North Chimney, Castleton Tower 5.9

 
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Desert Towers, Utah, USA

  • Currently 4.0/5
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SuperTopo Rating:   
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  • 5
 (4.0)
Average Customer Rating:   
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  • 5
 (3.7)
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Rating Distribution
3 Total Ratings
5 star: 0%  (0)
4 star: 67%  (2)
3 star: 33%  (1)
2 star: 0%  (0)
1 star: 0%  (0)
Old Dude

Trad climber
Bradenton, FL
Jan 22, 2017 - 02:35am
 
Did the third ascent around 1971 with Mike Dudley. He got P1, the nice hand cracks, I get P2, with no bolt at the crux and nowhere to place our 4" bong, which fell uselessly into the bowels of the crack when hit, so to above the OW was unprotected. Then Dud knocked a ton of rock down from the top of P3 which I barely escaped by squeezing under a flake. The raps down the KI on the original halfway in 1/4"ers that creaked when weighted were the topper. Great desert day, around 25th ascent of Castleton overall, as I recall. I mountain biked in the desert after that, looked for more solid rock elsewhere, but Dudley always loved that stuff.
luca

Trad climber
milano italy
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   Oct 18, 2008 - 09:14am
did it with my two daughters at the end of august this summer in a very hot day: it is not a real north side and the first pitch goes in the shade after 10 am. it is very nice. the of width of pitch 2 is protected with a very very bad old bolt! and the fall is dangerous: bring a camalot n° 5. delicate 5.9. we didn't have it.... brrr... the rest of the route has very good pro. the route is easier but more sustained than the kor ingalls and maybe spots better climbing.
the approch trail was in bad but passable condition.
please donate for the free camping at the base.
luca
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
Sep 7, 2008 - 11:25pm
 
There will be a trail rebuilting effort on October 24-26

read more here:

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/story/6/118
Lars Ensign

Trad climber
Zephyr Cove, NV
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   Apr 23, 2006 - 09:16am
This is a fantastic route! Cold and windy, but fantastic. I recommend leaving your packs behind before bouldering up the blocks to the base of the route. Retrieving the packs was unplesant in the dark. The bolt at the 5.9 off-width start of the second pitch is terrible, but you can place a solid #5 camalot just beside it. 4-5 feet higher the crack pinches down to a #4, but the moves are insecure and the unprotected fall onto your belayer would suck. Also, we misunderstood the topo regarding how you exit the chimney. You want to exit the chimney to the right (watch the loose blocks), make a few moves up a slot and walk down a little "hallway" between the main summit on the right and a sub-pillar on the left until you join the Kor-Ingalls. The little inset topo made it look like the route exits left - there's some old bleached-out rap slings over there from others who have tried to go that way, not recommended.
Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
sawatch choss
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   Mar 12, 2003 - 09:05pm
You really want the first pitch, the best on the route.
andy@climbingmoab

Advanced climber
sawatch choss
Sep 26, 2002 - 05:01pm
 
way better than kor-ingalls. every pitch is fun, no groveling required. early september is a great time for this route as it can be cold and windy when kor-ingalls is an oven.
Castleton Tower - North Chimney 5.9 - Desert Towers, Utah, USA. Click to Enlarge
A view from the approach.
Photo: Dougald MacDonald
 
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