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Fledgling

5.6, Trad, 85 ft (26 m),  Avg: 1.1 from 13 votes
FA: Terre Lashier, Steve Swanke, January 1st, 1987
Utah > Southeast Utah > Grand County > Arches NP > 100-yard Wall
Warning Access Issue: Closures and Restrictions DetailsDrop down
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. DetailsDrop down

Description

This is a crack behind a triangular-shaped flake/tower. It begins with a wide section down low and gets a little thinner the higher you go, there's quite a few holds on the wall and the flake that make the upward movement much easier. It gets wide again at the top, but with a little less quality rock on the flake. Clip a set of drilled angle anchors and stand on top of the flake and soak up the view of Arches! You can rap back down the flake, but make sure and give your rope a good tug to not get caught in the crack. (People have rapped over the front of the flake, but it puts rope grooves in the flake.)Desert Rock I gives a good description of the climb except where it says to downclimb the route. It has anchors and is easy to rap

Location

If you're looking at The 100-yard Wall, this route is on the next level up with The Doil. The Doil looks like a KFC drumstick standing on it's end and to the left about 50 yards are three small flake/towers leaning against the wall. Fledgling is the middle tower and is on the left side of the flake. No one can see you climbing it from the road until you're at the top.

Protection

A single set of cams should suffice with a larger one (5") down low. A couple of 2' slings to get rid of any rope drag and Quickdraws for the anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Dirty
[Hide Photo] Dirty
Standing on the Top
[Hide Photo] Standing on the Top
The ugly "Fledgling."
[Hide Photo] The ugly "Fledgling."

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Darren Knezek
  5.4
[Hide Comment] When I did this route I thought I should just solo it since the description said to downclimb the route and I couldn't see anchors from the bottom. The start felt almost as hard as the 5.8, The Doil, to the right, but then the climb got a little easier the higher you got until a couple of loose holds at the end. Near the end I saw the anchors and tagged them and stood on the flake. A really fun climb with a fantastic view. Plus, the downclimb turned out a little easier than going up. If you've done the other two climbs here you might as well throw in this one too. Nov 3, 2007
Sarah Meiser
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] On 11/5/10 we found it impossible to get off the ground for this route. At first I thought a hold must have broken loose. However I noticed that the base is all sand and I wonder if pour-off from recent heavy storms dug it out. We may have been able to stack a huge pile of rocks to get started but it didn't seem worth the effort. Nov 7, 2010
Josh C
Somewhere out West
  5.4
[Hide Comment] Not sure why this climb has so many stars; its like climbing in a sandbox. About halfway up, the climb started falling apart on me. When I was done, my face looked like I had washed it with sand. Definitely climb The Doil and Nutcracker, but avoid this sandy mess. Jun 12, 2011
Erinn Looney-Triggs
  5.5 PG13
[Hide Comment] Yeah, sandy, very sandy, tore all kinds of stuff off the wall. But kind of an interesting climb, hardest bits are the first moves off of the ground. Oct 26, 2016
Jack Varga
Albuquerque, NM
 
[Hide Comment] Not worth the hike up. Jugs were literally pulverizing in my hand. Mar 17, 2018