- Edit (TBD)
Description
Start in a small bomb bay slot with a tiny pillar and a crack in the back. This route climbs a wide hands corner to an off-width then out a roof via (tight?) #2 Camalots to a splitter crack curving up the face. The route ends at a two bolt anchor on the left. The rock quality is generally good, soft wingate typical for the area. The off-width is made easier by face holds on either side and the route angle lowering.
Location
See the beta photo. Park as for the Observatory. From the Torrey Junction of UT-24 and UT-12, drive 3.3 miles east on UT-24. At 3.3 miles make a left turn onto a dirt road at the top of the hill (if you hit the Park boundary you have gone too far.) Stay left on the dirt road and drive out to a wide open parking area about 100 yards in. Park here. A well defined trail starts at a boulder, leading up to the bentonite/chinle to the northeast. Follow this trail up through the chinle and bentonite, eventually dropping into a small wash and then climbing through the rimrock up a carved out path. Reach Cooks Mesa atop the rimrock. At the rimrock, head northeast along Cooks Mesa and below Meeks Mesa. Walk along (about 10 minutes) until below the route (faint trail). If you reach a fence with gate, you are a little too far. Scramble up chinle to base of the route.
Protection
This route can be top-roped with out leading. Walk about 75 yards right of the route and scramble back up a ramp. A few fourth class moves will deposit you on a large ledge at the top of the climb. Use a 50' chunk of static line to equalize a couple #2 Camalots and some orange TCUs. A piton would work as well.
If that is not your bag and you want to lead a double rack from #1 to #3 Camalots with a #4 and #5 should do the trick.
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