PRINT: Rock Climb Maverick Line, Little Cottonwood Canyon

Maverick Line

5.10 PG13, Trad, TR, 100 ft (30 m),

Avg: 1.8 from 22 votes
FA: A. Mollard & S. Gileadi, 11/2008 (upper section was most likely done on TR earlier)
Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Little Cottonwo… > Lizard Head Wall

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

Start about 20' left of Squeeze My Lemon by a wide dirty crack.
Find a way to clip the 1st bolt (from the starting ledge if you're tall, from the brushy crack otherwise) then slab/lieback the sloping edge of the crack to a big chickenhead. Clip the 2nd bolt then traverse/slab dyno out right to another chickenhead mantle (fun). Follow the chickenhead highway on the edge of SML (no need to get in the crack but this is where you dump your #2) then above aiming for a ramp that eventually curves into a finger traverse. Follow it (great fingerlocks) until the crack pinches out and gets vegetated then tackle the slab above (thin, crux) heading for the mini-roof. Protect under the right side of the roof (avoid its lowest point for gear as it is pretty hollow) then mantle on the crystalline slab and head straight for the chains (exciting).

Refrain from following the finger traverse to its end (grassy) or from traversing right at the roof. The safety of the arête is appealing but it robs you of the best slab moves and makes you wander in uncleaned territory: every hold will break.

Location

Follow the approach to Lizard Head wall. The climb starts 20 left of Squeeze My Lemon by a tree-filled wide crack (Zesty is on the other side of it).

Descent: lower or rap from the anchors. Some 60m are a bit short so watch the ends of you rope. 70m will bring you peace of mind.

Protection

2 bolts and a set of C4s from #2 down to .4 and C3s down to purple. Double on green and red C3s useful.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

I Boissal J. Squirrel solemnly swear to only climb choss everyday from here on out until i die or date a woman; whatever comes first. <br>
<br>
ps: this is a topo of the maverick line; breaks in the line indicate chickenheads.

I Boissal J. Squirrel solemnly swear to only climb choss everyday from here on out until i die or date a woman; whatever comes first. ps: this is a topo of the maverick line; breaks in the line…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Boissal .
Small Lake, UT

5.10 PG13

The 1st bolt was originally drilled form the starting ledge and a fall getting to the chickenhead would have been bad on the ankles. I later moved up about a foot. Right now it can't be clipped form the safety of the ledge, you have to make that touchy first move and clip from a friction stance (not ideal), but you'll swing over the ledge if you miss the chickenhead and fall.

Might be wise to work the opening sequence on TR to get a feel for that 1st clip. Or just skip the 1st moves all together and reach the long chickenhead from the gully. Nov 17, 2008

tenesmus

nice work fellas! Way to take the whipper too! Nov 17, 2008

Bobby Hanson
Spokane, WA

5.10 R

I TRed this route after Alexi and Sam put it up (nice work, guys). The state it is in right now, I wouldn't want to lead it. It is quite runout. That's not to say that it needs more bolts. If you guys leave it as is I'm sure it will still get climbed.

The crux is the first three moves, and it is harder than 10-. The rest is 10-. It would be nice to have a bolt for those first moves, but I understand the ledgefall concern.

Also, the friction from the first big chickenhead to the second big chickenhead is good! I didn't do the dyno, but it looks fun also. Nov 18, 2008

zoso

5.10c R

You can actually cheat a little and step on a stump in the muddy slot out left to easily clip the 1st bolt. That's fair dinkum in me book. Then you can get back down to the ledge and start the climbing.

TRed this today and really liked it. It'll continue to clean up more. We cleaned quite a bit off of it. Looks like a spooky lead fer shure. Very fun moves down low, through the right-arching seam, and connecting some of the heads.

Thanks, it adds more good stuff to the area. Dec 6, 2008

Tyler King
Salt Lake, UT

5.10+ R

Sounds like it is recommended for the first few moves to use the arete to the left. TR'd this today and only used the arete for the first move off of the ledge. Does continuing to use the arete make it much easier? If so I would buy the 10- grade. Cool moves either way. Dec 6, 2008

EAS Fett
UT

5.10b/c R

A little contrived at the 2nd bolt, makes you want to climb the bushes on the left. Going to the right after the 2nd bolt is better quality and a cool dyno move to gain SML (blowing the dyno would hurt). If the 2nd bolt was to the right a couple of feet would make the climber want to go right instead of staying by the bushes and would be a clean fall too. Apr 10, 2010

Alex Quitiquit
Salt Lake City

5.10-

So I climbed this route twice, the original route is cool, but a little contrived for some decent climbing at the two bolts to start that go at 10-/9+. The second time I climbed it starting on squeeze my lemon, and then worked over into the crack that leads to the diagonally finger crack. The finish, in my opinion, is what makes the climb. Some yummy .9 slab after placing gear at the roof and running it out to the anchors. Really fun, nice job frenchie and company. I honestly liked the "direct" start, using the start of SML, better than the true start, since it goes on all gear but both are great. I give it 3 stars because I'm a sucker.

I tried tr-ing the slab directly below the diagonally crack and it felt 11-ish slab to me. I don't know how I feel about it getting bolted though because it seems a like a squeeze job to me, but how sweet of a line it would be.
Aug 4, 2012