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Bolted Towers?

Original Post
Chris Isaksen · · Woodstock, GA · Joined Aug 2019 · Points: 0

Hey all, 

I was looking into climbing some towers this fall. However, I Sport and do not Trad. All I can find are trad lines going up the towers. Does anyone know of any towers that are bolted? Thanks!

Schuyler Baer · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2017 · Points: 33

Frightened Pickle is a bolt ladder aid climb.

To actually answer your question, no there are no non-trad towers. 

Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65
Chris Isaksen wrote:

I was looking into climbing some towers this fall. However, I Sport and do not Trad. All I can find are trad lines going up the towers. Does anyone know of any towers that are bolted? 

No, cause they don't exist.

Matt Castelli · · Denver · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 280

There are some towers around Moab where the main hard pitch is bolted, but they start at 11+/12  iirc and go up from there. And you probably need to do some easier trad to get there. 

Adam Fleming · · AMGA Certified Rock Guide,… · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 497

Y'all, there ARE bolted "towers" around Moab.  You just have to be pretty liberal with your definition of a tower.

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/116710471/jah-chimney

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106777929/root-canal

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/108214204/boognish-tower 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106470397/desertglow 

If you want to summit a more stereotypical tower, hire a guide to help you out. 

Dylan Pike · · Knoxville, TN · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 555
Ron O · · middle of nowhere, southern… · Joined Apr 2018 · Points: 0

This is a face palmer. "I want to climb a tower, but I don't want to bother to learn how to climb before I try it."

I suppose that this goes hand in hand with a culture that doesn't even shame people for using pocket change to tempt sherpas to to die in order to accommodate posers who don't even know how to put on their crampons on Everest.

Chris, pay your dues or go "sport rappelling".

Ron O · · middle of nowhere, southern… · Joined Apr 2018 · Points: 0

Pffft! Aid climbing is FUN. You get to literally hang out and enjoy the view. And most climbers don't have the skill to do it. Free climbing is checkers. Big wall climbing is chess.

Brennan VanDyke · · Rogers, AR · Joined Dec 2017 · Points: 1,688
This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.
Glenn Schuler · · Monument, Co. · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,335
Brennan VanDyke wrote:

You are the perfect impersonation of everything bad about the older generation of climbers.  When you die, nobody will remember or care about how much mental gymnastics you put yourself through trying to look and feel more important than others.  Nobody will look back fondly on your spouting about how much "more FUN" your glorified ladder climbing was than what those "sport rappellers" are doing.  You and everything you stand for is going to be forgotten, and nobody is going to miss it or you.  You're bragging about something that doesn't matter to a whole bunch of people who don't care.  I can only assume you don't actually have that much longer on this earth, judging by you insulting the current generation of climbers.  If I were you,  would strongly consider changing my attitude if I actually want to leave a positive impression on the people I influence in my later years.  You've spent so much of the last year spouting off your "badass" desert tower stories like you're an child trying to prove yourself to people on the internet.  You act as immaturely as the middle school children my girlfriend babysits, except you aren't going through puberty, so there's no excuse.

Lol, you sure told him!! Chill out man.

bob steed · · Gilroy, CA · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 66

Wow, Brennan. That's quite the screed.  I'm pretty sure Ron doesn't care what you think...  and by the way, every year I see El Cap full of young people challenging themselves on big wall aid climbs.  They are enjoying the mental gymnastics required to get to the top.  I would encourage you to climb a big wall- you never know, you might actually enjoy the experience.    

Brennan VanDyke · · Rogers, AR · Joined Dec 2017 · Points: 1,688
bob steed wrote:

Wow, Brennan. That's quite the screed.  I'm pretty sure Ron doesn't care what you think...  and by the way, every year I see El Cap full of young people challenging themselves on big wall aid climbs.  They are enjoying the mental gymnastics required to get to the top.  I would encourage you to climb a big wall- you never know, you might actually enjoy the experience.    

I'd like to learn the sport that is aid climbing and I absolutely think getting into big walls looks like a whole lot of fun, something I'm excited about in the future.  I do, however, think that someone has to perform ridiculous mental gymnastics to somehow put down somebody else's interest in sport climbing and say that aid climbing is somehow more superior.  It's all climbing.

Ron O · · middle of nowhere, southern… · Joined Apr 2018 · Points: 0

Bob you got me right. 

And Vaindyke, I didn't put down sport climbing. It gives us more routes on crackless faces.

But a BOLTED TOWER? Bottom to top?!! Thats the skill challenge equivalent of sport rappelling.

Vaindyke seems to be concerned about "legacy" as if we weren't killing our planet and people are still going to be around. The earth ain't gonna be saved by Coronavirus.

(and anybody see how she deleted a post? snicker)

Cherokee Nunes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 0

It's all climbing.

Not if you can't climb it.

Brennan VanDyke · · Rogers, AR · Joined Dec 2017 · Points: 1,688
This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.
Dave Vaughan · · Superior CO · Joined Aug 2017 · Points: 0

Threads like this are why 'The Proj' has some of the best entertainment on the web! A youngster duking it out with Psycho Ron, great stuff! Carry on

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,516

But what I want to know is it OK to carry your AR-15 up a bolt ladder, or should you just haul it up in the haul bag?

Ron O · · middle of nowhere, southern… · Joined Apr 2018 · Points: 0

If it is just an AR, haul it. (FAL too)

But if its a SCAR, Gallil, or HK you carry it with care.

VD, I'm not insulting the generation of my nieces and nephews,... just you.

Erroneous Publicus · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 60

Ancient Art is pretty close to a sport climb.  Tiny bit of easy jamming with bolted face move cruxes.  Post up on MP for a partner for that route when you hit Moab and you'll likely score a partner with the gear and skill to handle the trad logistics.  

Will McCarthy · · Bend Oregon · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 0

Mexican Hat

Eric D · · Gnarnia · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 235

Here you go Brennan...Kick your feet up, take some deep breaths, and drink a cup... You will feel better.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern Utah Deserts
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