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Mystery Towers & Top of the World Overlook Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Mystery Towers & Top of the World Overlook

Aliens, The 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 2

Atlas, The 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1

Baby Alien 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1

Citadel 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 3

Doric Column 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 0 / 0 / 4

Gothic Nightmare 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 0 / 0 / 4

Hunchback, The 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1

Merrymen Tower 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Top of the World Overlook 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Explore this area in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	5,714 ft	1,742 m
GPS:	38.7191, -109.2836 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	52,750 total · 205/month
Shared By:	Josh Janes on Oct 4, 2004
Admins:	slim, Cory N, Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane, Nathan Fisher Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Access Issue: RAIN, WET ROCK and RAPTOR CLOSURES: The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Also please ask and be aware of Raptor Closures in areas such as CAT WALL and RESERVOIR WALL in Indian Creek Details

WET ROCK: Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN MOAB during or after rain.

RAPTOR CLOSURES: please be aware of seasonal raptor closures. They occur annually in the spring.

Description

Seeing the Mystery Towers for the first time is an awe-inspiring experience. One gets the sense of something sacred: perhaps only a tiny portion of the human population has ever laid eyes on them, even though they are less than a mile northeast of the Fisher Tower parking lot!

Layton Kor, Huntley Ingalls, and George Hurley were probably the first (climbers) to discover them - from the summit of the Titan in 1962. After some unsuccessful attempts, the Doric Column and the Citadel were first summitted by Hurley in 1969; a year later the Gothic Nightmare was conquered by Bill Forrest and Don Briggs. Since then, many new routes and smaller towers were climbed by these guys as well as Rob Slater, Keith Reynolds, Alan Stevenson, Matt Laggis, Crusher, Tony Wilson, Kevin Chase, Duane Raleigh, and others.

The towers are Cutler Sandstone (the Fisher stuff), capped by Moenkopi. Of the Doric Column, Hurley said "Belaying in a vertical flute in this rock is like standing below a loading spout at a sand and gravel works." Expect mud or dry mud, advanced and innovative aid, including but not limited to, bat hooks, ring angle claws, beaks and peckers, fishhooks, bugaboos, warthogs, ice axe tosses, dwarf tosses, and general lassoing skills.

Enjoy!

Getting There

Viewable from the top of the Titan or Top of the World Overlook, but accessible from the Onion Creek road (see that description). Check out Bjornstad's "Desert Rock III" for a detailed description of the approach and a general topo of the area.

18 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Mystery Towers & Top of the World Overlook

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a A2+ 5 ● The Forrest/Briggs Indirect ( T… Aid 4 pitches Citadel
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c A3 4 ● The Wait of the World Trad, Aid 6 pitches Atlas
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a A2+ 5 ● Something Wicked This Way Comes Aid 6 pitches Gothic Nightmare
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 5 ● Cooler than Jesus Trad 3 pitches Top of the World Over…