Avg: 2.3 from 19
votes
This easy, but very fun climb follows the last quartzite crest of rock before it deteriorates into shale which indeed it does a few meters to the north. A 20-25 minute approach hike should get you there.
Pitch #1: Climb the bulge passing a couple of bolts along a defined arete to a ledge and rap station. You can easily continue on to the top (beware of rope drag) of the climb or belay here if with kids or beginners. Two bolt belay. 5.5, 35m.
Pitch #2: Follow the fixed protection up the fun arete like spur passing obvious bolts to another two bolt belay. 5.5, 25m.
Rappel the route.
This is found at the far north end of the little canyon right at the edge of the quartzite/shale border line. The trail kind of ends there as well. AP starts at a steepish step on the east face of end of the quartzite rock with an obvious bolt.
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Salt Lake City, UT
Pretty funny how we went up there, and I had that arete in mind, and low and behold...someone beat us to it.
I’m sure we’ll get the full story now that the beans are spilt. The OG developer will hopefully add their input and perhaps let us in on some of their backstory—it seems there is certainly an uncanny communal hive mind when it comes to this metropolis.
Regardless, this climb is fun, easy, and pretty unique. It will certainly be popular with beginners and/or families wanting to get away from the masses. Sep 3, 2020
Salt Lake City, UT
You have free soloed all over this area for so many years, so you know much more about it than I do. Sep 3, 2020
Cottonwood Heights, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City UT
Fun edges, a couple small hand cracks, a few easy slab moves--good stuff. The first bely station (with Bonier bolts) is at a nice ledge that facilitates teaching multipitch anchor/belay skills. The second belay is not quite as wide but still pretty comfortable. Probably easiest to rappel on the last rap toward the north down into the bottom of the shale (this is where the rope naturally wants to go anyway).
The hardest move on the whole route is getting up and above the first bolt, so if you can make it over that you'll be able to make it the rest of the way. I never felt the need for additional pro. The last section to the second set of chains is a bit run out, but it's Class 4 at most by that point. It looks like with a little bit of trad gear and some webbing to sling a tree for a rappel you could easily add another pitch above the second chains.
This would be a great first multipitch lead. Not needed, but I'd probably send a new leader up with a set of nuts or a couple cams, since there are ample little cracks to try out trad protection on the way up too.
For the grade, this is a 4-star route. James Garrett strikes again! Jun 24, 2023
Salt Lake City
I never posted it because I like the peace and quiet, and am not really in it for the notoriety. I am a bit shocked at the fact that there are bolts on it at all. Aside from the top anchors that I placed, It has plenty of trad placements available. IMO It should be left as a trad climb, but I'll leave that up to James and Glen. For a decade, I primarily used the route as an intro to multi-pitch trad climbing for people I have taught over the years. The climbing is similar to that of West Slabs, but with more of the arete type exposure that you'd find on say, Steort's Ridge (though less vertical) Care should be taken if you rap the back side via the chain anchors on Ribbed for your Pleasure as to not dislodge any loose rock from the shale band.
Ribbed For Your Pleasure does not have an obvious start, but once you climb through the broken cliff below, you access a narrow, decently clean slab. It can be done as a single pitch but rope drag can be a problem due to the lower cliff. Two chain anchors were put in to rap it. It' doesn't have the exposure, and it's not very steep, but it's a good 5.5 for teaching multi-pitch climbing when you need one that is out of the way of crowds. Sep 20, 2023