PRINT: Rock Climbing in Tanners Gulch, Little Cottonwood Canyon

Tanners Gulch

Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Little Cottonwood Canyon

Access Issue: Gate Buttress Area Recreational Lease: Climbs on Church Buttress above vault remain closed Details

Climbers Partner with LDS Church on Stewardship of Little Cottonwood Canyon Climbing

June 1st, 2017:The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Access Fund announce the signing of an unprecedented lease for 140 acres in Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC). The parcel, known as the Gate Buttress, is about one mile up LCC canyon and has been popular with generations of climbers because of its world-class granite.

The agreement secures legitimate access to approximately 588 routes and 138 boulder problems at the Gate Buttress for rock climbers, who will be active stewards of the property. The recreational lease is the result of several years of negotiations between LDS Church leaders and the local climbing community.

Access Note: The climbs on the Church Buttress above the vault as well as the Glen boulders that have been traditionally closed will remain closed.
Please help us steward this area and leave no trace.

Read More:

saltlakeclimbers.org/climbe…

SLCA and AF recreational leased area on LDS Church land

Description

Tanners Gulch had one route published in 1996 when the Ruckman guidebook was released. Today it holds enough routes to keep one busy for a season. The rock is broken and dirty in some places, other places the rock is absolutely killer.

The gulch runs north/south. The majority of the routes face East so morning sun is sure bet. There is one wall that faces West so chasing sun is an option. However the gulch goes into the shadows around 3pm in the summer and 2pm in the fall.

In the Winter and Spring months avalanche hazard may be an issue. The gulch is fed by the massive upper headwall in Tanners, only go if the snowpack is stable, not much running room in that gulch if it were to avalanche.

Once you get up into the guts of the gulch footing becomes loose and the talus unstable in places, watch your step. In the melting months we have heard and seen rocks whizzing and flying by, this place is about as alpine one can get this close to the LCC road.

The views are unbeatable up here. You have the mighty Pfeifferhorn, Red Stack, White/Red Baldy peaks to the south. And the sounds of traffic are dim.

While climbing in the area we ran across 2 pieces of webbing, the only sign of climbers. One was found on the Phillip Drummond Ledge on the route Diff'rent Strokes, the other was found on the Hidden Heavenly Slab around the pine tree in the left corner. Both appeared to be left from routes that follow big broken corner systems, but if you have any info please share it!

Getting There

Drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon (HWY 210). Follow the signage to Tanners Campground, once you get to the campground go another 100 yards up the road and park on the large shoulder before the bend (east side of road). Across the HWY at the bend is a UDOT sign indicating Tanners Slide Path, walk behind this sign, there is a trail here. Follow the trail (faint in some spots) to the drainage, drop down in and walk up the gulch. There seems to be a better trail on the West side of the stream.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Some of the best crag views in the Wasatch.

What the gulch used to look like before the summer of 2012. It was a nice approach.

Hottest day of the year with Bryce Perkins, below North of Heaven.

The correct name of this geological feature is "Tanner Gulch".

Luke Douglas coming out of the moat in a heavy snow year (mid 2000's)

Brian Smoot in his glory.

The trailhead

This is totally a guess, made with low-google-earth-skill. If this is even close to correct, the hike into the Hidden Heavenly slab is about .76 miles and about a thousand feet of loose, boulder st…

Looking up Tanners

Looking down after all hell broke loose. Nothing like being in a tight canyon when hail and lightening and pouring rain and snow are all knocking rocks down.

looking up before all hell breaks loose

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

zoso

The routes here are pretty incredible. Many do have goofy 1st pitches, but not all. Once you get past the 1st 50' or so, the rock is almost always perfect. Additionally, the climbs are very unique for the canyon; angular holds with slabs and roofs and interesting moves. And you can't beat the setting. Approach is quick @ 15-20 minutes for all but the lazy. Great Summer crag as it stays cool most of the time, sun or shade.

But don't tell anyone. Aug 22, 2012

Peter W
Salt Lake City

The sun deck boulder isn't quite as obvious as it once must have been. Natural shifting of boulders through erosion/avalanche etc, has deposited a number of microwave sized blocks on top, making it less "decky". It still is the first large boulder you come across as the gulch starts to close in from the approach trail--west side of the stream. Aug 10, 2014

tsaint

Was midway up minions of chaos about 3 weeks ago and had 10-20 second period of rocks to microwave size boulders flying down from overhead. Tyler Philips comment from 2014 is still very relevant. Wear a helmet and be aware. Jul 25, 2018

Stevie Nacho
Utah

You also need to tell everybody about the loose or bad anchors, yet you did nothing about them Aug 20, 2020

Tony Calderone
Granite, UT

This area is called "Tanner Gulch", not "TannerS Gulch". Jul 9, 2021

Tyler Phillips
Cottonwood Heights, UT

No it's not Tony. It is indeed Tanners. You should drive past the Gate Buttress one day. Jul 30, 2021

Perin Blanchard
Orem, UT

Well, actually (yes, I'm being *that* guy :-) on the USGS topos it's labeled as "Tanner Gulch". However, the road sign indicates "Tanners Snow Avalanche Area" and the campground is "Tanners Flat Campground". Go figure. Jul 30, 2021

Tyler Phillips
Cottonwood Heights, UT

Well actually (being this guy) it's called Tanners because of the developers :) and the highway sign helps tell you as well. Jul 30, 2021

Perin Blanchard
Orem, UT

Touché :-) Jul 30, 2021

zoso

Ya the rain today is a bitch Tony.

Here’s the quote in case it disappears:

“ This well-known geological feature was named Dromedary Gulch in 1886. It was renamed "Tanner Gulch" in 1929 by the United States Geological Survey. The gulch's namesake comes from a person with the last name of "Tanner", not "Tanners". "Tanners Gulch" is a name completely made up for the first time in 2017 by Tyler Phillips, Andrew Burr and someone else who... coincidentally?... decided to change their name. None of them seem to know where Maybird Gulch, Thunder Mountain or ANY of the formations in Bell Canyon are either. Campgrounds (not even located in this gulch) and avalanche slide areas are not the gulch. There is a ski resort, with a sign, named Snowbird nearby too. That does not justify calling it Snowbird Gulch.

I get it. You never did the research. Who needs to use everyone else's name for a place when you are the great Tyler Phillips? You can just rename it whatever you want because of who you think you are or some awesome project you sent last year. Many of these places were named nearly 100 years before you came along and decided to call them something different. Why can't you just admit you made a mistake? The Ruckmans and Mike Beck misnamed places that were named long ago too. (Bell's Canyon? No such place.) Nobody is perfect.

Maybe you caught a disease from Dave Bingham. That guy was so stubborn he refused to correct the formation he misnamed Rabbit Rock... even after he was shown he was wrong. Instead he called the correct formation "Real Rabbit Rock" and kept calling the mistaken formation (named by settlers over 100 years ago) Rabbit Rock.

The worst part is that the admins are not even correcting this when they have been shown this area is incorrectly named.” Oct 22, 2022

Tyler Phillips
Cottonwood Heights, UT

Tony Calderone aka Mountain Dreamer aka Michale Larue aka LCC Climber aka Un Canceled (with two L's) Wrote: "I get it. You never did the research. " Coming from the guy who is cranking out fictional picture "guidebooks" this is rich.

Cheers. Oct 24, 2022

Boissal .
Small Lake, UT

Tyler dontcha know the double L spelling is the British version and as such is much more refined and distinguished??

I love that Tony stewed on this since mid-2021 before coming back with his usual inane drivel. Dude is rocking the anti cancel culture moniker while complaining that the admins won't do anything about his little problem, that's gotta be worth a few hypocrisy points? Oct 24, 2022

Boissal .
Small Lake, UT

People who don't have anything attached to their name other than a shady history of lies, deception, delusion, paranoia, etc... will always resort to petty arguments about meaningless bullshit. It is all they have.

Nice edit btw, some things never change I see. Cancel yourself please. Nov 9, 2022