The Dylan Wall is the most developed cliff in the San Rafael. It is south-facing and receives sun all day. The routes are mostly in the 5.10 and .11 range, one pitch, and high quality. The hike (for me), was about 45 minutes and extremely enjoyable. The trail is easy to follow, and takes a devious line right of the wall, to break the cliffs in a weak spot out of sight of the parking area.
Getting There
Just north of the bridge is a road that parallels the river called "Mexican Mountain Road". Turn right onto this a follow it 1.8 miles to the top of a hill after the road leaves the river. Turn left on a track and park at it's end (Once at the plateau below the Dylan Wall look down on the absurdity of your parking lot). Follow the trail down the hill and past some campsites. Eventually climbing up to the chinle and to a notch with a fixed rope on a bolt. Now the right side of the wall should be in front of you.
This discontinuous thin crack is located in the middle of the Dylan Wall. There is a three bolt anchor visible from below at about 80'. To the right is a long sustained crack in a left facing dihedral (Blood on the Tracks). There is a somewhat broken boulder directly behind the route. A pod at 8' takes a #3 Camalot. From there move up the thin crack with good rests to plug gear and ponder your next moves. There were no moves th...[more]
Fixed rope? You have to be kidding. I have managed get up there with a black lab and a husky on several occasions. I'd be surprised if a bolt and fixed rope stayed around to long up there. I would suspect that if you are uncomfortable scrambling up the notch, that you aren't going to get much climbing done at Dylan wall.
re the fixed rope and dogs. Actually, our dog sent the line that works up from the left along some small ledge systems and then, pretty much beneath the rope anchors, he went back into a small chimney system and worked up throught to the sandstone deck above. He almost got all of this clean the first day, and easily sent it first try second day. On the first day he tried a direct line to the chimney avoiding the ledge systems which he later used to access the exit chimney, but this was initimidating, sustained face climbing with no rest stances.
Baxter is small, black and a long veteran of manky sandstone. He's hesitant to attach a grade, but he says it wasn't too bad and he's looking forward to hearing of further activity in the area.
go to indian creek the rock is better and the dylan wall is a pile, but if you do go bring beer for the guy who did all the work and drilled all the anchors
Dylan Wall
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