Fun Climbs Around The World

My handhold just broke off!

Tristan and I hiked in to climb Carson’s Tower during his spring break from college.

It was perhaps not the best timing - on our drive to Castle Valley on Sunday, it snowed when we left Colorado and rained when we arrived at the primitive camping area at the base of Castleton.

However, the excellent new tent platforms kept the tent out of the small creek flowing down what had been the approach trail when we climbed Castleton Tower the year before.

Monday morning dawned clear,  sunny, under blue skies. After scraping the ice off the windshield, we drove to the Fisher Tower area - here, we could choose among one-pitch towers, which seemed preferable in the cold, windy temperatures.

We hiked to Carson’s Tower, crossing a few canyons running with water.

“Why are you taking us through this swamp?” asked Tristan, sceptically.

“I wasn’t planning on it being here,”I told him.

I’d never seen so much water near Moab, after over 20 years of climbing here.

I got to lead the first climb - the supposedly easy 5.7 original route. Only, after weeks of rain and snow, it seemed less than solid, with fist-sized chunks of rock breaking off in m hand and under my feet. Luckily, the bottom of the climb chimneys up between two pinnacles that seemed large and solid enough that they at least would stay upright. Numerous holds broke off in my hands, transforming this year’s 5.7 climb into next year’s 5.8.

Above the chimney, after clipping two fixed pins, the route description said to step across onto the taller of the two towers. Looking at a sandy, sloping, face (not a foothold), and unable to reach above to the next hold, I opted to descend and let Tristan, who at 6′2″ had much more reach than I, lead that final 8 feet to the summit.

Finally, in a joint effort, we reached the top, with beautiful views off the Fisher Towers and the La Sal Mountains.