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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 14, 2010 - 07:40pm PT
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Frosty Weller talked me into trying Factory Butte. Bjornstad’s guidebook made Factory Butte sound like an adventure, and the damn thing towers over everything for miles around--the Mt. Everest of the San Raphael Swell.
The guidebook suggested lumber, for rappelling. So we brought some. Useless. As we hiked in, the air was so dry the 2x4s kept cracking and popping as the wood warped and split in the December sun. The approach is miles long.
At the start of the climb, we took off the packs, then began a “recon” that ended 1,800 feet higher on a flat, silent plateau, far above any and eveything else. The route follows a meandering gully, the largest on the whole formation, with occasional boulder-problem steps and chockstones. At one point we split. I took a left fork--easier boulder problem, but a big mistake. Higher, my gully petered out, and I gently made steps in the crusty surface. Once it had been stove in, the surface crumbled to fine dust, so retreat was soon no longer possible. Kicking the surface too hard would shatter the crust. I had to step gently but firmly on the crust, gingerly stand up, repeat. Removing my lower foot usually resulted in the step disintegrating. Uh oh. A slip would send me sliding hundreds of feet. So I blundered upward. Higher, before I rejoined Frosty’s correct (and far easier) gully, I had to swim up a strange “talus” arete, while boulders cascaded from out from under my legs and arms.
Near the top, a cliff band presented a 5.7 chimney, talc#m-powder back and footing to easier terrain on real rock. From that lofty summit, we spied a far-off spire nestled against a staccato line of collapsing cliffs. No sign of any one else, so we returned the way we approached. Next day we drove great circles looking for the spire we’d seen in the distance. We’d had enough, so left.
Enter Strappo. A couple years after the Factory Butte climb, Strappo bought himself a new truck, and persuaded me that we needed a desert
trip, to climb a New Tower.
So, off we went, and spent a day driving around half-forgotten roads and tracks winding around Salt Wash and Moroni Slopes. A maze of rough zigzags led over and through tilted layers of shale and sandstone, red, purple, gray, ridge after ridge. The truck would rumble up and up and up the easy side, as if approaching the edge of the world, then reach an unreal view out over a dessicated plain. We drove by some cows, who huddled in a sullen group. They stared, looking angry that they, of all the cows in the world, were the ones that had been dumped in this awful corner of this arid wasteland. The only vegetation we could see looked like shoots of barbed wire, poking out of the ground.
We camped a couple miles or so from the spire, by a capped wellhead site, strewn with old, rusty cans and random bits of wood that were polished by the incessant wind.
We homed in on the cliffs that afternoon, and finally found another roadbed that ended within easy hiking distance of the mini-Titan. So backtracked along this old road until we found where it intersected the one we had followed.
First, I tried leading a nearby, smaller tower. It looked easy. Several hours later, tail between my legs, I lowered from an RP equalized with a hammered steel stake. Hmmm. Back to the main tower.
Strappo get going.
We each led half the first pitch. This 180-foot nailing pitch involved everything from knifeblades to large cams--one of the best desert aid pitches I’ve ever done. The finish was up a tottering detached flake to a rotten slab of debris. Here, an urgent search revealed one single dinner-plate sized chunk of rock that would work for a bolt.
Next day I led up the debris, kicking steps upward to who knows what. A violent wind, and some raindrops frightened me enough that I placed a protection bolt before reaching better, steeper rock, where I established a solid belay.
We were both intimidated and scared of the weird rock. Things were not going well. Part 2 soon...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 14, 2010 - 07:42pm PT
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You are a sick man crunch.
(Hey, I called you in Boulder)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 14, 2010 - 08:03pm PT
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Those pictures of Strappo are priceless.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Sep 14, 2010 - 08:28pm PT
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The average person eats a bushel of dirt each year. The average desert climber eats one per tower. Yummy!!!
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
Oakland
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Sep 14, 2010 - 08:55pm PT
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eff yes!
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 14, 2010 - 09:29pm PT
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What an interesting survey of the different sub-species of climbers. So many ways to have "fun!"
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Sep 14, 2010 - 09:42pm PT
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Nice!
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Sep 14, 2010 - 10:58pm PT
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this is truly revolting, even by bay area standards.
strong werk.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Sep 14, 2010 - 11:44pm PT
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did anyone ever tell you you are devoid of common sense? mega respect for even getting on that stuff. cheers!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Sep 15, 2010 - 03:09am PT
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Truly magnificent! Pure unknown. Adventure sought and found.
Part 2 please!!!
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Sep 15, 2010 - 03:39am PT
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heh.. you guys are dirty...cool...
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Sep 15, 2010 - 05:20am PT
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Good stuff Crusher. That looks chossy even by Devon standards.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 15, 2010 - 08:44am PT
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I think we need a new word...choss is too cheery! LOL
Some Scottish word for a poorly planned or executed (and hence impossibly crumbly) scone...
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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Sep 15, 2010 - 09:37am PT
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Looking forward to your slideshow in Grand Junction! I am sure there will be much more of these adventures to be seen.
-Jesse
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Sep 15, 2010 - 10:54am PT
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I agree Steve. "Choss" is too solid a description for that stuff. We need a new term that is even chossier than normal choss.
Egads- Impressive! You people are drunk, incredibly brave, or incredibly desperate to climb something/anything vertical.
Nice report and great pics!
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Sep 15, 2010 - 11:05am PT
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They took their lives in their own hands...
They lived to tell about it......
Nice charge guys... But there is better(read "much safer") climbing to be had
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2010 - 12:29pm PT
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"But there is better(read "much safer") climbing to be had"
Hmmmm. Some time after this climb, Strappo and I went climbing at a local sport climbing area. Strappo was charging ahead, just reaching the tyrolean across the creek, when I heard a loud "thump" noise. He'd slipped and fallen 25 feet into the creek, landing on his heel. Skin was unbroken, but the bones were smashed badly. The foot was later to be peeled open like a sardine can so as to better insert lots of metal. Grim.
Piggybacked him partway back to the car, then he decided to crawl, so as not to risk falling and impacting his ankle again.
Yeah. Desert choss creates a healthy respect. My most recent injury was slipping on ice in my own back yard, last January. Resulting lower-back nerve damage still affects my foot. Far worse than anything the desert has ever inflicted. Insert Al Gore style "sigh" here...
Anyway, I digress.
Jeremy, you are more than worthy. You would enjoy this beast--the first pitch really is as good as anything I've done in the Fishers. Elegant crack system, and every time you step up on each and every piece, you wonder if you are about to be shut down ... not only shut down in the sense of finding no placement, and being forced to place a bolt, but shut down in the sense of not even being able to place a bolt, and having to backtrack, down-aid until you reach a piece you trust to lower from. But then you dig around, and something shows up! Aid climbing--tenuous, unlikely, constantly surprising--at its finest.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2010 - 12:49pm PT
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Back to the Mustrosity, part 2:
Next day Strappo was transformed. He shifted gears. From his high point, he began placing crappy knifeblades, one after another (the kind that are frighteningly easy to clean), then reached a wide crack. Or it would be a wide crack, but was chock full of dusty dirt. He slowly made progress, hammering large pitons directly into the rubble, then, as it widened, he excavated and buried cams. While he hammered, he in turn was hammered by a hard wind that created a long plume, and had Strappo choking and spluttering.
Hours later, he knew he was near the top when his hammer pounded its way right through the crack and out the other side.
The summit was tiny, a motorcycle seat in the sky. Strappo told me that the top was vibrating as I cleaned pins, forty feet below. He had to dig a foot of dirt off the top so as to place an anchor.
Adventure!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 15, 2010 - 02:38pm PT
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Great Crusher! Teach Strappo to use a camera so we can see your beatific smile.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 15, 2010 - 02:43pm PT
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Cool adventure - thanks for sharing.
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Gabe
climber
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Sep 15, 2010 - 04:43pm PT
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That is a great TR! Way to get it done.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 16, 2010 - 12:10am PT
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Is that actually a bolt in that summit shot or did you drop a hanger? LOL
The summit houskeeping plume must have been impressive!
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Sep 16, 2010 - 01:15am PT
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I almost forgot how much I missed the choss aiding.
No need to bounce test, that would just ruin the placement.
Did you guys hammer in any big Hooks?
Classic summit shot!
Thanks for the Report on the line.
Mucci
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Sep 16, 2010 - 03:28am PT
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one of the best.
had seen the Factory formation on a trip thru Utah. frigid cold, I thought, maybe, just maybe I might want to go out to Factory, just to place a 2x4 for pro and rapping. I thought maybe the cold might hold the mud together better.
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Bad Acronym
climber
Little Death Hollow
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Sep 16, 2010 - 10:55am PT
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Incredible.
Re: Part 1 - I know those Swell cows you speak of. Blindly walking back to our camp after doing Baptist Draw one night (without headlamps), I ran into a large obstacle - "oomph." "What was that?" my friend says. "It's a f*cking cow."
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 19, 2010 - 03:40pm PT
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Desert Towers Book Bump!!!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 19, 2010 - 09:10pm PT
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The Swell has more,.. but there be dragons!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 19, 2010 - 10:05pm PT
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And Gargoyles Everywhere!
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2010 - 01:12am PT
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Here be dragons!
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Technogeekery
Trad climber
Tokyo, Japan
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Sep 21, 2010 - 03:02am PT
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Hey crunch, your photos are sublime. Almost make me understand why you want to climb those things. Almost.
Nice work to both of you, and thanks for the great TR!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Sep 21, 2010 - 03:13am PT
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Crunch was the Factory Butte trip a second and only repeat ascent?
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Woody the Beaver
Trad climber
Soldier, Idaho
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There is no higher calling than this.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Does that stuff even classify as rock?
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Oct 27, 2018 - 11:23pm PT
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Horrendous... in a good way?
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 28, 2018 - 05:50pm PT
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So funny. I just last week drove by Factory Butte for the first time ever and thought "that is cool looking", from a great distance. Still I think it would be a cool summit.
Then this surfaced.
Remember, I live in Seattle and vaguely dry rock always holds a fascination, and coming back through City of Rocks was way more exciting in every meaning of the word.
Darwin
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