Routes in Castle Valley

Climbs the chimney & crack system system that separates The Rectory from The Nuns.

Drive 3.2 miles up the Castle Valley Rd from the highway 128 and turn left on to a dirt road, low clearance vehicles can park here, but high clearance can continue another 300m or so to the base of the dirt slope.

Follow a track making a rising traverse in the direction of Castleton Tower, once up on top of the low range, make a sharp left turn and head for Pariott Mesa, you should be able to follow a well cairned trail making a rising traverse up and right, aiming for the base of the far right side of the impressive cliffs.

Once at the base of the cliffs, the trail passes through a short 4th class rock band, then the trail continues around into the next bowl and the cable.

Right facing dihedral in the southern third of the west face. Start is marked with a plaque and belay bolt.

1. 30m, 5.11

2. 30m, 5.10-

3. 37m, 5.12

4. 40m, 5.11

5. 25m, 5.9

6. 10m, 5.8

Descent: Walk north to find "Choir Boyz" and rappel that.

Originally climbed as Aid and named "Renate Goes To Africa", but later freed and named "Renate Goes to Eleven" as a "a tip of the hat to Nigel Tufnel, who might say of the route 'Don't even look at it'".

1. 60ft, 5.10b

2. 50ft, 5.8

3. 190ft, 5.7

4. 80ft, 5.9

5. 100ft, 5.10a

Descent: Rappel "Salvation Chimney" about 30m south, or, walk north to find the top of "Choir Boyz" and rap that.

No fixed anchors on the route.

1. 150ft, 5.11+

2. 120ft, 5.11+

3. 120ft, 5.8

Descent: Rappel Choir Boyz

Climbs the obvious crack at the south western edge.

P1) 120ft, off-width crack slinging chockstones for pro, turns into squeeze chimney.

P2) 100ft, Move to the back of the chimney, then climb a hand crack and belay on top of a chockstone.

P3) 100ft, up a 5.10 hand crack, protecting with BD #1 cams. Chimney narrows to a stem, leading up to drilled warthogs at an arch.

P4) 50 ft, up a slab for 20 ft, go right, then another 20 ft to large ledge and detached block/flake.

P5) 50 ft, up the detached block and aid through 3 bolts.

Descent: It is possible to rappel the route. Or, traverse the mesa and descend the "Mountaineers Route", although the top can be difficult to find first time.

Starts about 30 yards right of Fine Jade (30 yards north on the east face).

Pitch 1 - Sustained lieback finger corner via one bolt to final crux two meters below the hanging belay.

Pitch 2 - From the belay, step 3 m left to flakey crack. Up a #.75 section to a flaring steep thin hands section. Belay on ledge.

Pitch 3 - Steep fingers with occasional lieback moves. Luckily the sandy block before the belay was removed. However, the final moves are a bit awkward (well protected with a #3).

Pitch 4 - Step down a bit and traverse left for 5m along thin, balance moves without any pro to a slightly sandy crack. Best, try to back clean the first placements to improve belaying situation for the second. Continue crack to big ledge and finish on right exit variant of fine jade via 3 bolts and some challenging face moves.

Gear: doubles #0.1-3 with extra finger and hand sizes, slings, double ropes

Descent: from top anchor rappel via Fine jade (4 single rope rappels or two 60m double rope rappels)

The large bowl/amphitheatre immediately north of Ascended Yoga Masters.

Looks like a fair bit of loose scrambling, and a final steep wall to exit the amphitheatre.

Start 30ft left of Fine Jade

Northern end of the Convent, on the west face. Accessing the base of the route requires some crawling along horizontal breaks, beginning at "Value of Audacity", and continuing under "West Face Dihedral".

1. 170ft, 5.9

2. 110ft, 5.11-

3. 30ft, 5.10 (can be linked with P2 dependent on rope drag?)

4. The Roof. 100ft, 5.10

5. 50ft, 5.8

Descent: Rappel Choir Boyz

P1: 5.6 chimney to big ledge; p2: 5.6 chimney until it pinches down and you have to come out into a lieback, probably 5.9 no pro unless you have large gear, bolt anchor; p3: 5.10 short pitch.

Start underneath the huge pillar leaning against the west face, about 50 yards north of Fine Jade on the west face.

PG13. Start about 5m right of "West Face Dihedral". The start is just after the approach crawl from "Value of Audacity".

1. 100ft, 5.10 C1

2. 120ft, 5.10

3. 70ft, 5.8

4. 5.6R

5. 80ft, 5.9

6. 50ft, 5.10

7. 30ft, 5.7

Descent: Rappel Choir Boyz

Starts about 13m right of "Value Of Audacity" and 30m left of "Choir Boyz".

1. 40m, 5.12

2. 35m, 5.11+

3. 20m, 5.10.

Descent: Rappel "Choir Boyz".

Starts about 25m south of the Nuns, the base of the route is on a ledge about 6m above the trail.

1. 130ft (5.6) Up into an awful tight squeeze chimney. Maybe a better alternative is to start 20 foot right and climb up through blocks. Belay on massive ledge with massive bolts and chains.

2. 100ft (5.8) Move across to the chimney and double crack system. Ignore the chimney on the left with the bolt (that’s “Black Sun”). Instead, on the right is a double crack system, the left crack is probably best. Climb over some loose blocks at the top to a comfy ledge with bolts and chains.

3. 100ft (5.9) Layback up the corner, the crack widens and you move into and find a bolt, the crack narrows and you’re forced out for the crux which is protected by a bolt, you’ll stem with thin footholds and gratefully reach a large calcite hold for your left hand. More wide crack/chimney above before being forced out on to the right face just before the belay, bolts and chains.

4. 80ft (5.8) The obvious line is straight up the off-width crack. However, easier climbing up right to join the North Chimney route, climb flakes up to rappel chains.

1. 40m (5.9) More of a crack pitch than a chimney, it looks intimidating for the grade. A low crux leads to the chimney and a double crack system. Straight up with lay-backing & jamming, well protected throughout, bring plenty of cams. There is a higher crux just before the belay through a bulge. DBB.

2. 30m (5.9) A short and awkward off-width section just above the belay, bring a BD#5 to protect and ignore the manky old bolt. Continue up chimneying and passing a few loose chockstones. Trad belay with small to medium cams, although there may be fixed pitons in-place.

3. 30m (5.7) Continue chimneying up, and exit to the right to a loose gravel chute with large loose boulders. Climb over these to a saddle and join the Kor-Ingalis route. Not great gear, but body belay behind boulder is fine.

4. 15m (5.6) Nice climbing up flakes trending left to the top and rappel chains.

At the northern end of Parriot Mesa, a slender spire that is detached but barely discernible.

Easiest to hike in from the east having parked in Ida Gulch.

P1) Start on the Eastern side, climbing chockstones in the crack. Continue up to the col between the mesa and spire.

P2) Aid up drilled pitons and bolts to the summit, take some gear too. A number of ASCA bolts replaced some fixed pins in 2010.

Descent) Make 2 raps with 2 x 60m ropes.

P1: 5.6 chimney to big ledge; p2: 5.6 chimney until it pinches down and you have to come out into a lieback, probably 5.9 no pro unless you have large gear, bolt anchor; p3: 5.10 short pitch.

Classic route on the southern end of The Rectory.

Originally climbed as Aid and named "Renate Goes To Africa", but later freed and named "Renate Goes to Eleven" as a "a tip of the hat to Nigel Tufnel, who might say of the route 'Don't even look at it'".

1. 60ft, 5.10b

2. 50ft, 5.8

3. 190ft, 5.7

4. 80ft, 5.9

5. 100ft, 5.10a

Descent: Rappel "Salvation Chimney" about 30m south, or, walk north to find the top of "Choir Boyz" and rap that.

Story of the first ascent (in german): https://cdn.website-editor.net/s/4c9d0834c5d8490aa5f735c9da60c271/files/uploaded/story_rectory.pdf?Expires=1657443633&Signature=WZug93GH-PLhEhAe6iz71T-xf4IzDZar6TEthmXf4OyYD3SGm8hh4h8H4dO8fwzPyzExGEvsOKFiGu~Un67GFEcbXYnLDkjNHkNXEta1GPV~kKcSPCKVAU0ATZlrXUVkmEYI5khRvXjovVBry6ugdA7Wg0tgurNPvHdJ2pzgC8qw~yDI9DqJLrw0~a0fjuwF0LHXZGR95tzmnPFgEk7OWVSpSFPyqN~6xzwMxn9fMa1OGyCXdeLEQ5DvX4Kds-8h2I8NDgMzxsDzEeoyyOtmpCFmg0a1VZBoWRgdZelugvQ1IT4A6EWfyX1eB5aK7dbhtQHqg9PQDndktliDNEPBQg__&Key-Pair-Id=K2NXBXLF010TJW

Approach requires a crawl along a horizontal ledge from the base of "Value Of Audacity".

1. 80ft, 5.9

2. 110ft, 5.10-

3. 110ft, 5.10

4. 80ft, 5.10

5. 60ft, 5.10

6. 60ft, 5.7

Descent: Rappel Choir Boyz

A clean crack system on the southern end of west face of the Convent.

FA. April 13/14 2001 by Paul Ross ,Jeff Pheasent. Some wild situations. Unrepeated as of 2010. The Traverse uses 4 pitches of establised climbs and 5 new pitches.

1. P1 of Kor-Ingalls.140' 5.6.
2. Move belat to the right to join Arrowhead Left .Climb this pitch to the top of the Arrowhead (junction with Stardust Cowboys)100' 5.10.
3. The long Ed WEbster bolt ladder is followed,then up to the right to a belay overlooking North Chimney.110'.
4. Climb down 20' then over the massive chockstone near the top of P2 North Chimney. Traverse right across the slab to the bolt rap/lower ,and swing right onto ledges and 3 bolt belay at the top of P2 North Face route.110'.
5. Up ledges to the right ,then climb down 12' to a beatifully exposed narrow slab traverse line.(some of the bolts used to protect this pitch need hangers ,nut and washers in place- bring 1/2" wrench,or use wires) Follow the slab crossing Sun,Moon and Stars climb to an anchor overlooking The West Face route.110' 5.9+ AO (with pro now in place should go all free).
6. Lower 50' to an anchor on the West Face.
7. Follow a thin crack up and right to a belay around the corner. C1 5.3.
8. The long exposed crack is followed across theWest Face to a belay overlooking the Kor-Ingall route.80' 5.9 C1.
9. From just up right of the belay, lower down a few feet to a horizontal crack. Follow it and then lower off into the Kor route. 170' C1.

Climb Kor or rap off... Gear Two sets of Cams from Metolius 00 to #4 Friend many biners for Webster bolt ladder ,Stoppers ,and perhaps hand drill as now route is getting old without second ascent.!

All anchors are bolted well.

1. Crux, 5.12-

2. 5.10+

3. 5.11+

4. 5.11C

5. Easy.

Descent: Rappel the route.

1. 110 ft (5.12b) Pro: single set of cams to 5", 7 quickdraws.

2. 105 ft (5.13b) Pro: 16 quickdraws.

3. 65 ft (5.12b) Pro: cams to 0.5-2", 3 quickdraws.

4. 80 ft (5.12a) Pro: 0.75" cam, 7 quickdraws.

Descend with a 70m rope in 4 rappels down the south face of the arrow and then into the dihedral of 'Kor-Ingalls'[19398475] to the bottom.

Climbs the crack just east of Ascended Yoga Masters, and joins that route deep inside the rock at the 2nd belay.

The right trending ramp system, beginning just left of "Choir Boyz".

1. 130ft, 5.10

2. 210ft, 5.10+

3. 80ft, 5.8

4. Continue up P5 of "Choir Boyz"

Descent: Rappel "Choir Boyz".