Climbing Cleopatra's Chair is something I had wanted to do for a long time The 56 C0 rating made it sound fun, the "shoulder stand" made it sound adventurous True to my impression, it didn't disappoint The route is not for 56 leaders! We avoided the shoulder stand at about 58, but above that move there is a good section of runout climbing A slip would be disastrous, and help a long way off Cleopatra's Chair is a true adventurous desert summit best left to those with a bit of experience The summit is amazing, howeve...

Assembly Hall Peak looms over the San Rafael campground Although the upper pitches are poor quality, the first pitch is really good, and the views from the summit are second to none I know several groups that have bailed from the start of the third pitch It is indeed run-out and looks tricky Those comfortable with desert runouts and sketch factor only!

The Tomsich Butte area mines were started by John Tomsich in 1951 and are steeped in history The area is a plethora of mining ruins, old cars, and even a lonely cabin Mining commenced in the area during the 50's, ending in the late 50's or early 60's Towering over Muddy Creek, Tomsich Butte proper, is a seldom visited summit with a surprisingly moderate route The top provides outstanding views of Hondoo Arch, Muddy Creek, and the area of the Swell south of I-70 The technical climbing is short 5 m, but be warned, th...

Home and Marge is a unique tower, or rather 2 towers than have leaned on each other over time Similar, I assume in the first ascenders mind, to how Home and Marge lean on each other in a symbiotic relationship Not very interesting climbing leads to an amazing summit on a unique feature I recommend this one!

Bull Pasture is one of those canyons that is good, but short and with a fairly long exit I think it is often overlooked in the Roost because of its neighbors Alcatraz Canyon and Larry Canyon, but I think Bull Pasture makes an excellent beginner canyon for those that don't mind a fair bit of hiking for a little bit of canyon The hike out is lovely, meandering through a deep walled canyon before taking a historic stock trail back up to the rim and the trailhead Fun!

One of the more unique canyons I have done in Moab, Scratch and Sniff Canyon is a short canyon with an elegant approach Reaching the canyon head requires route finding, steep short pitches of climbing, and good intuition The views during the approach are excellent of the Moab area, and the canyon is a fun series of rappels This is a short loop but has a lot going on in a short outing Warning: The approach requires a couple of short pitches of unprotectable climbing Though the climbing is low 5th class, it is expose...

Monoxide, or Dragon as we called it when we did it Thanksgiving 2003, reminds me that a 2-star canyon can still leave a lasting impression A couple of new friends of mine at the time Kent Beverly and Penny Martens invited me to join up with them for Thanksgiving weekend in Hanksville to do canyons This canyon was the first project of the weekend We spent a very cold, blustery day in both forks of the canyon, rim walking each side before finally dropping in When I re-visited the canyon recently, I was surprised at h...

Herm Pollock Slot is an interesting, short slot canyon with a big approach! The canyon is unique in that I have never seen such a slot so completely sand-floored It is like a day at the beach! A couple of notes about this outing First, it is a bit of an approach requiring some route finding for a short section of technical slot canyon If you are an adrenaline-fueled canyoneer looking for a hardcore adventure, pass on this one If you like a long amble in the desert punctuated by a bit of technical slot, this is a lo...