Chris and Crisco wanted me to take them climbing at a semi-secret area in the West Desert. I’d climbed there a bunch last year and had pretty much done everything I wanted to do, including about a dozen first ascents (mostly trad, but a couple bolted ones, too). I wanted to go biking in Moab, but Chris and Crisco overruled.
The rock at this place is really neat. It’s orange granite. Except that it’s really porous granite unlike anything else I’ve seen or climbed on. Crisco mentioned that it almost looks like a pumice/granite combination. Weird. But it’s really featured and has good friction.
After a nice two hour drive, we pulled up to the dome and did a two pitch 5.8. It was a lot of fun. I led the first pitch and it was a funky groove thing. Crisco led the second and it was more of the same—though my pitch was better. The weather was perfect and the climbing was fun. We rapped down and went to one of the smaller domes. We did a 5.8 crack, a 5.7 crack, and a 5.9 bolted face route. All of the routes were mine from last year. Then Crisco wanted to leave (Rainier all over again!) so we packed up.
Me taking off on the first pitch of the two pitch route.
Looking up the first pitch.
This is a freaking awesome picture. See me in the middle there? How can you see a pic like this and not want to climb?!
Me and Crisco.
Chris on the 5.8++ crack. Short but fun.
Beautiful place, huh?
Me on my bolted 5.9 slab route.