The BLM office in Monticello has asked the Friends of Indian Creek to remind climbers that there is a 14-day limit on camping on BLM Land. The F.O.I.C. understands that there is a bit of a history of staying in the Creek for far longer, but heavy climber-traffic in the area has made the BLM take notice of this tradition. Be aware that overstaying the 14-day limit makes climbers look as if we feel the rules don't apply to us and thus has an effect on long-term access. Moving your campsite throughout the season, or perhaps finding a site outside the main Indian Creek area, will not only help smooth relations with the BLM, but will also keep you from possibly getting hit with a fine.
This route was put up by Josh Smith and Sam Gardner in Spring 2007. It's worth the extra hike from 9 Lives, particularly if it's hot. This route will see shade most of the day. It's not a mega classic, but extremely fun. There is a pillar at the base of the route. We climbed the left hand side. It's fingers and a couple of hand pods for the first 40 feet. The bottom is a bit sandy and soft, but the rest of the route is quite solid. The pillar ends in a good stance. Five or seven feet of offwidth takes you to the thin hands section. A #4 might be useful. The remainder of the pitch crack is quite wavy, varying from .75 to #2 Camalots. The waves make it reasonable, but it's got quite a lot of solid 11- on it.
We'd love to hear about a second ascent and if others liked it as much as we did!
Location
This route is midway between the Cat Wall and Broken Tooth, but it's a bit closer to the Cat Wall. Go well past 9 Lives until the wall begins to bend towards Broken Tooth. Look for the tall, clean dihedral. There's a plaque at the bottom. The hike from either Broken Tooth (the climb) or Nine Lives might take ten minutes.
Protection
Fingers to hands with an emphasis on .75 to #1 Camalots. It's 180 feet, so gear accordingly. The anchor is 2 3/8" bolts.
RSS Feed
