarring at Indian Creek because it would otherwise be in the middle of nowhere with no one around, whereas Yosemite would still be a shitshow because of the tourists.

Complaining about crowds and vibe at the single best known climbing area in the desert and maybe the best crack climbing in the world is like bitching about the how crowded and expensive it is in Manhattan. It is a well known phenomena - go somewhere else if that isn't the experience you want. It isn't as if the desert isn't completely stacked with cliffs full of great single pitch crack climbs with no one else around, even ignoring towers and other adventures.

Awe. This is going to be fun. Sprad climber bashing sprad climbers and a colorado climber bashing boulder climbers.

So the op makes his first trip to the creek and hangs out at the Noobfest Wall and complains. Kind of like going to the local popular clip up sport crag and complaining. Why not go to Eldo and complain about noobs on Bastille Crack or the Gunks and complain about noobs on High E. You, my friend, are the creek noob and a bit tard.

Another poster bashes boulder. Yet visits boulder a few months ago. Finds a partner that picks him up, gives him a tour of Eldo, doesn't make fun that he doesn't have a nut tool, wigs out on 5.7 and drops a biner and then gives him a ride home. Although this partner is not truly from boulder, he does spend a lot of time there and has a green license plate. A little humility would be nice.

SLC. Ah, more fun. The most wankery I've ever seen was this guy on his fourth lap on the most popular route on Wall Street. I asked him if has was finishing up. His reply, "Well, I plan to just burn out on this route. So, I'm gonna take some more laps. I drove a long way. All the way from SLC. How far did you drive?" I thought to myself, "you fucking tard. like that matters. But actually I said, "Well we drove from Steamboat, about 6 hours but that doesn't really matter". "And nice job teaching your friends good style", as I point to the fixed anchors he was top roping through. Fun watching him explain with embarrassment to his friends what I was referring to.

I know many boulder climbers that frequent the creek. They go down there, crush many routes, are good stewards of the desert and are considerate of others. Sure, boulder's got its share of wankers. But they are everywhere.

My point? Well, since Bloom's book got published and the movie Return to Sender came out, (probably before the above posters even starting climbing and were still peeing in their beds), the creek popularity and climbing in general has grown exponentially. And since there are climbing gyms popping up everywhere, climbers highlighted on 60 minutes and climbing gear available through Wal Mart, our sacred crags are getting very popular. It is up to us to pass on good traditions and habits and etiquettes to our fellow climbers. And if we see some shit that is not kosher, it is our responsibility to politely nudge people in the right direction, pack out more than we bring in, camoflouge some shiny anchors, do some good for climbinbg and stop complaining online.

I fucking love you, Greg D

^^^ can we make out?

Oh, sorry. That was creepy. Sometimes my filter fails.

I was at the Creek for two weeks and thought that everyone I met was rad.

michael s... wrote:I was at the Creek for two weeks and thought that everyone I met was rad.

+1. Didn't hang out at supercrack though.

thank the earth for escalante ,weekdays,and february. i went to the creek this february during a nice warm spell and we had walls such as cat and supercrowded all to ourselves.......the grades are alittle easier when there are less hordes,dogs,and rope surgeons....i went to escalante and had way more fun and found a couple buckets of peace............it reminds me of a crowded beach on a weekend.....i think it is ironic and comical that people treat the world around them like crap and then are shocked when the world craps on them....you know how many times i have shown up at a popular cliff, hoping to climb in.....only to be ignored? i try not to take it personal......maybe people are not as smart as you think.people get tunnel vision.(they may be so enveloped in what they want ,that they don't think about anyone but themselves) Did you invite her to climb with you? solutions? besides its getting vedauwoo time not creek.what were some positives from your experience? what was the most fun line you led? were there any bikinis..?how were the sunsets and desert fauna? did you bring your bike,did you go for a hike?.......indian ruins,bouldering,..dune bugging................talk is cheap/beauty is in the eye of the beholder.........oh by the way humans get alot cruler.

Utah inferiority complex! Ha!

I've only been twice, and it was during some people's spring break the last two years, yet still we've only met nice people each time.
Had one night of neighbors partying annoyingly loud this last trip, but quiet after that.

Nevermind, I mean, The Creek sucks - stay home.

Welcome to 2014!

Greg D wrote:^^^ can we make out? Oh, sorry. That was creepy. Sometimes my filter fails.

I'm into creepy!!!! :0)

now kiss

The creek is sport climbing.

Sorry to hear that the OP had this experience. I have come across people there who are cocky and may not come off as the friendliest until they see you climbing hard. It's really stupid. As if climbing hard is the only basis for which they will "take notice".

Lame.

I have gotten this from some people in the bouldering scene as well. But again, I do not think it applies with all people. I would bet that it was just "one of those days" where you and that woman had an unfortunate encounter. I hope it does not happen again.

My solution? Who cares and do not take it personal. Let jerks be jerks. There are many nice and considerate climbers out there that would love to help, and those climbers are always the ones I am so grateful for.