PRINT: Rock Climb Past Lives, Southwest Utah

Past Lives

5.9, Sport, 180 ft (55 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 3 from 253 votes
FA: T.Goss, M. Wells
Utah > Southwest Utah > Saint George > Prophesy Wall

Access Issue: Do not camp on the land below and west of the crag. It is private property and is now posted. Details

Continue down the road about another mile toward the double camelback formation near Gunlock. This is BLM owned land, and offers parking and dispersed camping where you won't be the guy to get the Prophesy closed to climbing.

Description

Another fun moderate multipitch route on Prophecy Wall, Past Lives offers good climbing on the varnished holds typical of other routes at Prophecy. The route faces north and goes up a pillar that is separated from the main wall. The route trends slightly left for the entire length.

Pitch 1 - (5.9, 80 feet, 9 bolts) Start of the base of the pillar and climb up and trend slightly left. Belay ledge midway up the pillar on two rappel bolts.

Pitch 2 - (5.9, 80 feet, 9 bolts) Continue up pillar past tricky crux with small holds to the top of the pillar. Belay bolts are just below the lip of the pillar.

Pitch 3 - (5.7, 25 feet - 3 bolts) Step off top of the pillar to main wall and climb to the top of main wall.

Descent - 3 rappels down route with a 60 meter rope. The first rappel is fairly straight forward to the top of the pillar. The second rappel drops you straight down the wide chasm between the pillar and the main wall, however. For the last 30 feet you're hanging free of the rock. You'll end up left of the belay ledge and need to push off the main wall with the left leg and make a small leap to the right to get to the last rappel station. Third rappel is basic.

Location

Past Lives is located on the right third of Prophecy Wall, directly right of a black water streak. From the main trail head south at a large sandy area up the wash to a series of ramps. Scramble up the ramps to the base of the north facing pillar that is separated from the main wall.

Protection

9 bolts, plus rappel bolts.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

May 2022

may 2022

Taylor enjoying the exposure - pulling along the side of the little roof - just before the top of pitch two.

Past Lives

Looking down from the top of the second pitch

Rappelling down the second pitch of Past Lives

Colin leading the final pitch of Past Lives with our beast of a chariot in the background.

Getting my beard stuck in my helmet buckle at the top of the last pitch.

Looking down from the top

Alex enjoying Past Lives.

Midway up pitch 2

Belaying from pitch 2

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

tenesmus

What are the routes just left of this in the shady alcove? They look very interesting. Nov 6, 2007

jtwalter
Orem, UT

5.9

There's a pretty wide section of the main wall to the left of Past Lives that are listed as 'projects' in the guide book, including the black water streak. However, I did see bolts in that shady area you mention. I don't have any personal experience there but I'm sure that Outdoor Outlet would have information if they've been completed. Nov 7, 2007

Perin Blanchard
Orem, UT

With a 70m rope you can get down with a single rap from the top of the second pitch. You end up on a ledge from which you downclimb about 25 feet of 3rd class terrain. Nov 18, 2007

Jared R

This route is super fun. There is a fun crux on the first pitch as well as the second pitch. The third pitch is cool because you have to lean over a 15-20ft chasm to get onto the main wall. Super cool! Do it. Nov 11, 2009

Garret Nuzzo Jones
Salt Lake City, UT

5.9

Great exposure and positive holds make this an excellent climb. Pretty well protected and has excellent clipping stances. The third pitch is neat, but clocks in at maybe 5.5 and is very short. Jan 11, 2013

Tara Hansen

Climbed the first 2 pitches of this route, it was getting dark so we opted out of the 3rd pitch. P1 was a fun TR for me with the reachy crux (I'm short so most things seem reachy) P2 I lead & was my favorite climb of the day! Super fun exposure on small edges and some side pulls, but I was not a fan of the belay station at the top (very small shelf). Mar 31, 2014

Austin Harris
Rifle CO

very fun and safe. sustained 5.8 climin with a few good 5.9 moves Apr 25, 2014

Garrett Carter
SL, UT

5.9

Great climb with awesome view. Easy straightforward climbing with fairly comfortable belays. Jan 25, 2016

Bnasty

5.9+

Love this route! There are two specific moves I believe are 5.9+. The rap down from pitch 2 anchors with a 70 meter rope is gorgeous! Be careful pulling the rope, we didn't have any problems but it looks like there are so many places to get a rope stuck. Mar 29, 2016

Logan Freiburg
Illinois - Missouri

5.9-

You can easily walk off the top. The hike down is quite beautiful but fairly long. Apr 26, 2017

Tony B

5.8+

Really fun climbing! Personally, I would call it a 5.8, but that’s just me. The exposed crux in the middle of the second pitch is fun and also has an easy bypass to the left if you don’t do well on thinner holds. Clip the bolt, down-climb a foot or two and run up the bulge on the left. We took the beta above and used a 70m rope for a two-rap decent. The belay/rap bolts on top of pitch two drop you perfectly into the chasm, right above the little tree. All-in-all, super fun climb and you shouldn’t leave the Prophacy Wall without trying it! Apr 23, 2018

S. M. Q.

Enjoyed the climb but was a bit uneasy about the 2nd to last bolt on pitch two, which was on a giant flake that isn't really attached to the main wall by anything except gravity.

Also, rookie mistake - left our sandwiches in the bag at the base and a squirrel had a nice lunch. Ate a hole right through our bag. Won't do that again! May 25, 2018

Audra Disparti

combined the 2nd and 3rd pitches and it was an awesome climb--especially with the little hop to the main rock wall from the pillar. That route got my 4 stars. first pitch (which friend lead) was alright with a cruxy mantle.

Rappeled from 3rd pitch to 1st pitch with 70 meter rope and barely made it. Sketchy but super fun to swing from the main rock to the pillar where the 1st pitch anchor is. Make sure you tie some well dressed stopper knots. May 29, 2018

Ben Blake
Ogden, UT

We linked the last 2 (1.25) pitches. We tailed an extra 60m rope, and we repelled from the top anchor all the way to the bottom of the route. Tons of drag pulling the rope, but made for a pretty great repel. Would not do it any other way (unless of course you only have one rope). Sep 3, 2020

Phil Levin
Oakland, CA

5.9

recommend doing this in 3 raps, even though you could do it in 2. There is so much friction if you go from top of pitch 3 to top of pitch 1 that you will have a hard time pulling the rope. Mar 9, 2021

Dylan Gene
Liberty Lake, WA

On the top of the second pitch, the left anchor bolt wiggles a bit with body weight. Apr 16, 2022

Michael Bee
NorCal

Here the rappel beta for a 70m rope: Get to the anchor at top of the second pitch. Tie some stopper knots and rap all the way down the chimney-ish on your left as you face the wall. Down-climb the last 20 feet of 3rd/4th class. Then, we slung the tree near the base of the route and did another full rappel on the 70 meter down the dirty gulley to terra firma. Fast and easy and avoided the ‘PG-13’ final downclimb part. May 2, 2022

Misha Stemkovski
Logan, UT

Using both quick links at the top anchors for rappelling can get your rope stuck. I recommend rappelling off of just the one, big quick link. Also, there's little need to split pitches 2 and 3. Use an alpine sling on the first bolt of pitch 3 (or back clean it) and there will be little rope drag. Jan 3, 2025