Today we’re throwing it back to our time amongst the epic Wingate sandstone in Utah this past
Today we’re throwing it back to our time amongst the epic Wingate sandstone in Utah this past April. . There’s a bit of an epic story behind this photo: we wanted to tick off at least one desert tower in Utah, and we set our sights on Castleton Tower, just outside Moab. . Castleton stands roughly 400 feet tall, perched on a thousand foot-tall talus cone. We planned to climb the North Chimney, the ‘easiest’ route on the tower: 375’, 4 pitches ranging from 5.7 to 5.9+ with a section of 5.9 off-width thrown in. . We slept at the trailhead, but didn’t start early enough. When we arrived at the base of the route, two other parties were already ahead of us, and we quickly saw that both were in over their heads. The first couple was awkwardly fighting with each other during the two hours it took them to get up the first pitch. The second party, while not fighting, took a huge whip (“fall” in climber terms) and pulled gear. Long story short, we waited and waited. We considered getting on another route, but didn’t have the right gear for any nearby. After three hours, when they were still on pitch one and two, we decided to bail and avoid becoming involved in their unfolding epic. (Seriously don’t want to imagine how they dealt with the crux pitch or the rappel.) . We made the best of our approach hike, though, and managed to snap this incredible shot of Amanda on the saddle between Castleton tower and The Rectory (behind Amanda in this photo). And that’s the story of our “first” desert tower . . As we wrap up August, we’re making ‘plans’ for the winter, which we think may involve a little less travel. We’ve been moving a lot and our bodies and souls are craving less movement and more stability. We’re on the lookout for a great parking spot on private property: San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Santa Barbara, the Bay Area (?), Tucson, Moab, or even NM (as long as it’s warm.) Flexible on timelines + location but we’re thinking 2-3 months. Perhaps you’ve got a perfect unused driveway or know of a spot? We’re willing to pay for the right place and would love any leads! Leave a comment below or DM us. Thanks van fam much love ❤️. (at Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHjXTxFB7s/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17bfi5mqby6t4 -- source link