Castleton Tower

Some friends and I got shutdown on Kor-Ingalls a bit ago because it got dark. I struggled a lot with the last half of the third pitch, The chimney. I was wondering if anyone had some beta?

Also hows the weather in castle valley in the spring?

Do you mean the crux at the old bolt where the crack goes offwidth? (the old bolt was placed by Kor if I am not mistaken, and used for aid)

If so, get out of the crack and use the edge of it for a semi-layback as you use the very slick footholds (that slick coating was deposited by ancient mineralized hot water flowing through the cracks, thus hardening and preserving the tower).

Be prepared for how insecure and slick the footholds are. Once you are past the constriction, get back inside the chimney.

Will,
I can't remember the beta as I haven't done that line in about 18 years. It seemed like pretty straight forward chimney technique, but that could be tough in the impending darkness.
The weather in Castle valley is great in late March, April and early May. For that matter, it is probably great there right now!

Squeeze chimney techniques:
A) The Chuckawalla
1 Inhale to expand and wedge torso, move hands and feet.
2 Exhale to contact and move torso up.
3 Repeat process.

B) The Inchworm.
1) Set back on one side, feet and hands on the other
2) Arch back with shoulders set, movve butt up
3) push butt against wall and straighen back to move up shoulders
4) Repeat steps #2 and #3 until it becomes necessary to move up the feet and hands.
5) Repeat process

C) The Wigglin' Worm
1) Set back on one side, feet and hands on the other
2) Arch back to move butt up
3) Put pressure on right shoulder blade & shift left shoulderblade up.
4) Put pressure on left shoulder blade & shift right shoulderblade up.
5) Return to step #2

D) Frog legs/Dog legs (Depends a lot on hip flexibility)
Combination of the above, but get your heals together and spread your knees. The tension in the lower body from the insides of the knees in front of you and your butt and heals behind should keel you aloft.

Lots more. But these are the most entertaining. Footstacks, etc- everyone talks about those already.

I got shut down there as well, and actually LIKE offwidth (that's what I say on the ground, at least) and felt the crack was so slick that squeeze chimneying would not work. and sport climbing up super slick edges just isn't my thing... the chimney itself was fun up to that point. what did they bring for aid after that bolt - a big 2x4??

Will and Jeremy, it's been more than 20 years...but I straight liebacked the 3rd pitch, and as I recall, cheated and grabbed the bolt in order to clip it, then resumed liebacking. 5.9 sounded right, but with a very high fear factor. The details have faded, but I'm pretty sure I liebacked to the top. If it gets too wide and that's impossible...then I only remember the part that scared me, which apparently wasn't the chimneying--which used to be commonplace for old school tradboys. :)

climb the north chimney. the kor ingalls hurts no matter how you do it. there is a lot of blood in that chimney on the 3rd pitch and it is the slickest one ive ever climbed. the kor-ingalls has historical value but ive heard that the north chimney is a way better route if your prepared to build anchors.

For whatever it's worth, we thought the N Chimney was a noticeably harder route, despite conventional wisdom. But maybe the pro was more straightforward if you have a big cam for the second pitch. K-I has very nice ledges, too. Go back with more time and I bet you can struggle up the thing. Having the clock running is very unnerving. N Chimney now has a set of modern bolts at the top of the first pitch.

As I remember it the OW is Pretty straight forward to the now 2 bolts. Come out of the chimney and face climb a couple moves on the calcite and enter the chimney at the wedged block (plus there was gear at the block) and continue to have a blast up the chimney. Some small gear just as you pull around to the anchors.