Trip Report: Rock Climb - Moab
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Rock Climb - Moab By Nathan C |
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| CLIMBING | 10/24/2025 | ALL |
| Following an early month wash-out of the originally scheduled trip, a crew of eight climbers set their sights on Moab for a late October adventure. Things kicked off Friday with a few quick runs up easy slabs at the nearby Wall Street crag,where care was taken to find dry rock after a recent rain earlier in the week.Hearing talk of a possible comet sighting, several folks ventured up towards Corona Arch for a night hike and stargazing - which wound up being the first time that some folks had seen the Milky Way! The adventure properly ramped up on Saturday, as the crew decided to split up for two bigger outings.Tim, David, and Matt headed South for Looking Glass Rock, where one can climb to the top and then drop into an amphitheater with an exhilarating 35-meter free hanging rappel.After some hang-time, they headed back north for a short session at the Ice Cream Parlor crag, where Matt continued to hone his trad leading skills and add some desert sandstone to his tick list. Meanwhile, Nathan took Chris and RiAnna up to Arches National Park for a run up Elephant Butte, a popular route that involves several sections of climbing, downclimbing, and rappelling.Normally an easy desert ramble, the route held enough water to make the climbing sandy and slick, requiring appreciable rope work with belays and hand lines.Things took a more serious turn when someone from the party ahead took a swinging fall onto rock, putting Nathan's freshly-minted WFR skills to the test.Luckily a nearby party also had a Wilderness EMT, and together the teamsworked a safe passage out for all.Despite the eventful outing, it was an opportunity for RiAnna to experience her first desert adventure and learn how to rappel, starting with a belayed rappel and finishing out independently on the last rappel into free-space.The award for infinite patience, however, goes to Steph - who had been waiting at the car for several hours after finishing up a hike with the dogs! The team would rally back at camp for a potluck dinner, now joined by Eric and Kaity, who had just crushed a trail race in town.The group took the opportunity to debrief by the campfire, each person reflecting on their victories and lessons learned, and offering a chance for all to share in the collective growth from the day.Things wrapped up on the final day with a short outing up River Road, where Tim put up a pair of worthy sport lines before the crew parted ways and headed back to civilization. |
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