Otto's Route, Independence Monument 5.9

  
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Desert Towers, Utah, USA

  • Currently 5.0/5
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Summary of All Ratings

SuperTopo Rating:   
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  • 5
  (5.0)
Average Customer Rating:   
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  • 5
  (3.5)
Your Rating:     (none)
Rating Distribution
4 Total Ratings
5 star: 50%  (2)
4 star: 0%  (0)
3 star: 0%  (0)
2 star: 50%  (2)
1 star: 0%  (0)
Prod

Trad climber
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    Jun 1, 2010 - 08:25am
Gotta agree with Rotorouter on this one. Desert climbig suggests a standard desert rack. That is way too much gear, and I'm a weenie who hates hanging it out there.

Here is what I used.

Pitch 1.
#3 C3
#3 tcu
#4 tcu
1.5 tricam
plus a #2 C3 for the belay on a huge ledge.

Pitch 2.
#4 C3 for the 1 move on the pitch.

Pitch 3.
3 fixed pitons
1.5 tri cam after the 3rd piton in one of Otto's holes.

Pitch 4.
3 fixed pitons.

Sort of wish I picked a different route to get up this cool chunk of stone.

Prod.
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Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
Jun 17, 2009 - 09:40am
 
i just got this beta from a supertopo user

 For Indp Monument, you mention somewhere that it's possible to rappel
two pitches at once. But the rope can easily be stuck which such a
distance that it was almost impossible to pull it afterwards. I think
it's better to go from one pitch to another.
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Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
Sep 11, 2008 - 08:04am
 
great photos and trip report of many towers here

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=584543
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seabass

Sport climber
Gunnison, Colorado
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    Nov 18, 2003 - 10:41am
Otto's route is a must do for anyone climbing in the Grand Junction area. The last pitch is a mental wake up and the perfet way to end the route. You only have to do two raps if you have two 60m ropes. Rap 1 off the top and walk through the tunnel. Rap 2, off anchor below the tunnel go down the west side off the tower. With the rope stretch you'll have just enough to get you to the bottom. Loose the ego and have fun climbing Otto's pockets.
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Strouth

Trad climber
Colorado
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    Apr 25, 2003 - 04:07am
This was my first desert route and later on it was my girlfriends first too. Thanks to Otto's handywork, nowhere else will you find 5.8 sandstone like that. Perfect intro to a get a feel for the rock and soak in some amazing views. The last pitch is classic, super airy prow with the sporty feeling overhung 5.8/9 finish to make you earn the summit. Otto had some patience drilling those holes. . . .
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Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
sawatch choss
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    Mar 12, 2003 - 06:10pm
Lots of tunnelling behind huge flakes, weird manufactured holds--perhaps historic but far from classic climbing. The fewest cool moves on any tower I've climbed. If this was what they were all like, nobody would climb these things but via ferrata fans. The formation and its location are undeniably cool, however.

Creepy guy with binos on the rim watched us get naked on top.
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andy@climbingmoab

Advanced climber
sawatch choss
Sep 26, 2002 - 02:03pm
 
this route is shady - a good time of year right now. traditionally an 8, certainly no harder than 9- the only mandatory runout is 5.0 on the last pitch - everything else can be protected with creativity. this route is fine for the solid 5.8 climber.
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Independence Monument - Otto's Route 5.9 - Desert Towers, Utah, USA. Click to Enlarge
Otto's Route from near the approach.
Photo: Chris McNamara
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