Super Cat of the Desert
5.12 YDS 7b+ French 27 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 26 ZA E6 6b British
Type: | Trad, 130 ft (39 m) |
FA: | Jonny Woodward and Scott Carson, 1992 |
Page Views: | 4,794 total · 25/month |
Shared By: | Josh Janes on Mar 18, 2009 |
Admins: | slim, Cory N, Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane |
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saltlakeclimbers.org/news/2…
2024 Raptor Avoidance Areas (LIFTED 9/10/2024)- The Wall, Far Side, The Meat Walls, Cliffs of Insanity, Public Service Wall, Disappointment Cliffs, Fin Wall, Broken Tooth, Cat Wall, Slug Wall, and Reservoir Wall. See map in photos section.
Each spring raptors return to the Indian Creek area for nesting. Eagles, falcons, hawks, and other migratory birds use shallow depressions on ledges, cliffs and rock walls to build nests, often returning to the same site year after year to raise their young. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests that visitors and recreationists avoid these areas during critical nesting periods which typically start in early March and last through late August. Avoiding recreational activity in the vicinity of the nest sites along and maintaining a safe viewing distance will help ensure survival of young birds.
Beginning March 1, the public is asked to avoid climbing in areas that are historically known to have raptor nesting activity or have a high potential for nesting. Areas that have potential nesting activity are referred to in many climbing guidebooks as: The Wall, Far Side, The Meat Walls, Cliffs of Insanity, Public Service Wall, Disappointment Cliffs, Fin Wall, Broken Tooth, Cat Wall, Slug Wall, Reservoir Wall and Critic’s Choice. While this list serves as a guide, it does not indicate every avoidance area or encompass all known names of the affected climbing areas. Please refer to the provided “Raptor Protection Map” to identify avoidance areas. The BLM is coordinating these raptor protection efforts with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, who is the administrator of the climbing areas known as Disappointment Cliffs and portions of the Second Meat Wall climbing area. The avoidance areas only cover a portion of Disappointment Cliffs, see the map for additional details.
In March, BLM biologists will begin the annual surveys of raptor activity to verify which historic nest sites are being used. Typically, by late April or early May, biologists can identify the nesting areas the raptors have selected. At that time the areas without active nests will be cleared for recreational use. The BLM requests that climbers, campers, and hikers completely avoid areas with active nests until the young birds have fledged, which is usually by late summer. Biologists will monitor nesting activity throughout the season and keep the recreation community informed of potential changes. Avoidance area notices and maps will be posted throughout the Indian Creek Corridor during the recreation season.
While falcons and eagles are not overly common sights in southeastern Utah, they are present throughout the area and keen-eyed observers are sometimes rewarded with their aerial acrobatics. Visitors can watch adult birds hunt or observe the antics of young raptors perfecting their flying techniques. These species in Utah continue to recover from low population levels, thanks in part to cooperation from the public, climbing communities and governmental partners. The BLM would like to remind the public there are private land holdings throughout the Indian Creek Corridor. Please respect private landowners’ boundaries and signage.
For questions about this avoidance areas, raptors, and migratory bird habitat in the Monticello area, please contact Rachel Wootton with the BLM Monticello Field Office at 435-587-1500. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY) may call 711 to leave a message or question. The TTY Relay System is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
blm.gov/announcement/blm-an…
saltlakeclimbers.org/news/2…
2024 Raptor Avoidance Areas (LIFTED 9/10/2024)- The Wall, Far Side, The Meat Walls, Cliffs of Insanity, Public Service Wall, Disappointment Cliffs, Fin Wall, Broken Tooth, Cat Wall, Slug Wall, and Reservoir Wall. See map in photos section.
Each spring raptors return to the Indian Creek area for nesting. Eagles, falcons, hawks, and other migratory birds use shallow depressions on ledges, cliffs and rock walls to build nests, often returning to the same site year after year to raise their young. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests that visitors and recreationists avoid these areas during critical nesting periods which typically start in early March and last through late August. Avoiding recreational activity in the vicinity of the nest sites along and maintaining a safe viewing distance will help ensure survival of young birds.
Beginning March 1, the public is asked to avoid climbing in areas that are historically known to have raptor nesting activity or have a high potential for nesting. Areas that have potential nesting activity are referred to in many climbing guidebooks as: The Wall, Far Side, The Meat Walls, Cliffs of Insanity, Public Service Wall, Disappointment Cliffs, Fin Wall, Broken Tooth, Cat Wall, Slug Wall, Reservoir Wall and Critic’s Choice. While this list serves as a guide, it does not indicate every avoidance area or encompass all known names of the affected climbing areas. Please refer to the provided “Raptor Protection Map” to identify avoidance areas. The BLM is coordinating these raptor protection efforts with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, who is the administrator of the climbing areas known as Disappointment Cliffs and portions of the Second Meat Wall climbing area. The avoidance areas only cover a portion of Disappointment Cliffs, see the map for additional details.
In March, BLM biologists will begin the annual surveys of raptor activity to verify which historic nest sites are being used. Typically, by late April or early May, biologists can identify the nesting areas the raptors have selected. At that time the areas without active nests will be cleared for recreational use. The BLM requests that climbers, campers, and hikers completely avoid areas with active nests until the young birds have fledged, which is usually by late summer. Biologists will monitor nesting activity throughout the season and keep the recreation community informed of potential changes. Avoidance area notices and maps will be posted throughout the Indian Creek Corridor during the recreation season.
While falcons and eagles are not overly common sights in southeastern Utah, they are present throughout the area and keen-eyed observers are sometimes rewarded with their aerial acrobatics. Visitors can watch adult birds hunt or observe the antics of young raptors perfecting their flying techniques. These species in Utah continue to recover from low population levels, thanks in part to cooperation from the public, climbing communities and governmental partners. The BLM would like to remind the public there are private land holdings throughout the Indian Creek Corridor. Please respect private landowners’ boundaries and signage.
For questions about this avoidance areas, raptors, and migratory bird habitat in the Monticello area, please contact Rachel Wootton with the BLM Monticello Field Office at 435-587-1500. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY) may call 711 to leave a message or question. The TTY Relay System is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
blm.gov/announcement/blm-an…
WET ROCK: Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN MOAB during or after rain.
RAPTOR CLOSURES: please be aware of seasonal raptor closures. They occur annually in the spring.
RAPTOR CLOSURES: please be aware of seasonal raptor closures. They occur annually in the spring.
Description
Super Cat is one of the best climbs I've done at Indian Creek. Like Desert Shield and Pistol Whipped, it is both magnificent and fully deserving of the glorious grade of Indian Creek 5.12. Awesome!
Begin with a reachy/bouldery move up the bedding rock well left of the obvious crack line. Arrange some thin pro, reach right and clip a bolt (looks good despite the old hanger) and perform some fun face moves up to the obvious horizontal. Plug in a #4 Camalot here and hand traverse right for 15 feet before stepping up to a huge, hollow flake. Ascend this with bear hugs or by jamming the left side (pro here seems better, but I didn't want to fall). The top of the flake is a good rest and you can finally reach right and place bomber pro in the start of the actual crack system. Even though you've just done 50' of climbing, things really begin here.
Climb splitter tight hands up gently overhanging rock to a pod rest below the roof. Pull this with difficulty and then punch it up the 50' headwall splitter. This section narrows from tight hands to perfect fingers, and is sometimes slightly offset.
Here's the heavy-handed beta: I climbed this with a single 70m cord but employed some shenanigans to make it all come together. First, I tied into both ends of the cord and climbed the first stretch up to the top of the hollow flake (only clipping one end of the rope). From here I reached over to the crack proper and placed three pieces (a mini-anchor of sorts) and clipped the other end of the rope to these, and untied from the first end and dropped it to the ground (making sure to completely undo the knot so it could slide through all the gear). Meanwhile, my partner switched the belay from the first side to the new active side of the rope. From here I climbed to the chains and was able to lower back down to the ledge at the base of the climb after unclipping all the gear on the way down. A 69m rope or less would not have reached, nor would the 70 if I had left it clipped through any of the gear. This was a good way to do the route with a single rope and, more importantly, minimize drag on the upper two-thirds of the climb.
Begin with a reachy/bouldery move up the bedding rock well left of the obvious crack line. Arrange some thin pro, reach right and clip a bolt (looks good despite the old hanger) and perform some fun face moves up to the obvious horizontal. Plug in a #4 Camalot here and hand traverse right for 15 feet before stepping up to a huge, hollow flake. Ascend this with bear hugs or by jamming the left side (pro here seems better, but I didn't want to fall). The top of the flake is a good rest and you can finally reach right and place bomber pro in the start of the actual crack system. Even though you've just done 50' of climbing, things really begin here.
Climb splitter tight hands up gently overhanging rock to a pod rest below the roof. Pull this with difficulty and then punch it up the 50' headwall splitter. This section narrows from tight hands to perfect fingers, and is sometimes slightly offset.
Here's the heavy-handed beta: I climbed this with a single 70m cord but employed some shenanigans to make it all come together. First, I tied into both ends of the cord and climbed the first stretch up to the top of the hollow flake (only clipping one end of the rope). From here I reached over to the crack proper and placed three pieces (a mini-anchor of sorts) and clipped the other end of the rope to these, and untied from the first end and dropped it to the ground (making sure to completely undo the knot so it could slide through all the gear). Meanwhile, my partner switched the belay from the first side to the new active side of the rope. From here I climbed to the chains and was able to lower back down to the ledge at the base of the climb after unclipping all the gear on the way down. A 69m rope or less would not have reached, nor would the 70 if I had left it clipped through any of the gear. This was a good way to do the route with a single rope and, more importantly, minimize drag on the upper two-thirds of the climb.
Protection
The meat of the climb takes #1 Camalots (6 or 7 should be OK), but a bunch of 0.4's, 0.5's, and 0.75's are important too. A #2 Camalot protects the move off the ground (a #2 can also be placed in the hollow flake and also just above the cave/roof). Black and blue Aliens are good for getting to the bolt, and a #4 C4 was key for the horizontal break, but a #3 might fit too. A FULL 70m cord is essential and two ropes are probably better.
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