Climbing Chimney Rock
Escalante
Overview
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Sat ![]() 70 | 45 |
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Mon ![]() 81 | 53 |
Tue ![]() 83 | 53 |
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Chimney Rock is likely not the hardest tower you will ever climb, but it is certainly one of the proudest. The tower stands alone along the flat Hole In The Rock Road. It seems to defy it's surroundings and makes an impressive perch to view Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. To the east, Navajo Mountain to the south-east, King Mesa and slickrock country to the north, and the Kaiparowits Plateau to the south. The dirt road to its base is long, but this is a great adventure if you are in the neighborhood.
There is pretty good primitive camping near the base, as long as it's not windy, and plenty of solitude.
Getting There
Head east out of the town of Escalante about 5 miles on highway 12 until the well signed Hole in the Rock road.
- Turn onto the Hole In The Rock Road and reset your odometer. ( 12S 453596mE 4175370mN / N37° 43' 28" W111° 31' 36" )
- Travel down the Hole in the Rock road for 33.3 miles to the signed Chimney Rock Road on the left (north side). ( 12S 487329mE 4138495mN / N37° 23' 35" W111° 08' 35" )
- Follow the Chimney Rock road 0.5 miles to a junction. ( 12S 487915mE 4139025mN / N37° 23' 53" W111° 08' 12" )
- Go left, coming to another junction at 1.9 miles from the Hole in the Rock road. ( 12S 488904mE 4140976mN / N37° 24' 56" W111° 07' 31" )
- Go right here to another junction at 2.6 miles. ( 12S 489943mE 4140523mN / N37° 24' 41" W111° 06' 49" )
- Go left, reaching Chimney Rock at 2.9 miles. ( 12S 490523mE 4140613mN / N37° 24' 44" W111° 06' 25" )
Route
Find the obvious bolt ladder on the north side. Many of the bolts do not have hangers, so river hangers, or wing-nuts and hangers (for the timid) work well. The route follows bolts up, and around the tower. It is simply a bolt ladder until the very top where a couple of easy (5.7) moves take you to the summit. A single 70 m ( 230 ft. ) rope will get you down.
Maps
Tower |
12S 490477mE 4140614mN N37° 24' 44" W111° 06' 27" |