Mountain Project: Climbing Moab Area

Arches National Park is an amazing place to climb. The area has everything - serious multipitch towers, easy one pitch towers, and hard cracks on long buttresses. Best of all, routes in Arches are usually only a few hundred feet from the road so the approaches are casual.

Most of the routes here are on Entrada sandstone, which is much softer than the Wingate found at Indian Creek. It often fractures vertically so there are a lot of splitters, but they are much sandier than in other parts of the desert. On aid routes, avoid nailing whenever possible as the incredibly soft stone doesn't hold up well to abuse.

This area sees a lot of tourists, and since most of the routes are very near the road climbers must maintain as low a profile as possible. As always in the desert, approach climbs via washes to avoid trampling cryptobiotic soil. Some areas are closed seasonally for nesting, so check in at the visitors center before climbing. Finally, this is a national park, so be prepared for the entrance fee.

Water is available at the visitors center. Moab is only a few miles south, and there is lots of camping on BLM land along River Road or near Moab. There is a national park campground in Arches, but I've never stayed there so I can't vouch for it.

Getting There

From Moab, drive north along US 191 to the turn off for Arches National Park. Arches is only a few miles out of town. All climbs are accessed from this entrance - pick up a map at the visitors center. The map has most of the formations marked on it.

The Classics

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

Zenyatta Entrada 5.4 C3 Aid, Grade IV Tower of Babel

West Chimney 5.6 Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet Bullwinkle Tower

Learning Curve 5.7 Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 120 feet Sunshine Wall : Sunshine Wall Routes

Northeast Chimney 5.7 R Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet Off Balanced Rock

Tezcatlipoca 5.7 Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 40 feet Sunshine Wall : Sunshine Wall Routes

Melanoma Shuffle 5.8+ Sport, 1 pitch, 140 feet Sunshine Wall : Sunshine Wall Routes

Owl Rock (west crack) 5.8+ Trad Owl Rock

Love Hurts 5.9 Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 120 feet Sunshine Wall : Sunshine Wall Routes

Regular Route, Devil's Golfball 5.9 A2- Trad, Aid, 1 pitch, 100 feet Devil's Golf Ball

Chinese Eyes 5.9+ Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet The Great Wall

Science Friction 5.9+ PG13 Sport, 1 pitch, 160 feet Sunshine Wall : Sunshine Wall Routes

Virgin Wool 5.10- C2+ Trad, Aid, 5 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III Sheep Rock

Heart of the Desert 5.10c Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet Park Avenue

Right Chimney 5.10+ Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet The Three Penguins

West Face 5.11 Trad, Grade III The Three Gossips

West Face 5.11 Trad, 3 pitches, 250 feet, Grade II Argon Tower

Featured Route For Arches

On route to the summit. Photo; Todd Gordon

North Gorge Route 5.4 A1 UT : Moab Area : ... : Elephant Butte

There is a vague discription of this route in Desert Rock;...this is more of an "adventure" than a climb. There is route finding, decisions, questions, trail and error, and maybe even luck to get to the summit;...which is the objective of this adventure. There is a small bolt ladder to ascend, a rappel or two, lots of scrambling, perhaps batman a short fixed rope....all sorts of stuff. Go for it!...[more] Browse More Classics in UT

Photos of Arches

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BETA PHOTO: Courthouse Tower in Arches	Double Arch. Photo by Blitzo.	Delicate Arch. Photo by Blitzo.
Arches at night. Photo by Blitzo.	Sunrise. Photo by Blitzo.	The Organ. Photo by Blitzo.
Arch and sun. Photo by Blitzo.	Towel Head. Photo by Blitzo.	Park Ave.-Arches National Park. Photo by Blitzo.
I didn't think I'd find a good photo that Blitzo h...	Delicate Arch Photo: Dave Fiorucci	Argon Tower Photo by: Frosty Weller
Park Avenue - Tower of Babel, Argon Spire, Jello T...	not sure of the name of this one, seen from tower ...	Delicate Arch, 2003?
I think this is "Double Arch", Arches NP.	Sunset in Arches NP... Photo Credit: Harlan Humph...

Comments on Arches

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By George Bell
From: Boulder, CO
Mar 22, 2002

I find this a scary place to climb, due to the sandy rock. I've never seen very many climbers in the Park. When you do see climbers, they are usually on the Three Penguins, Heart of the Desert, or Owl Rock. I find it more relaxing to wander around and marvel at all the arches.

By Jay Brown
Aug 31, 2002

the northeast arete of Argon tower is an excelant climb that is a little stiff.weird and possibly dangerous first entry pitch.the best part is the exposed tips layback on the second(real) pitch after the off-width pitch.

sick!!!!

By Anonymous Coward
Sep 4, 2002

Has anyone done the aid route about 50 feet right of Heart of the Desert? I and a friend, Baker Bent, did it in the spring of '94, there was no evidence anyone had done it before (we drilled the baby angle anchors). There were some significant sections of very thin pins, a few beaks, and a hook move, and since then I believe park policy has changed so that all aid must be hammerless. It's a great line, really splitter cracks up to about finger size(we aided, but sections would certainly go free) and some spicy thin sections. Unfortunately, we stopped after the third pitch, as I had to be back at work, or something lame like that. At any rate, I think it might go clean with some thin cam hooks and some of the smaller micro cams/tiny wires, but would certainly have some pucker-factor. It awaits a full ascent, to my knowlege. I told Crusher about it a few years ago, but I didn't detect much interest from him at the time. Anyone done it, or care to? I'd love to hear, as i always wondered what's become of it.

davef@climbhigh.com

By Anonymous Coward
Sep 27, 2004

Inside Arches what are some good bouldering routes? thanks. FYI - I'm not really an anoymous coward, I just signed up and my name won't be in the database until tomorrow :)

By Andrew Gram
Administrator
From: Denver, CO
Sep 28, 2004

There really aren't any inside the park, and if you explore keep in mind that chalk is a no no in the park. There are some decent boulders along 191 near Arches, and lots of good bouldering at Big Bend along River Road.

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Arches

Description

Getting There

The Classics