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The Fin

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The Fin

Submitted By: Vince Romney on May 20, 2004
Administrators: Andrew Gram, Perin Blanchard
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Pick your poison -- Fin Arete, Dark Horse, or Dors...


Description 

What an awesome, aesthetic crag! I first hiked up to climb the Fin in 1985, wearing my 2nd-hand Fire's. After topping out, I couldn't even fathom that Lowe and McQarrie ascended this in hob-nails back in 1965. Although on private property (which creates a long approach) it is well worth the half-day outing to experience some of the most beautiful granite LCC has to offer. The lines to the top are exposed, run-out, and challenging, the easiest of which is 5.10b/c, but the competent leader will find some truly inspiring climbing. Please respect the landowner's wishes and approach from far up-canyon (see directions), and be extra carefull not to send rocks hurtling downward towards the road and parking area below.


Getting There 

The falcon guide has a good description (but you'll likely get lost in the bushwhacking like everyone else) so I'll paraphrase it here. Park 0.9 miles up canyon from teh neon sign. The Fin is directly east of the LDS Church archives road. This road is strictly off-limits, so bushwhack towards a gully that descends just west of the Fin. Thrash towards the point where this gully meets the parking area (staying out of the parking area of course), and it is here that you join an actual trail. Hike up this gully until you reach a gravelly flat spot just past hte second of three stands of large Box Elder trees (approximately 100 feet up from an enormous boulder. Behind the flat spot is a large, low-angled corner. Scramble up the corner about ten feet, then traverse up and right, passing mahogany trees to the ridge. Turn the ridge and walk up slabs for about 50 feet until a traverse through some small oak brush brings you to the bottom of another set of slabs. On the right side of these slabs, a brush-filled corner is topped by an old, gnarled pine tree. Scramble up to this corner on knobs, then follow the corner up to the base of the climbs. Stepping out of the corner into the brush on the left is unpleasant, but much easier.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Fin:
Hand Drills Suck!   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 140 feet   
The Fin Arete   5.10b R     Trad, 3 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II   
The Dorsal Fin   5.10d     Trad, 4 pitches, 300 feet, Grade II   
Browse More Classics in The Fin

Featured Route For The Fin
The prow on P3, just before joining the Fin Arete. Steeeeeep and runout due to the missing chickenhead.

Dark Horse 5.11 R  UT : Wasatch Range : ... : The Fin
From the 4th bolt on The Fin Arete....[more]   Browse More Classics in UT


Photos of The Fin Slideshow Add Photo
The views from anywhere on the buttress are amazing. Here from the top of P3 on the Fin Arete, looking at the Thumb.

The views from anywhere on the buttress are amazin...

Photo/Topo of the SE face of The Fin.  (This has corrected FA info).

BETA PHOTO: Photo/Topo of the SE face of The Fin. (This has c...


Comments on The Fin Add Comment
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By Stan Pitcher
From: SLC, UT
Mar 17, 2005

Awesome climbing on the Fin! If you're needing some extra adventure, you can climb the ridge directly to the base of the climbs in about 3 or so pitches.

Also a nice link-up is first pitch of Fin Arete and then work right from the belay to join the 2nd pitch of Dark Horse with its stellar arete climbing!! If you have time, you can wrap from there to the base of the Dorsal and do the first pitch on TR if you're a chicken S#it like me!

The third pitch of the Dorsal is one of the best 5.8 pitches anywhere!