Highlighted Climb: High Dive
For the past couple climbing seasons I have strived to travel out of the Salt Lake area frequently to explore the dozen+ other crags within a 5 hour driving radius. This year is quite different. I realized that I am in my 5th year of climbing and have yet to explore numerous lines right here in Salt Lake City. I will definitely get out of town on occasion, but am pretty psyched on checking out all that the local crags have to offer.
A couple weeks back Shaft and I headed up to the S-Curves with the sole goal of hitting up a handful of the lines we had never tried. The S-Curves are in Big Cottonwood Canyon located, unsurprisingly, at the huge curve in the road that resembles an S. The crags in this area include the Pile, New Cliche and the Lower and Upper S-Curves.
The above pic shows the view of the lower S-Curves from the road. The big roof houses three lines, none of which I have ever done: Dog Eat Dog (three star 5.13d that is the front picture of the Wasatch Guide), S-Curve Overhang (two star 5.11c) and High Life (two star 5.12c). The first pitch to all three of these climbs is a 5.4 trad line. Hmmm… I didn’t realize this until writing this post. I should definitely go check out the 11c.
The S-Curves can be quite deceiving. For instance, Ionic Binding is a 5.9+ on the lower wall that I often use as a warm-up yet have never climbed without getting a flash pump. There is the poorly bolted 5.11a, Megalopolis, that I have only hopped on once and never returned, noting in my book “pretty burly!” And then there is Madison Avenue, 5.10d, that I have ran twice and still described in my book “weird holds.” Basically, you just never know what you are going to get.
Shaft at the top of Geronimo, hanging out on a fantastic belay ledge. Across canyon snow still lingered with the Millstone being completely covered.
This particular day Shaft and I only had a couple hours so did a lap on Clean Underwear (5.9) and Geronimo (5.8) and then did a couple laps each on the upper pitch of Geronimo named High Dive (5.11b). High Dive was extremely fun, resembling a Black Monday, but with more traverse rather than vertical moves. Most of the holds were huge jugs with a cruxy and crimpy little top out finish. Fun, fun, fun! The book gave this climb one star, but I would up that to at least two.
Me real smiley at the top of Geronimo.
Tags: big cottonwood canyon, climbing, s-curves, utah