PRINT: Rock Climb Divas And Witches, Little Cottonwood Canyon

Divas And Witches

5.10+ C0, Trad, Aid, 500 ft (152 m), 5 pitches, Grade II,

Avg: 1.8 from 8 votes
FA: James and Franziska Garrett, September 2006
Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Little Cottonwo… > Tanners Gulch > Divas & Witches Area

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…

SLCA and AF recreational leased area on LDS Church land

Description

The crux may very well be on the first pitch which is a slab interrupted by a steep blankish face section, which I recall was passed with a touch of AO.
This has since been freed via a variation by Tyler Phillips and Luke Douglas.
I enter this climb almost a year after the fact as I began to forget the details and we doubted this enjoyable route would otherwise get repeated.

Location

East Facing Wall (left side and low down as one hikes up the gully). A low angle sub gully/branch on the left will lead to a south facing slab and an ovious bolt at the beginning of the route. This is probably one of the first routes on the left (longer ones) one will encounter.

Protection

5 pitches drilled on lead with numerous bolts per pitch. Two-bolt belays after each pitch. A supplemental small additional trad rack may be useful, but the route is quite well protected with bolts. Rappel the route.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

A cold Franziska arrives on top.

Stoked for the chickenheads that await! last Pitch

A view of the slab where Divas And Witches can be found.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Luke Douglas

I liked this climb and had fun on it. I thought the first two pitches were the most enjoyable. Oct 12, 2008

Ben Folsom

5.9 C0

Maura and I climbed this yesterday. Didn't worry about trying to free it. Agreed that the first two pitches are the most enjoyable. (we combined the first two into one pitch with a 70m rope.) The last two pitches have sections of good climbing, but the dirt gully on pitch 3 isn't too pleasant. There is some great climbing on juggy chickenheads on pitch 4. Couldn't find a 5th pitch either, and couldn't see any rock worth climbing above the top of pitch 4. We easily rapped the route with a 70m rope, and a 60 should work fine.
Nice job finding some pretty good climbing on this chossy looking wall James. Jul 26, 2010

Jim Garrett

5.10+ C0

Nice route in a pretty, secluded setting. Doesn't look like much from the ground, but it links up some good sections of climbing with a little bit of easy vegetated and dirty rock. I thought pitch 4 was the best. Like Ben, I couldn't make out a 5th pitch, and we looked pretty hard. James, are you sure this has a fifth pitch? Pitch 4 ends at 3 bolts on an exposed little prow of rock, and above that it is lower angle, dirty and brushy. Nice bolted belay/rap stances make for a quick trip up and down with a single 70m. I will definitely do this one again. Jul 25, 2014

Dylan Pike
Knoxville, TN

5.10+ C0

I've cleaned a pitch up and left of P4 of this route, which would make a great 5th pitch if you are up here on this obscure piece of rock. From the chains at the top of P4, scramble west, across the gully to a ledge with a pine and build a belay. From the ledge move up and left to the base of a crack with a tree growing out of it about 30 feet up. Rappel from a slung tree above the roof split by a hand crack. Oct 3, 2019