Mountain Project: Climbing Saint George

In and around the city of Saint George various small crags exist. This sunny, southwest corner of the state boasts a little of everything, which I have only sampled, but am writing up here to get the ball rolling.

The crags are mostly good, but slightly soft sandstone, sporting crimpers, slopers, pockets and nice corners and a splitter here and there. There are also limestone crags to the south and to the west. There are walls facing in every given direction which can get sun or shade at various times of day, depending on which crag you are at.

Crags such as Chuckawalla Wall, Turtle Wall and Prophesy Wall are almost exclusively sport climbs which may remind climbers of the popular sport areas at Red Rock, NV. Bluff Street Cracks is noted for corners and cracks more reminiscent of Indian Creek. Cougar Cliffs, Black Rocks, Green Valley Gap are mostly sport with a few trad lines of note as well. Snow Canyon State Park has a good mixture of sport and trad.

Limestone areas include the Woodbury Road Crags, Utah Hills Crags, and the Virgin River Gorge.

The town of Saint George has plenty of services and hotels as well as nearby 'improved camping' at Snow Canyon State Park or free camping just outside town on BLM land. With the exception of Snow Canyon State Park and Crawdad Canyon the St. George crags are free access. While there may be no true classic lines on these cliffs worthy of a trip to the area, there are plenty of good routes in the area which could provide several days of climbing fun.

Getting There

The directions for each individual crag will be more telling, but the journey to each starts near St. George Ave (I-15 Exit 8) or Bluff Street (I-15 Exit 6) in Saint George. The area is littered with cliffs, canyons, and crags.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Saint George:

Leopard Skin 5.7 Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 260 feet Snow Canyon State Park : Sand Dunes

Pygmy Alien 5.7 Trad, Sport, 2 pitches, 230 feet Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall

Apostasy 5.10a Sport, 1 pitch Chuckawalla Wall

Sticky Revelations 5.10a Sport, 3 pitches, 210 feet Prophesy Wall

Deface Crack 5.10a Trad, 1 pitch, 55 feet Bluff Street Cracks

Roar of the Greasepaint 5.10a Sport, 2 pitches, 150 feet Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall

Dirtbag 5.10a Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Chuckawalla Wall

Illegal Alien 5.10b Sport, 1 pitch, 140 feet Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall

Moucha 5.10b Sport, 1 pitch, 65 feet Crawdad Canyon (Veyo) : The Flytrap

Galactic Cannibalism 5.10b Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Black Rocks : Sunny Side

Tombstone Bullets 5.10c Sport, 1 pitch, 45 feet Chuckawalla Wall

The Visionaries 5.10c Sport, 2 pitches, 200 feet Prophesy Wall

Living On The Edge 5.10c Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 450 feet Snow Canyon State Park : Aftershock Wall

The Roofs of Jericho 5.10c Sport, 2 pitches, 160 feet Prophesy Wall

Director of Humor Affairs 5.11a Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Turtle Wall

As the Crows Fly 5.11b Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet Chuckawalla Wall

Moral Dilemma 5.11b Sport, TR, 1 pitch, 30 feet Green Valley Gap

Pinching Bird Shit 5.11c Sport, 40 feet Turtle Wall

Mecca 5.11c Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet Chuckawalla Wall

Second Coming 5.12a Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet Chuckawalla Wall

Featured Route For Saint George

1st Pitch: Sandy opening moves lead to big moves on varnish just above the lip of the roof

Living On The Edge 5.10c UT : Saint George : ... : Aftershock Wall

This route is a destination climb, and the finest I have done in Snow Canyon. The pitches are each distinctly different in nature, with 3/4 of them each being 2-to-3 star pitches in its own right. The position of the climb is also great, giving a nice view of the area and plenty of exposure.Hike into Aftershock Wall and find the line of chalk and pins/bolts rising up and left on the right hand edge of a massive arch. P1...[more] Browse More Classics in UT

Comments on Saint George

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By Clay Rardon
From: Durango, CO
Apr 4, 2005

It is pretty lame nobody has entered any of the hundreds of hards routes that are in the saint george area!! Do you all really travel to send, or just to putz around??? Out of all the stellar routes in the area these are all that have been entered!! Whats up????? For instance the VRG is considered a saint george crag and has some of the best routes and rock in the u.s.. Why point people in the direction of black rocks or chuckawalla!! These are good cliffs but no where near the caliber as the gorge... Check it out sometime you might really find a differance!!!

By Clay Rardon
From: Durango, CO
Apr 4, 2005

You don't hurt my feelings.. As a matter of fact I just speak the truth!!! The rock in the gorge is bullet and as good as anything in the u.s... Open your eyes!!! Climbing in the gorge is know differant than climbing in crowded yosemite or zion.. As a matter of fact it is not crowded it is just noisy and if you can overcome that, you will end up stronger all around.. It is a beautiful place.. It is not my fault some congressman decided to put a freeway there!!! Another thing is I love all climbing has to offer! I have climbed routes all over from remote alpine bigwalls to side of the road sport crags. Don't start calling me an A@@hole until you know me... Or at least have gotten your facts straight!!!!! Thanks

By nooky brown
Apr 5, 2005

Just a quick comeback on Clays spray.I fully agree on the quality of stone and routes at the VRG.It must be noted though,if you do not climb 5.12 and your into the whole wilderness experience don't waste your time.

There are some crags within an hour of the VRG that have nice stone/routes/views but in the end its still just sport climbing. (not that there is anything wrong with that)

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Saint George

Description

Getting There

The Classics