Space Tower is not the most obvious of towers, nor the tallest, nor the boldest, nor is is especially well known. It is simply an excellent summit with a very fun route leading up. The tower, located shortly before Kane Creek Valley at the Ice Cream Parlor area, is more a pillar, although from base to summit it IS no doubt completely detached. Locate it across the canyon from the the Ice Cream Parlor Crack and Good Day to Die. Park at the little campground, and find primitive paths across the creek bead that lead north west up to an old road. Follow the road a bit, but then angle up towards the bottom right of the east side of the tower. The base of the route is the right side of the tower.
Getting There
Driving time from Moab is approximately 15 minutes. To access Space Tower, turn off Highway 191 in Moab near McDonald's on Kane Creek Drive. Follow Kane Creek Drive down the Colorado River canyon (don't miss the left angled turn). The road will head away from the Colorado River and meander up Kane Springs Canyon... go up, follow switchbacks down, pass the spring, drive through a dry wash (dry most of the time) and finally you'll reach the Ice Cream Parlor area. If the canyon opens up to a wide valley, go back to the narrow canyon because you passed it.
This is a really fun route - wild stemming!! Its also cool in that since your placing gear on both walls with (hopefully) long slings, when your looking down the rope is dangling in space 3 feet from either wall!
I for one did not enjoy this route. After the crack runs out, you have about 20 feet to the bolt and a fall would be sure bone breaker(head, neck, back, etc.) The first ascent was done without the bolt and made a good 40 foot runout. Be aware of the stemming when you traverse on the finger crack. If you don't, it goes free at about 5.11-5.11+. I learned that one the hard way!
Hmmm.. I remember a traverse right to the bolt, protected by several small cams just before the crack died out. It seemed at the time that if the cams held, the fall would be safe, but the rock had lost its varnish and become very soft by that point, so I didn't trust them. Still, the hardest part seemed to me to be above the bolt, and that was also scary.
That aside, I loved "Hallow Souls" (the actual route name). The climbing is totally wild, mostly full-body stemming, and I haven't done anything else like it.
This is a fun route, but the 5.9 grade is a bit deceiving. A 5.9 leader should not try and take this on as a fall will likely have you hitting either the tower or the main wall. There is a good anchor and new chains on top.
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