Type: Trad, 60 ft (18 m)
FA: Holloway, Butterworth, 1992
Page Views: 11,308 total · 48/month
Shared By: John J. Glime on Oct 15, 2004
Admins: slim, Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C

You & This Route


147 Opinions
Your To-Do List: Add To-Do ·
Your Star Rating:
Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty Rating:
-none- Change
Your Ticks:Add New Tick
-none-
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Warning Access Issue: Closures and Restrictions DetailsDrop down
Warning Access Issue: RAIN, WET ROCK and RAPTOR CLOSURES: The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Also please ask and be aware of Raptor Closures in areas such as CAT WALL and RESERVOIR WALL in Indian Creek DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

As the title says, West Chimney. When you get to the tower, you can walk around the main formation and look for the easiest looking chimney, if your sense of direction isn't up to par.

The climb starts with an easy slab, up over a slightly tougher bulge, before you get to the crack below the chimney. (Approach the route and climb the bulge from the left.) Climb the crack, which takes good pro, and has the probable crux of the route, up to the chimney proper. You can get a last piece of gear in at the base of the chimney, but the chimney is basically unprotectable. However, it isn't really possible to fall out of the chimney and it is much, much easier than it may look to the beginning desert climber. Climb the fun, easy chimney to the top, there are slings on the north summit.

Descent: A one rope rappel is straightforward if you rappel directly west of the summit anchor, however, if your second does not reach the top and you are forced to rappel back into the chimney in order to retrieve gear, be very, very careful with the force you are putting on a sketchy looking cooler sized boulder on the top. Because of this, it is definitely not a good idea to top rope this tower from the rappel anchors. But you could easily set up an anchor at the actual top of the chimney itself.

I find it hilarious to see the crowds (literally) lining up in bunches at the base of Owl Rock only a few hundred yards away. This very well could be the easiest way to climb technical rock to the top of a tower on the Colorado Plateau. It is short, sweet, easy, and right next to the road.

Protection Suggest change

A standard trad rack is overkill, but take one if you want the confidence.

Photos

loading