PRINT: Rock Climb Toymakers Dream, Little Cottonwood Canyon

Toymakers Dream

5.11a, Trad, 70 ft (21 m),

Avg: 2.6 from 24 votes
FA: Pat Contor, Lori Ness 1988
Utah > Wasatch Range > Central Wasatch > Little Cottonwo… > Dragon Arch

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

A crack, a seam, slab and face? What more could you want? Toymaker's Dream is a variety show (aka mixed route) dipping into a small assortment of styles and techniques. Although very straightfoward, you'll find yourself doing a lot of second guessing on the difficult and technical, upper crux.

Climb a short, left traversing flake/ramp to the first of four bolts. Continue straight from here up a long, thin seam that splits the slab. Look here for a good rest or two on a few well deposited chicken heads. (The gear through this section is minimal, yet adequate) Reach and rest again at the down/left-leaning ramp with a long, sharp undercling. Protect in the overlap and switch to steep slab mode.
Leaving the ramp, force a bulge to the thin and intense face. Clip the second bolt and try to find a good stance before hitting the crux.
The final twelve feet of climbing passes two more bolts and involves a series of deliberate moves over small chickenheads. The exit has a great sequence with surprising results. Just shy of crazy!

Location

Seated on the far east end of the buttress, Toymakers Dream is just up the gully and begins at an obvious ramp at the bottom of a seam.

At the top of the ramp is the easy to spot first bolt.

Protection

Four bolts, cams to 3/4" inch, stoppers, and a two bolt anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Pulling through the crux on a cool spring morning. Nothing better!

Toymakers Dream.

About to launch into the slabbage of some toymaker's latrine.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Past User

I hear the Salt Lake Tribune gave this route its full endorsment! Nov 26, 2009

tenesmus

sounds kind of orgasmic for a 2-star route Nov 27, 2009

Landon McBrayer
Salt Lake City, UT

5.11b

Pretty stout. The seam in the middle has protection, but it's spaced: perfect .5 camalot at the bottom, then micro nut(s) and tiny cam near the top. Those final slab moves are really tricky. Jun 2, 2014

jonathan knight

Wow, this is a good one! Mar 20, 2016

Bryce Yaple
Sacramento, CA

5.10d

Definitely worthy of more attention; the crux sequence is pure gold. The start of the seam has a nice spot for a .5. While the moves through the seam are fairly straight forward, I'd recommend small brass for anyone wanting to avoid a run out. Before reaching the second bolt I was able to get a solid grey offset in (another .5 could do the trick too) to protect the undercling moves.

Crispy webbing up top if anyone is feeling charitable. Apr 10, 2018