Utah
> Wasatch Range
> Central Wasatch
> Little Cottonwo…
> Tanners Gulch
This might be the some of the best rock in Tanners. The low angle slab looks foreshortened from the ground, it's 200+ feet long and after that it rears up into a nice headwall in places. The features on this slab are amazing, it reminds me of the
City of Rocks in places. Black streaks and patina abound on it.
This area holds moderate slab pitches and a few challenging sport pitches too. The belays are all on really cool ledges with awesome views down Tanners gulch and across the canyon.
Snowpack leaves dirt and rocks here and there down lower so be on your toes. The rock is broken at the bottom but seems to climb enjoyably.
Most of the routes on the right hand side (south) have sub-belays at a common ledge at about 30 feet up. This is so you can see and hear your leader. I recommend using it for the first few times up there,
The pine tree in the left hand corner on the slab had some webbing on it so tight I had a hard time getting my knife behind it to cut it loose as the bark was growing around it. The tree bears that webbing scar. This was one of two pieces of webbing we found in the canyon while climbing.
The entire area was put up ground first.
Wasatch Back, UT
1) Most of the actual slab moves are either relatively easy or a boulder problem right by a bolt, followed by easier climbing.
2) Your hands and/or feet are almost always on a solid edge, jug or rail.
3) The intermittent gear and bolts make you learn the rhythm of following features and looking for pro.
4) You'll stay on route if you keep telling yourself, "This was drilled ground up, on lead so they followed the best features."
These routes all have character and are worth doing in their entirety. But the slabby pitches of most of them could be used as a concentrated tutorial for helping a face climber start getting their head together for the smoother slabs down low in the canyon. Aug 8, 2021