Help setting up TR at School Room Slabs

I am taking a group of friends to the Moab UT for spring break and would like to have a chance for them to go climbing. The area was looking at taking them to is School Room Slabs in the Wall Street section. The problem that I have is with route set up. I am experienced in Toproping but not in lead climbing, still working on it, plus I don't have a lead belayer. I would have the all the gear needed for climbing, we just need some people who could lead climb to route and set up the anchor.

My question is, would there be anyone in the Moab UT area during March 14 - 17 that would be able to help set up a TR at the School Room Slabs for a group of 8 people?

If there are other routes in the Moab UT that don't require lead climbing to set up, I would certainly consider those too.

TBH Chris, you can walk up to the top of those slabs and then across the top (its a gently sloping bench) to the anchors very safely - its 5.0 or so up a gully on the left side, if I remember correctly. Otherwise, there are usually lots of folks in that area and you can probably easily find someone to hang your ropes -- just bring some of that cold full-strength beer to trade!

Awesome! Thanks J!

Hey Christopher, I'm gonna be in Moab the same week as your group and am gonna be at Wall Street too. I can help you set up topropes. I'm bringing my kids also and would like to have them do some climbing. I could lead but have no belayer. Maybe we could team up. Let me know. Text me at six-one-two-eight-five-nine-nine-two-two-seven.

Athaya,
That sounds great, and we may have some more people join our group including one who can lead climb and belay. Our plan right was to climb either the Thursday or Friday of the week since we will be hiking in Arches and Canyonlands on Tues and Wed.

Christopher Rockwell wrote:I am experienced in Toproping but not in lead climbing, still working on it, plus I don't have a lead belayer.

I guess my concern would be that your group does not appear to have a savvy, experienced individual who could "manage" the outdoor climbing setting.

In my mind, if you don't have anyone who could lead or belay a leader, then, why are you transitioning a group to the outdoors at this time? Wouldn't it be better to acquire those skills first?

Being able to properly rig an outdoor anchor which may not be the same configuration as a TR anchor in a gym is one skill I'd think you'd want to have.

There's a lot more nuances to outdoor climbing than TRin' in the gym. If were me, I'd make sure I had someone experienced with climbing outside and leading.

Anyhoo...my two cents...good luck!

Brian in SLC wrote: I guess my concern would be that your group does not appear to have a savvy, experienced individual who could "manage" the outdoor climbing setting. In my mind, if you don't have anyone who could lead or belay a leader, then, why are you transitioning a group to the outdoors at this time? Wouldn't it be better to acquire those skills first? Being able to properly rig an outdoor anchor which may not be the same configuration as a TR anchor in a gym is one skill I'd think you'd want to have. There's a lot more nuances to outdoor climbing than TRin' in the gym. If were me, I'd make sure I had someone experienced with climbing outside and leading. Anyhoo...my two cents...good luck!

You can take your common sense and get the hell out of here.

Hey all the vitriol is bad. Anyway, it's a fair question whether the original poster has enough experience to essentially lead a group of climbers in some pretty awesome outdoor routes. But it sounds like they have top-roped before. From natural protection outdoors. So that's a good thing and in my opinion, go for it.

mediocre wrote: You can take your common sense and get the hell out of here.

Hahaha! Fer sure! We all want to believe it, but common sence has little in common with this activity.

Isaac Fuhr wrote:Hey all the vitriol is bad.

Your definition of vitriol and mine must be different...

To add– all of the anchors at this particular area are bolts and I believe they all have chains and or rings. And unless you're setting up anchors like we see on the devils lake cluster fuck thread, I think it'll be pretty hard to mess up a top rope set up given the anchors in situ.

We all know that it's probably a bad idea, but even dangling a top rope off of a single quick draw off of a bolt is probably not going to kill you, at least half of the time. PS, if you don't already know, doing what I suggested in the last sentence is a piss poor idea. And if you don't know why it's a bad idea, please have somebody who knows what they're doing show you.

The person who suggested you "scramble up the gully" is suggesting you free solo. My 2 cents would be to go bouldering at big bend for this trip and brush up on your skill sets first before attempting to take a group of people with 0 experience out climbing.

I'll also add that if you don't know how to lead I'm assuming you haven't learned how to clean an anchor safely which is where most climbing accidents occur (aside from rappelling). If someone with experience is willing to go, more power to you. But, if you are currently trying to learn the systems you'd benefit more from a 1 on 1 type of situation than you would trying to manage 8 people's experience while you yourself are learning.

Um, maybe hire a guide to set up to ropes and teach some skills?