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The Guardian Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 7,590 ft | 2,313 m |
GPS: |
27.02561, 99.71254 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 9,702 total · 82/month | |
Shared By: | Ryder Stroud on Apr 17, 2015 | |
Admins: | Bob Moseley, Nate Ball, Dan Flynn |
Description
One of the best, consistently hard crags in Liming, the Guardian is a great crag to crank out everything from skinny finger cracks to offwidths. While the crag is a little bit further aways out from Liming village compared to locations like Pandora, the Dinner Wall, and the Pillars, it is well-worth the trip.
The Guardian is actually the most akin to sandstone crags in Utah, with splitter-quality routes rising immediately next to one another. While the crag is not beginner-friendly (there is one 5.8 route, one wide 5.9, and the rest is 5.10 and above), this crag is a great place to test your trad limits.
The crag is also one of the best choices for the winter climbing season as it is south-facing. Winter days in Liming allow for some pleasant cragging, but after the sun goes down back in town, you'll need a puffy!
The area has also recently become an experiment for developer Mike Dobie for airy, bolted arete routes and interesting mixed line extensions above where the classic cracks disappear into the sandstone.
Don't miss out on Brazen Hussie (.10), Wing and a Prayer Project (.11-) Akmun-Rah (.11+), and the Sphinx (.11+)!
The Guardian is actually the most akin to sandstone crags in Utah, with splitter-quality routes rising immediately next to one another. While the crag is not beginner-friendly (there is one 5.8 route, one wide 5.9, and the rest is 5.10 and above), this crag is a great place to test your trad limits.
The crag is also one of the best choices for the winter climbing season as it is south-facing. Winter days in Liming allow for some pleasant cragging, but after the sun goes down back in town, you'll need a puffy!
The area has also recently become an experiment for developer Mike Dobie for airy, bolted arete routes and interesting mixed line extensions above where the classic cracks disappear into the sandstone.
Don't miss out on Brazen Hussie (.10), Wing and a Prayer Project (.11-) Akmun-Rah (.11+), and the Sphinx (.11+)!
Getting There
Getting there depends on what transport is available to you. If you are walking, you will need about 1.5 hours to access the crag. However, you may be able to pay a hostel owner for a ride or try and hop onto one of the giant golf carts that are run by the national park.
If walking: Start by leaving Liming village and head towards the Pillars area and Dinner Wall (the opposite direction of the park entrance gate. Just before you leave town, the road will split into a fork. The right side goes down the road to the Pillars and Dinner Wall. The left fork will bend back around the river. Take the left fork.
Follow the road along the cliff as it jogs uphill, winding its way into what is often referred to as the "South Valley." Do not leave the concrete road for about 40 minutes. 4-5 km up the road, there will be a scenic platform up on an outcropping of rock. Continue past this for 2 kilometers until yo come upon a local Lisu farm on your left with the ruined foundation of an ancient stone farmhouse just across the road. If you hit a touristy-looking rest area with a bathroom, you have gone too far.
From the farmers house, walk next to it and cross a concrete basketball court. The road will turn to dirt as it forks once more--the left road continuing straight into the gully and one that bends sharply uphill and around its crest. Go right.
Follow this wide dirt road for a while past another farmhouse at a hairpin turn. Up from here, the road will level out briefly until the road ends at another farmhouse. At this dead end, there will be a narrow walking trail on your right that heads uphill and around the house. Follow this trail. Go uphill and around the house until you are deposited in a grove behind the house. Once in this grove/gully continue directly uphill to where the woods become thicker. The ridge on the right will be your ticket up to the Guardian. Follow native trails until the gully splits again into 2 smaller gullies. Take the right gully and it should deposit you on the blunt ridge-line on your right. Follow this directly uphill to the base of the Guardian.
If walking: Start by leaving Liming village and head towards the Pillars area and Dinner Wall (the opposite direction of the park entrance gate. Just before you leave town, the road will split into a fork. The right side goes down the road to the Pillars and Dinner Wall. The left fork will bend back around the river. Take the left fork.
Follow the road along the cliff as it jogs uphill, winding its way into what is often referred to as the "South Valley." Do not leave the concrete road for about 40 minutes. 4-5 km up the road, there will be a scenic platform up on an outcropping of rock. Continue past this for 2 kilometers until yo come upon a local Lisu farm on your left with the ruined foundation of an ancient stone farmhouse just across the road. If you hit a touristy-looking rest area with a bathroom, you have gone too far.
From the farmers house, walk next to it and cross a concrete basketball court. The road will turn to dirt as it forks once more--the left road continuing straight into the gully and one that bends sharply uphill and around its crest. Go right.
Follow this wide dirt road for a while past another farmhouse at a hairpin turn. Up from here, the road will level out briefly until the road ends at another farmhouse. At this dead end, there will be a narrow walking trail on your right that heads uphill and around the house. Follow this trail. Go uphill and around the house until you are deposited in a grove behind the house. Once in this grove/gully continue directly uphill to where the woods become thicker. The ridge on the right will be your ticket up to the Guardian. Follow native trails until the gully splits again into 2 smaller gullies. Take the right gully and it should deposit you on the blunt ridge-line on your right. Follow this directly uphill to the base of the Guardian.
Classic Climbing Routes at The Guardian
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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