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San Rafael Swell (north)
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Assembly Hall Peak 
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San Rafael Swell (north) 


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Administrators: Andrew Gram, Perin Blanchard, grk10vq
Submitted By: Brian Milhaupt on Oct 19, 2002

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Maura Hahnenberger climbing hoodoos in the San Raf...

Description 

The San Rafael Swell is a large anticline that is split in two by I-70. Much of the documented climbing north of the interstate is concentrated within a few miles of the BLM campground at the junction of Cottonwood Wash Road and the Mexican Mountain Road. This campground has tables and a toilet and charges $3/person/night. There are many free camping opportunities along both of these roads and within a quick drive/bikeride of the toilet. There is no fresh water, and firewood is nonexistent. The largest concentration of routes is on the Dylan Wall two miles east of the campground on the north side of the river. The Mexican Mountain Road (to the Dylan Wall) is easily passable by two-wheel drive vehicles unless the road has been washed out. Eric Bjornstad's Desert Rock (Wall Street to the San Rafael Swell) offers a selection of climbs and an impressive history and geology lesson that should not be missed. While this area does not offer an extensive amount of established routes in comparison to places like Indian Creek, it has a sense of gradeur and seclusion that makes it every bit as enjoyable.


Getting There 

30 miles west of the interstate exit for Green River, take exit 131. Make two rights and follow I-70 back east for a few miles then north for 20 miles to the San Rafael River and the campgrounds. This road was in excellent shape for two-wheel drive traffic (10/02). The road continues north up Buckhorn wash, or once across the bridge the Mexican Mountain Road (signed) goes east along the river.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for San Rafael Swell (north):
Ozymandias   5.8 C2     Trad, Aid, 6 pitches, 440 feet, Grade IV   The Weasel Formation
Toviah Tower   5.8+     Trad, 4 pitches, 550 feet, Grade III   Eagle Canyon : Toviah Tower
Private Pizza   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Private Pizza Wall
Resurrection Spire   5.9 C1     Trad, Aid, 4 pitches, 300 feet, Grade III   Dead Mans Spires
Live Free or Die Tower   5.9 C2     Trad, Aid, 4 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III   The Weasel Formation
Devastator Tower   5.9+     Trad, 80 feet, Grade IV   The Weasel Formation
Bob Can't Climb   5.10     Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet   Dylan Wall
Cheek Full of Redman   5.10     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Private Pizza Wall
Old Bushmills   5.10     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Pine Canyon
James Tower   5.10 A1     Trad, Aid, 3 pitches, 200 feet   Lower Buckhorn Wash
The Worse the Heat, the Better the Beer   5.10 C2     Trad, Aid, 3 pitches, 290 feet, Grade III   The Weasel Formation
Anchors From Hell   5.10c     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Pine Canyon
Lite Not Solid   5.10d     Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet   Pine Canyon
Short Stack   5.10d     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Lower Buckhorn Wash
Planet Waves   5.11a     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Dylan Wall
Zoomerang   5.11-     Trad, 4 pitches, Grade IV   Bottleneck Peak
Rabid Muslim   5.11     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Pine Canyon
Idiot Wind   5.11c     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Dylan Wall
Tippin The Botttle   5.11+     Trad, 3 pitches, 450 feet, Grade III   Bottleneck Peak
Blood on the Tracks   5.12     Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Dylan Wall
Browse More Classics in San Rafael Swell (north)

Featured Route For San Rafael Swell (north)
Campsite below Devastator Tower. <br />Weasel to the left.

Devastator Tower 5.9+  UT : San Rafael Swell : ... : The Weasel Formation
Crank up the crack on the Northwest face.Well worth the hike for a good tick and a nice view....[more]   Browse More Classics in UT


Photos of San Rafael Swell (north) Slideshow Add Photo
View over the central section of the Northern San Rafael Swell

View over the central section of the Northern San ...

Buckhorn Wash Pictograph <br />Photo by: Frosty Weller

Buckhorn Wash Pictograph
Photo by: Frosty Weller


How to get a good pump if you encounter rainy weather in the Northern Swell.  It's a no fall situation as the water is usually only a foot or two deep.

How to get a good pump if you encounter rainy weat...

The San Rafael Bridges and the tasteful graffiti underneath the bridge.

The San Rafael Bridges and the tasteful graffiti u...

Unknown climber in the Swell

Unknown climber in the Swell

Beautiful fall day in the Swell taken 10/25/2009

Beautiful fall day in the Swell taken 10/25/2009

Fall colors in the Swell 10/25/2009

Fall colors in the Swell 10/25/2009

Resurrection Spire

Resurrection Spire

Tovia Tower

Tovia Tower

Horus Tower

Horus Tower

Morning in the Swell

Morning in the Swell

Swell resident ..quite rare

Swell resident ..quite rare

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Some recent rockfall visible from Napes Needle.  Looks like it happened fairly recently because there are no plants growing in it yet.

Some recent rockfall visible from Napes Needle. L...

Kody Watts navigating the crux of Idiot Wind, 5.11c, Dylan Wall

Kody Watts navigating the crux of Idiot Wind, 5.11...


Comments on San Rafael Swell (north) Add Comment
Show which comments
By Hill
Jan 16, 2003

Buckhorn Wash has one of the most impressive rock art panels found anywhere in the desert, perhaps second only to those found in Horseshoe Canyon of Canyon Lands. With incredibly easy access, stop by and be puzzled by this bizarre creation.

By USBRIT
Oct 12, 2004

Note the discription to The Weasel, Breezway,Pinnacle in the Desert Rock III is incorrect . The road into this area is 6.1 miles south from the San Rafael River bridge (NOT 2.2)on the rightw (west) with a cattle guard.

By James Garrett
Feb 28, 2006

I agree with Scott. Just because one does not happen to read the name of an obvious previously visited tower in the SR Swell in a guidebook, does not mean one should stick to the name thought up by someone who bolt ladders their way to the top with cheap fare. A case in point is that I once submitted tower and route names to EB for unclimbed towers in the Southern Swell. Turkey Tower had been named by hikers and a hiking guidebook author previous to my climbs. The same was the case for Broken Cross (I had named it Head of Sinbad in the register I left at the time. Though I preferred other names for these proud formations, it is only correct to defer to previously held names. Scott's history needs to be told, written, submitted to EB, and remembered. Tibia Tower should be the name in red at the top of the page, rather than whatever, for what my opinion is worth. But I am confused.... for Tibia Tower is the other name for The Breezeway...which definitely had not been climbed before Jim Howe topped out on it with his wife a day after he joined me on the final pitches for the first ascent (of the hard side) of the Pinnacle. Also, any chance the route descriptions could be run through spell checker before they are set in stone?

By Malcolm Daly
From: Boulder, CO
Apr 9, 2006

The exit number is 131, not 129. Don't know where the #129 came from (Bjornstat's book?) but it's wrong.

By USBRIT
Jun 30, 2006

Over the last year the Exits and Mile Markers numbers have changed on parts of I.70

By USBRIT
Oct 11, 2006

Tibia Tower is located next to Resurrection Spire, See that description. There is a fine looking route up its North face. One of the FA party broke his tibia hence the name of the route.

By Ben Folsom
From: Sandy, Utah
Nov 19, 2007

Is Tibia Tower in the main group of bigger spires at the Deadmans Spires formation? We climbed the tallest of the three shorter towers to the Northeast. There had been a previous attempt where a big block with a bolt in it was laying at the base of the route. The block obviously came off from below a roof about 30 feet up the route. There was another bolt just below where this block fell off. These two bolts were totally unnecessary. The tower had not been climbed on above that point. I had to clean big loose blocks to make it feasible. I climbed the route without placing any bolts except for the summit anchor. I'm just wondering if they are calling Hermits Hovel, Tibia Tower. Because if they are, it had not been climbed until Nov. 17th 2007 by me and Maura Hahnenberger. There were no anchors on the summit, and no way that anybody had climbed above where the block and bolt pulled out of the wall on the previous attempt.