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Fifteen Minutes of Shame

5.10+ PG13, Trad, 200 ft (61 m), 2 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 1.8 from 5 votes
FA: Ben Kiessel (solo), Brad Brandewie belayed on the first pitch at a earlier date.
Utah > Southeast Utah > Sand Flats > Rhino's Horn
Warning 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 DetailsDrop down

Description

The east side of the Rhino's Horn looks like a giant upside down letter "Y". Fifteen minutes of Shame starts on the left leg of the "Y".

Pitch 1: 20' of clean finger crack leads to a small roof and a short section of bad rock. Continue up a slabby dihedral to the anchors. I climbed this at 5.9 C1 but it goes free at 5.10+, the crux of which will be the small roof at the beginning. (100')

Pitch 2: Climb up broken cracks past 2 bolts to a big roof/overhang. Wiggle and squirm over the lip. Once over the lip, cut left onto the slab then back right to avoid a super thin crack. Easy climbing leads to some fun stemming and cool rock to get on the summit. I also climbed this pitch at 5.9 C1 and it too goes free at about 5.10+, with the crux getting up to and over the roof. (100')

Location

The route is on the east side of the tower and starts from the saddle between the tower and the cliff. Looking at the tower from this saddle the route starts on the far left crack system. I rappelled the route, using the anchors of the "regular route". If you do this be sure to extend the anchors on the top so you will be able to pull the rope, also be prepared to swing back into the belay of pitch 1.

Protection

I had doubles of everything up to a #3 Camalot, one 3.5, and 4, a set of stoppers. You could probably place a #4 Big Bro on pitch 2 coming over the roof but I did not have one and was fine.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

A time-lapse shot of Ben working on the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] A time-lapse shot of Ben working on the first pitch.
Nearing the top of the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] Nearing the top of the first pitch.
How desert routes get cleaned... Ben hucking off a relatively large loose block.
[Hide Photo] How desert routes get cleaned... Ben hucking off a relatively large loose block.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

jakobi
moab, utah
 
[Hide Comment] I climbed this route all free at what I reason to be 5.10+. Helmets are highly recommended as the belay at the top of pitch one is directly below a large sketchy chockstone that the leader will be pulling on. The offwidth section sports two bolts so leave the tubes at home. Outstanding views from a cool perch. Nov 20, 2008
Ben Kiessel
Durango, CO
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] Nice job! Glad to hear that someone has been on the route.
Ben Nov 30, 2008
Mark Hammond
Eldorado Springs, CO
[Hide Comment] I agree on the 10+. One rope will get you down the regular route if you scramble to the 2nd anchor and take the 2nd rap skier's R.(which is not the way the slings were oriented). Then its an easy walk around the tower to your packs. Rapping skier's L. there would require 2 ropes and a longer return journey to the base of the route. The route had some fun climbing, but also some poor rock, worth doing once. We used a #4 Camalot to anchor the belayer at the base of the route. Apr 11, 2014
Where's Walden
  5.11a
[Hide Comment] We climbed it all free at about 5.11a. I left the stem, opting to avoid the chockstone entirely, climbing broken cracks out right. May 12, 2016
Anus Herder
Colona, CO
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] I yarded on the chockstone and could not get it to budge, cleaned alot of other smaller stuff off, nice route, better & safer than the regular route! Can stem up after the p2 wide to stay in the corner proper instead of questing out on the slab. Quite well protected. Oct 30, 2023