Difficulty rating - Utah vs Yosemite

Hi all. I'll be making my first climbing trip to Utah (likely Moab and/or LCC) in the fall. Would love your perspective on the difficulty ratings (ie level of sand bagging) in the desert. As a reference point, would be great compare climbs in Utah to those in the Yosemite Valley where I do most of my outdoor climbing. If you've climbed both areas, I would very much appreciate your thoughts. Thanks a bunch.

I can only speak for Indian Creek, haven't climbed at LCC. But I have found at the Creek I can send harder than on granite by at least half a number grade. I have heard others voice the same opinion. Maybe it is just that the climbing and gear is so straight forward, just strenuous.

I have always found the grades in LCC to be pretty similar to Yosemite. The Desert is comparing apples and oranges.... the difficulty and type of seriousness is just .... different. If you can climb 5.10 in Yosemite then you can probably climb 5.10 in the desert, just tap those holds first and consider the soft rock when placing pro.

I'd say it totally depends on the grade as well. If you can climb 5.8 in the Valley, good for you...there are no 5.8's at Indian Creek (mostly). Yosemite has way more moderate routes than the Creek or the Moab area in general, however, if you can climb the grade, the desert is probably softer, but if you've never climbed on sandstone, there is a learning curve.

LCC is pretty comparable to the Valley.

ditto what mike said. your first couple days at the creek might be a little "WTF" as you get used to the bare bones crack climbing. but once you get in the groove, it starts to feel a couple (edit:letter, not number) grades easier than comparably graded granite cracks.

As previously mentioned if you are used to climbing on granite the creek or Moab will feel MUCH different. After my 3rd trip out to the area I finally started feeling comfortable with how it works. After the first trip I still didn't trust the feet it just took time. Hitting up Potash road or the Ice Cream Parlor first is an excellent way to get a sample in an easier environment.

The jams on windgate are typically smooth and parallel, whereas in Yosemite, the grain is rougher and the cracks more featured. I found Yosemite to be more about hard moves than pump based on the brief experience there with crack climbing this year. CLimbs like Serentiy Crack or South By Southwest had "boulder problems" but they felt secure. In I.C./Potash/desert cracks I usually find that none of the moves are terribly hard until you hit 5.12, but that you just get tired after doing the same move so many times.

Thanks to all for your great advice on Utah climbing. Looks like I'll be taking it easy for at least the first couple of days til I get some feel for sandstone.

Also, thanks for the rec on Potash Road and Ice Cream Parlor. If you have other recs on good desert starter areas with routes 5.9 and easier, that would be very much appreciated.

Take care all and happy climbing!

oops, should say 'letter'. good catch proof-reader guy. aren't you, like, wasting away in margaritaville? did you put up that route? where is it?

I don't know. I've climbed throughout the west, and quite a bit in Yosemite. On my first IC trip, I had my ass handed to me.

30 Seconds Over Potash (5.8) was a lot of fun. The one just to the left of it was also pretty cool (5.10?).