PRINT: Climb Circus Trick, Southeast Utah

Circus Trick

V6, Boulder,

Avg: 3.8 from 129 votes
FA: ????
Utah > Southeast Utah > River Rd > Big Bend Boulde… > Chaos Boulder

Access Issue: RAIN, WET ROCK and RAPTOR CLOSURES: The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Also please ask and be aware of Raptor Closures in areas such as CAT WALL and RESERVOIR WALL in Indian Creek Details

WET ROCK: Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN MOAB during or after rain.

RAPTOR CLOSURES: please be aware of seasonal raptor closures. They occur annually in the spring.

Description

This is the arete just in sight at the right edge of the photo below, on the biggest boulder in Big Bend. Cool moves on decent holds, especially from the sit start, lead to a hard throw to a bad hold, and another hard throw to the huge jug at the lip. Very, very cool.

Protection

The landing is good, a pad is nice but not necessary if you have a spotter.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The Circus Trick, shot from above, by Noah Bigwood Big Bend Rating: V3 standing/ V4 sitting Real world: add a V or two

finally sticking the move!

Circus Trick

With a name like Circus Trick,... a good show always contains fun and focus.....

Paul Pierce crouches for the action.

now that's a lot of fun!

What a circus

Broken hold laying under the climb

it gets hot here

Super fun problem.

moving to the flat hold on 'circus trick'

Hold on! What a great V4.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Tristan Perry

The dyno on Circus Trick is one of the coolest moves I've ever experienced in climbing. The sit start doesn't really make the problem any harder, I think, as the crux is all about getting to that lip...it's really hard to stick any way you do it. The short persons' beta is viciously awkward and core-strength intensive. Footwork is tough. The dyno can be done from the two sideways-spaced jugs to avoid the tough move. Of course it's a little longer flight, so I really don't know what is harder. Done this way, the crux is hanging on to the lip as you swing out (you have to jump backwards quite a bit). Sick, sick, sick move! SO GOOD! Aug 22, 2007

Christian "crisco" Burrell
PG, Utah

Sandbag is right! We were all dropping off this over and over again. Then a guy in our group who sends V8 on a regular basis jumped on it and proceeded to fall of three straight times before he got it. Sheesh! Jan 27, 2010

Reedrombo
Home is where you park it

Awesome, awesome awesome problem. A stiff rating at V4, pretty borderline I would say but it was fun to work through. Mar 14, 2010

Christian Prellwitz
Telluride, CO

Let's be honest, more like v6. No matter the grade, this problem climbs beautifully from the sit. Make sure to top it out for full credit! :) Aug 26, 2012

Andy L

youtube.com/watch?v=wrw4PsA… Apr 6, 2013

Abigail V

As of 3/23/19 the first right hand hold has broken off. 3 people were overheard talking about climbing on it the day after a huge rain storm. CLIMBS IN THE SHADE TAKE LONGER TO DRY. If you have to climb, climb in the sun and make sure the rock is dry! Mar 23, 2019

Nick D'Hulster
Da Nang, VN

Yeah it did seem harder than normal now that the holds not there to make the first move, it’s just a big move to the slopper rail or a fall into crossover move. Either way V4 buddy!!! Respect the sandbag and forget about the grade. Apr 9, 2019

Adam Skaggs
Los Angeles, CA

youtu.be/DGPaQwM19vc Sep 15, 2019

Sam Wilson
Asheville, NC

youtube.com/watch?v=Lt8Lhry…
Every bit of v6 in my opinion, but oh so good Jun 9, 2022

Noah McKelvin
Nomad

Climbing this in the summer makes it feel even more sandbagged! Aug 12, 2022

Ethan Cleveland
Anchorage, AK

Sit start kinda sucks. Not sure what it was like before any breakage occurred, but in my opinion the only reason to do the sit is for the tick. That said, the moves from the stand start (dyno or otherwise) make this an all-time classic.

Dyno from stand + sit start sidpull beta for tall climbers: youtu.be/AwpmYl-d3hQ?t=11 Dec 26, 2022

James Braithwaite

V5+

Beta video: youtube.com/shorts/B4PKb-tA… Dec 13, 2023