All Locations > Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Big Cottonwood Canyon

Power Plant Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Power Plant

Power Plant Wall 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Wavebreak Wall 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

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Elevation:	5,587 ft	1,703 m
GPS:	40.6247, -111.7527 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	6,530 total · 29/month
Shared By:	Ryan Brough on Nov 19, 2006
Admins:	Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

The Power Plant area consists of two opposing cliffs resting above scrappy rock and brush, seemingly forgotten. It is hard to see from the road unless the leaves have fallen and you know where to look. This is probably best climbed in the Fall, when seepage from Spring runoff is not a problem, and the blazing Summer sun has cooled off. Don't expect any traffic here, some spots on the trail have overgrown with brush. The area would benefit from more consistent climbing, to clean out the occasional loose rock.

Getting There

Park in a small gravel pullout after stairs power plant and before turning the corner. A faint trail leads to a stack of rocks next to a seam in the large green pipe. Climb over pipe and wind through the trees until you reach a boulder field. Turn right and head east along a faint trail to a scree slope. The faint trail heads straight up the scree and turns left west 30 feet before reaching the top of the loose talus. Traverse west to the base of a boulder and after passing the boulder, diagonal towards the cliffs. At this point, some scrambling and route-finding across scrappy shale and loose quartzite is required. Stay close to the cliff on the right for the easiest scrambling. The Power Plant Wall is on the right and a short traverse accoss the quartzite slab lands one at the Wavebreak Wall to the west. Approach time ~15 minutes, descent ~5.