Ben Kiessel > Comments

May 30, 2026 Southeast Utah > … > Arches NP > Park Avenue > West > Cleopatras Rock (S West) Upper Tier ● It’s possible, but probably not recommended, to throw a knotted rope from the top of Nefertiti into the cra… View Comment
Apr 10, 2026 Durango > E Animas > D. Bedrock Team Spirit 5.11a ● Is this the route that can be used to access Freebase? View Comment
Apr 10, 2026 Durango > E Animas > D. Bedrock Sketchy Thread 5.10c R ● Doesn’t Sketchy Tread have a first pitch that comes in from down and right? View Comment
Feb 8, 2026 Southwest Utah > Zion NP > Bridge Mountain > Bridge Mtn Base ACL Arete 5.10 ● If 3 bolts were placed on the upper route it could easily be rappelled with a single 70m. One bolt next to… View Comment
Jan 5, 2026 Southwest Utah > Zion NP > Streaked Wall > Tale of the Scorpion (5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a A3+) To hook or nail a sawed off? ● Having two of those BD Grappling Hooks was very helpful for all of those holes. View Comment
Nov 21, 2025 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Kane Springs Canyon Brad in 2022 below one of the two rarely climbed Kane creek twin towers. ● No, it’s one of two big undocumented towers up Kane creek. View Comment
Oct 17, 2025 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Blanding > Arch Canyon Another smaller tower about a mile up from the campsite ● Proctologist Finger View Comment
Sep 22, 2025 Durango > Julia's Spire Wet Notch 5.4 C1 X ● Maybe I was way off route or something changed on this route, because it’s definitely not 5.4, although it… View Comment
Sep 22, 2025 Durango > Julia's Spire Julia Dream 5.8 A2 ● I went up 10-15’, but between the choss and being unsure where I was exactly headed, I downclimbed and head… View Comment
Sep 22, 2025 Durango Julia's Spire ● The parking is labeled “Goulding Creek Trailhead” on Google maps. The 416 Fire seems to have erased all… View Comment
Sep 16, 2025 Durango Animas City Rock, Durango. ● Good memories in that place. View Comment
Jun 28, 2025 Durango > Area 071 > Baldy Overlook Mantel Illness 5.10b ● I get credit for the FA?! Seb bolted and cleaned this thing, I literally did nothing other than climb this… View Comment
Jun 25, 2025 Durango > Area 071 > Baldy Overlook Clip from the Lip 5.11b/c ● Super good route on great rock! Curl up on the ledge under the final roof for a no hands rest. View Comment
Jun 25, 2025 Durango > Area 071 > Baldy Overlook Handful of Pockets 5.11a/b ● Awesome! View Comment
Jun 25, 2025 Durango > Area 071 > Baldy Overlook Precarious Arete 5.10b/c ● Great name for a great route! View Comment
Feb 5, 2025 Durango > E Animas > F. Maxx Maxx 5.12- ● There is a bolted anchor with chain that I put Mussy hooks on a year or two ago. Really fun climbing once… View Comment
Nov 15, 2024 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Indian Creek > Church Rock > Regular Route (5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a) Ladder of truth. ● That’s crazy! I’ve climbed Church Rock a few times and never seen that. View Comment
Apr 24, 2024 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Lockhart Basin A lonely old tower called The Orphan. Looks like it may still be needing a 2nd ascent! ● Climbed it winter of 2012 with Bill Grasse and Matt Pickren. Awesome tower! View Comment
Mar 22, 2024 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Potash Rd > Wall Street North > King's Hand King's Hand Left 5.9 X ● Good point Evan, I adjusted it. View Comment
Feb 2, 2024 Durango > Golf Wall > C. Right Side Chubbs 5.10a ● RIP, Carl Weathers, 1948-2024. View Comment
Nov 13, 2023 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > Rabbit Ears Area North Rabbit Ear ● The “sketchy rappel station of tattered slings about 40 ft from the saddle” is actually a nice constriction… View Comment
Nov 7, 2023 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > Rabbit Ears Area Middle Rabbit Ear ● Descended down the drainage between Middle Rabbit Ear and South Rabbit Ear toward Aguirre springs twice in… View Comment
Nov 7, 2023 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > Rabbit Ears Area South Rabbit Ear ● Descended down the drainage between Middle Rabbit Ear and South Rabbit Ear toward Aguirre springs twice in… View Comment
Nov 7, 2023 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > Rabbit Ears Area > Cwm Normal Route 5.4 ● Took me 1.5hrs from the trail head to approach from the east side. I didn’t look super hard but didn’t s… View Comment
Aug 29, 2023 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Kane Springs Ca… > EB's Love Muscle Original Route 5.5 C0 ● As you know Cam, “Putterman Sex Machine” is the name listed in Desert Rock 3. You complained about the na… View Comment
Jun 12, 2023 Durango > E Animas > K. Boundary Line Wall The People’s Elbow 5.8+ ● Did this again today - it really is pretty fun. I don’t think it’s any harder than Yosemite Crack or Apple… View Comment
May 30, 2023 Gunnison > Black Canyon of… > S Rim Routes Burl Girl 5.12- R ● We thought the crux 4th pitch was amazing. The other pitches were just ok. The “R” rated pitch felt like… View Comment
May 28, 2023 Durango > Golf Wall > C. Right Side Spinderella 5.12a ● Finally got on this today. Fun change of pace. Knowing to put my left hand on the “ear” instead of the ri… View Comment
May 8, 2023 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Island In The Sky > Saddle Tower Buttress Saddle Tower Buttress 5.11 C1 ● Alternative approach is to hike around the east end of the canyon to access the SE rim of Rough Canyon. Th… View Comment
Dec 19, 2022 Durango > E Animas > G. Apple Cider Hard Cider 5.10 ● It’s hard to rate this, since there is basically a no hand rest on either side of the short crux. View Comment
Oct 18, 2022 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Potash Rd > Gold Bar Canyon > Mr. Potato Head (tower) up for grabs ● It’s probably been climbed by this point but I made it up to the roof/bulge but bailed because I only had a… View Comment
Oct 18, 2022 Durango > E Animas > I. Watch Crystal Jungle Book 5.11 ● I wonder who pulled the bolts or why? View Comment
Jul 19, 2022 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Arches NP > Organ Gates of Hell 5.9 C4 ● A stiff stick clip helped so you could push the cam into the crack. Having the trigger pulled partially ba… View Comment
Jul 19, 2022 Southeast Utah > Grand County > Moab Rim Area > Hidden Valley Pointless of Moab 5.10- PG13 ● Awesome! Glad the real name and FA info got updated! View Comment
Jul 9, 2022 Durango > Vallecito Crags > Lakeview Big Doug tasting his new proj. Look at that scenery! ● That’s a great pic. View Comment
Jul 5, 2022 Durango > E Animas > I. Watch Crystal Extra Cool 5.10d ● I cleaned a lot of this route up recently and cut the bush out on pitch 1. There is definitely some choss h… View Comment

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Ben Kiessel > Comments

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