Suggest Sport Routes for a first time climber in Moab

Never climbed Moab or southern Utah and a couple of friends and I want to make a trip out there next month. We're only looking for sport routes and would love some suggestions. If anyone knows any tower climbs that are sport that'd be awesome as well.

I am inclined to think not a lot of sport towers in the traditional sense of the word sport

edit: cursory search of this site for 2-10 pitch sport routes in southern Utah returned 1 5.10+ sport “tower” climb.

John Clark wrote:

I am inclined to think not a lot of sport towers in the traditional sense of the word sport

edit: cursory search of this site for 2-10 pitch sport routes in southern Utah returned 1 5.10+ sport “tower” climb.

Bummer, trad is definitely not my thing

Boognish tower? One cam is useful for the top but it’s a well bolted chimney

if you are a sport climber who hasn't done much trad climbing, boognish tower is going to be really hard for the grade.  in general the moab area is going to be problematic if you just sport climb.  potash road (wall street) is pretty much your best bet but the quality of climbing isn't great (and if you aren't used to slippery sandy sandstone with bolts not always where you want them you may be hating life).

Dolofright is like a sport climb

Will Hanahan wrote:

Never climbed Moab or southern Utah and a couple of friends and I want to make a trip out there next month. We're only looking for sport routes and would love some suggestions. If anyone knows any tower climbs that are sport that'd be awesome as well.

What you are looking for (noob friendly sport climbing) basically doesn't exist in Moab. Your reasonable options are: 

1. Hire a guide to take you up a tower (a great experience, and you'll learn a lot, but does cost some money).

2. Go bouldering at Big Bend

3. Skip the climbing and instead enjoy the amazing desert hiking, or MTB, that Moab area offers.

4. Go to another area (such as St George) that offers more extensive sport climbing options.

Looking glass rock 

Learn to use the route finder on Mountain Project. It's a useful tool for questions like this. You'll find some cragging routes that would be good for you and your friends. Post a reply if you are still coming up empty and I'll help point you in the right direction. 

As for towers, I second the notion of hiring a guide. There's plenty of great ones in Moab that could help you out. 

Bolt protected chimney climbing to a small tower with a 3 minute approach.

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

i think when i did root canal a few years ago the bolt protecting the move from the chimney onto the tower was missing or something(?)  for some reason i remember that being more exciting than i thought it would be.  it's hard to tell if it is a good recommendation without knowing a bit more about the OP.  fun little route though!

Randy Vannurden wrote:

Dolofright is like a sport climb

Only different...!  Doesn't meet my definition for sure.  Scary looking route.

Brian in SLC wrote:

Only different...!  Doesn't meet my definition for sure.  Scary looking route.

i think it was a typo and he meant a mort climb.

slim wrote:

i think when i did root canal a few years ago the bolt protecting the move from the chimney onto the tower was missing or something(?)  for some reason i remember that being more exciting than i thought it would be.  it's hard to tell if it is a good recommendation without knowing a bit more about the OP.  fun little route though!

I found it to be very well bolted last spring (April 2022). A slung feature with fixed tat provided even extra protection in addition to bolts. The move onto the tower had a bolt protecting it as well. A tad bit reachy, but I’m on the shorter side of things and didn’t have trouble. Believe it was a new glue in. Maybe had been added since your ascent. MP claims you can A0 the crux. 

JCM wrote:

What you are looking for (noob friendly sport climbing) basically doesn't exist in Moab. Your reasonable options are: 

1. Hire a guide to take you up a tower (a great experience, and you'll learn a lot, but does cost some money).

2. Go bouldering at Big Bend

3. Skip the climbing and instead enjoy the amazing desert hiking, or MTB, that Moab area offers.

4. Go to another area (such as St George) that offers more extensive sport climbing options.

We're only going for a couple days so I think there should be enough for us to enjoy. Talked to some homies that have sport climbed there and they've been giving me suggestions.

slim wrote:

i think when i did root canal a few years ago the bolt protecting the move from the chimney onto the tower was missing or something(?)  for some reason i remember that being more exciting than i thought it would be.  it's hard to tell if it is a good recommendation without knowing a bit more about the OP.  fun little route though!

Looks fun

snewman wrote:

Boognish tower? One cam is useful for the top but it’s a well bolted chimney

Looks hard for a 5.10

Spear of Destiny 5.9 and Pocket Rocket 5.10c are my favorite sport climbs in Moab! Spear of Destiny has a PG-13 rating on MP but I don't understand why, its super tightly bolted.

Will Hanahan wrote:

Looks hard for a 5.10

It is hard if you don't know how to chimney climb or if you're under 5'5". 

justino wrote:

Looking glass rock 

One sparsely bolted 3-pitch 5.4.