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Ralph, Herb, Bert, and Ernie
5.10a R,
Trad, 100 ft (30 m),
Avg: 1.8 from 4
votes
FA: Kirsten Davis, Lori Ness, Bill Robins, 1987
Utah
> Wasatch Range
> Central Wasatch
> Little Cottonwo…
> Dragon Arch
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…
Description
While standing at the base of Valentine Crack, look east and you will see a grey sling coming out of a left-facing flake. This is the route (about 50 feet right of Valentine Crack). It starts on a face to a short hollow-looking flake, up to a groove with a piton. From here the climbing picks up with a face move to the flake, place your red Metolius, and swing left past the second piton, continuing up the tricky to protect crack. Here we deviated from the guide and continued right under the roof to a belay stance 20 feet above the top of Lunar Tick. The book show it climbing just left of the roof, but there were no anchors and the other spot looked to be a better belay stance. This climb has a couple of noteworthy sequences, interspersed with either easy, gritty, or insecure climbing. All of the awkward side movements are where the excitement is.
Protection
There are 2 pitons on the route (book only shows one); however, the 2-bolt anchor either doesn't exist or is really good at hiding. Red metolius seemed nice for the flake just above the 1st piton. Otherwise standard rack would suffice with a couple of Brass Nuts.
[Hide Photo] Ralph, Herb, Bert, and Erine after some spring cleaning.
[Hide Photo] Ario, from Peru, getting one last climb in before he needs to fly home.
So, the route description in this post is generally good, but there IS an anchor at the top of this route as shown in the book. This route doesn't get much travel, and when I did it last weekend I had to clean out the crack below one of the pins. The route goes through the triangular roof shown in the book (long slings required) and there's another pin at the base of a ledge right over the roof. This is where the route SHOULD end. I'd be happy to go back and place an anchor there. Instead the route continues beyond the ledge either up an overgrown gully, or around it on a 5.6 face, and there are two bolts behind some trees and bushes on the west-facing face (no chains, but there is a ring and a couple of 'biners on an assortment of tat I found lying around [see below]). The amount of tat and booty in that area was spectacular ! I didn't do a good job of keeping rope drag down at the roof, but it looks like at least three parties baled from different portions of that area. I picked up a usable cam and four bail 'biners - two I left at the anchors. All the while, my belayer was pelted with grit and dirt, once I got over the roof. BOTTOM LINE: if you like getting off the beaten path and getting a little messy, this route is for you, the pro is decent but will test your comfort zone, and the anchor needs to be moved down to over the roof where the climbing ends ! Sep 24, 2010
Salty Lake
Heads up moving left from the undercling. My preference to getting to "last shout". Apr 5, 2023