Escalante Canyon Rock Climbing

RAIN, WET ROCK: The sandstone in Escalante Canyon is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Gear placement in wet sandstone also poses a safety concern. Please wait for the rock to dry prior to climbing.

Escalante Canyon is Colorado's version of Indian Creek, the way it used to be. The rock isn't as extensive or solid, but the climbs are sweet.

The rock is sandstone, similar to that in Colorado National Monument which is only about 25 miles away. Approaches are short and crowds are minimal. There is climbing on both sides of the canyon but most of the routes are on the south-facing side. Some areas are on private property. The ranch owner has been open to climbing so long as there are not large groups. When in doubt, ask one of the ranch hands.

The only published guide to the area is in Eric Bjornstad's original Desert Rock Book which is out of print. This underlines the fact that the area has great history that precedes many of the bolting ethics in play today that have taken areas such as Indian Creek by storm.

Many of the routes and/or pitches here do not have bolted anchors. In most cases, this was a conscious decision by the first ascentionists to leave no trace. Please respect the wishes of these pioneers when considering installation of fixed hardware.

If the case arises that the climb seems to hard or unlikely to go to the rim, it is always possible to rap in from the top to retrieve gear to avoid bolting. In many areas, there are evidence of bolting and bolt removal where someone assumed a line was unclimbed and set anchors where in fact there were anchors a short distance higher and out of view.

It should be stressed that these are crack climbs, but Escalante is not Indian Creek. Please respect the history of the area.