Good Beginner Areas new Moab

I am leading an outdoor trip to the Moab area in the the spring 2011. While I have no issue leading trad routes on personal trips, the institution I am working for has a policy in place against it. I understand that Mill Creek is a sport crag, but it seems to lack any moderates. Are there any desert crags, which are relatively easy to access which top ropes could be dropped from the top on?

Generally speaking, I'm looking for only half-pitch routes with a moderate (5.7-5.10) grade in the Moab vicinity. Cracks are fine, its the access and top-rope-ability that is key.

Thanks again,
Matthew

Wall Street (Potash Road) and the Ice Cream Parlor (Kane Creek Road) are both close to Moab, and have some good easier TR options, though for some of them you'll have to lead. The "Schoolroom" area of Wall St has about 8 sets of anchors you can access without leading, but you'll need your wits about you getting to them. The pitches there are 30 to 40 feet.

Be aware that if springtime is wet the sandstone in that area will become dangerous to climb, since it's of the looser variety to begin with... the sunnier routes will need a couple of days to dry out after a hard rain, and the shady stuff may take longer.

Yes, wall street and ice cream parlor are decent places to go. If you go with a group please be considerate of others. Some guides or group leaders set up several top ropes on popular lines. Then, leave the ropes up even with nobody on that line. One group left their rope up over night and didn't return till midday the next day. Not very considerate in my opinion. Have fun.

If you are "working for an institution" that "has policies" you should stay away from Moab. The beginner routes are rare and crowded without that kind of scene mucking things up. I'd suggest foregoing the gumby ego stroke and climbing some towers with real partners - let the beginners wander around Arches and take them climbing somewhere else that lends itself to it.

Thanks for the advice guys. Andrew, climbing is luckily not the only thing to do in Moab, so we'll make sure not to monopolize anyone's climbing. I've complained to several guide services at different areas about hogging climbs and it's not something I'm interested in getting a reputation for.

Have a good holiday guys!
Keep climbing,
Matthew

Morrismc wrote:I've complained to several guide services at different areas about hogging climbs and it's not something I'm interested in getting a reputation for.

The only way to avoid that rep is to not take beginners to popular areas. People will get irritated if they have to wait, and there is no way that beginner topropers will be quick enough to not irritate to the point of getting a bad reputation.

At the top end of wall street there is an area called "school room" that can be top roped. I always see guides there. Ice Cream parlor is nice but you have to lead something first.

Andrew Gram wrote:If you are "working for an institution" that "has policies" you should stay away from Moab. The beginner routes are rare and crowded without that kind of scene mucking things up. I'd suggest foregoing the gumby ego stroke and climbing some towers with real partners - let the beginners wander around Arches and take them climbing somewhere else that lends itself to it.

=ego stroke.

Great place for that

mountainproject.com/v/utah/…

Dont know about access to the anchors though, you may have to lead to TR.

that was the first place that i thought of also.

I thought of sunshine as well but leading is required and many of the lines require a 70m rope or longer to do a slingshot type belay.

yeah, i'm kind of drawing a blank on this question in general. not too many easy walkoffs/walkups in the desert for easily setting a TR.

School room and Mill Creek are the only top accessible crags in the area. Both require permits if your "institution" is doing this commercially and making money.
Mill Creek is stout and the Moderates are spread out. It is rarely guided by the services that have permits and there are no new ones being issued by the NFS for this area. If you bring a group there you will most likely cause a ruckus or worse.
The potash school room is fine. There are also more than a handful of sport routes of the grade that would work as well.
The BLM is cracking down on groups and schools using Wall Street and other areas without a permit.

cdec wrote:The BLM is cracking down on groups and schools using Wall Street and other areas without a permit.

I'm sorry to hear it's come to this, but also thinking it's been needed...

There are two "schoolrooms" on Potash road. I would go to either one of them. They are perfect for groups. They are easy to toprope.

Is the BLM really "cracking down" on groups without a permit? I couldn't find any info on their website about it as well as ever seeing any signs about it on the Potash Road.

If it was the case, you might as well close down Indian Creek since there are usually groups of 8 or more from Colorado, Moab, or SLC climbing the same routes. You know, where there's one or two that lead and the rest of the gang climb on the topropes all day.

dbrown wrote:There are two "schoolrooms" on Potash road. I would go to either one of them. They are perfect for groups. They are easy to toprope. Is the BLM really "cracking down" on groups without a permit? I couldn't find any info on their website about it as well as ever seeing any signs about it on the Potash Road. If it was the case, you might as well close down Indian Creek since there are usually groups of 8 or more from Colorado, Moab, or SLC climbing the same routes. You know, where there's one or two that lead and the rest of the gang climb on the topropes all day.

Yeah. No. Using public lands for profit requires one to pay the man for your gain. The cluster facks in IC are usually just that, not a guide making a profit. Totally different, yet just as annoying.

Greg D is right. There are no regulations about how many people can siege an area or climb. Only common decency comes into play there.
What I meant is that there is a lot of use by groups such as colleges, wilderness therapy companies, kids camps, Morrismc's institution, etc that don't hold permits. Hell I've even seen a photographer teaching a class about how to rig and shoot climbing. If you are charging money or even if the costs are split but the "leaders" don't have to pay this is commercial guiding and this is what the BLM is cracking down on.

It does make sense and that's why guiding services get permits. Individuals don't have to pay to use public land, but cattle grazers do because they're making a profit (sometimes), and guides do because they're making a profit. As do mines and any other use of public lands that involves making of money. Another example is the timber industry.

America's public lands are not just places where you can do anything you want; there are definitely rules and regulations.