Wind Sand and Stars - Kolob Canyons Utah

”With you in Spirit” - Jeff Lowe

Paria Point Kolob Canyons

 Last year, in 2014, I had a couple of weeks climbing in Utah and Zion. After my partner on that trip left for home I still had 3 weeks of my own to explore and get a big number of climbs done. Soloing a number of great routes.

One of the most spectacular places I went to was Kolob Canyon. Placed between St George and Cedar City on Highway 15.

Climbing on the Rooster Pinnacle, Kolob Canyons

  One of the most famous routes in Kolob is the dramatically overhanging Huco route Namaste (5.12a) and Huecos Rancheros (5.12c) put up by Conrad Anker.

Those two is an epilog journey of forearm pumping sport climb. Well protected with a big number of bolts, the only issue is to have force enough to clip them "en route”…

But the climbs on the Rooster Pinnacle should not be forgotten either.

Anna Following on on of many Hueco routes in Kolob

  In my opinon this is one of the greatest Sand Stone destinations but very much in the shadow of its big brother neighbor of Zion. Which as well isn’t that well know really. I mean compared to the giant Yosemite.

Both theses places, Zion and Kolob, has its restrictions and is patrolled by rangers just as in Yosemite. The differens is the attitude. In Utah I have always felt welcome. Doesn’t matter if I´m a climber or an RV tourist. Both are treated with respect and the Rangers are most helpful. Compares to Yosemite were a climber is more like dirt compared to the RV campers which seems to have a much higher standard.

On my last visit I took an exploring day in Kolob and hiked in to the inner parts of the South Fork where Ranchero and Namaste are suited. And managed to solo both of them as well as the hard graded "Last Rites" 5.10d.

But of course my eyes fell on the magic wall of Paria Point and the Jeff Lowe route ”Wind Sand and Stars” 5.12+.

Put up by Jeff and Chatrine Destivele 1991 and then first free climbed by Jeff Lowe togeter with ”crack masters" Lisa Gnade and Steve Petro the year after.

Approach to Paria Point

  After searching as much as possible on this big test piece I just realized that the lack of info and big number of hard pitches it wasn’t something to go and solo. I had to come back with a parter on this one.

Said and done, it was on my mind for a whole full year until I again rolled in to Utah and this time with Anna by my side. With routes like Moonlight Buttres, Rostrum North Face and Perestroika Crack done together I thought we would be up to a great adventure on this one.

But, the weather wasn’t with us. The el Nino effect would have a great year 2015. And in a place like Bishop, Ca, which have something like 6 days of rain in the year, we had 3 days of rain in a week!

Almost giving up this project, suffering an other rainy day in st Gorge, Ut. And using the day to drive up to Kolob and have a look on this beautiful area together, we was getting a bit depressed of all the wet rock and snow covering it.

I took the last chance and sent a message to Jeff, asking  if this much talked about but non info route actually was that good as he once said.

After a day of waiting for an reply I got an most encouraging message back. Confirming the quality of the rock giving the route a very overall standard - Yours in Spirit!

Well, we just had to go and give it a try. Snow and cold weather en dépit.

Giving the area and route two days to clear and dry up, meanwhile we climbed the most interesting route ”The Silverback” in Zion. 

And we felt in mood to drive up to Kolob again. Wind Sand And Stars on Paria Point is south facing and the two days last sunny weather should have dried it up for us, we hoped.

And since it was our last days of climbing it was more or less the last chance.

The hour drive from Springdale up to Kolob was only divided by a regular stop at the gas station in Hurricane to get the mornings second cup of coffee. Rolling in to the parking place at south fork we found ourself in the shadow stil but the sun was strongly fighting its way up on a cloudless  sky. Everything looked fine expect that we was suffering from a strong wind. Which on the other side would help up to dry the face even more.

Racking up the gear and trying to figure out what clothes to go in…we finally was on our way up the half an hour approach. Trough ankle deep snow.

The approach, very straight forward and easy, same with finding the start of route. And soon I was, finally, getting my hands on this mythic climb. I was in a good mood with a relaxed feeling. This would be a great day!

Pitch 1

  Finding the first anchor, a two bolt bolted belay on good ledge. Anna follow the pitch easily and we are both getting warmed up finding the Kolob spirit on surprisingly clean rock. Not as it can be on seldom climbed sand stone, like very sandy. This looks fine. Next pitch and I found my self on some different options of cracks, a perfect finger crack closes totally on me 15m up and I have to reverse and instead head up a hand crack into a steam box thing to yet an other bolted belay. Below the psyching chimney pitch…time to get started.

To my positive surprise I realize that the R for this pitch is not that correct. It is actually possible to place a piece of pro here and there. And as most of the time, actually falling of out of a chimney is an effort as well. So after yet an other full body chimney work out I am able to send it quite easy. 

With this behind I am totally convinced, this will go.

The adventure is on!

  An airy and spectacular traverse brings us to the base of the first 5.12 pitch. Which would be followed of two short and one long .12 pitch with super hard and technical climbing. Much harder than the later Rostrum and Moonlight Buttress.

Thin placements with RP´s and 2 bolts the first 5.12 goes quite well and I finally find myself on an hanging belay below something that looks more or less impossible V slot. 

-Well, that will be a later problem, first I just have to belay Anna up here.

-You really like this don’t you? When its just exposed and hairy dramatical? Anna looking a bit unhappy as she is hanging on the 2 bolts with a lot of air below.

I can not agree more, this is 100% fun! And I steam on.

Pitch 4 on Wind Sand & stars

  As many times the sand stone gets more and more fragile with altitude.  A couple of times a foot- or handhold brakes and specially some 10, 15meters above the last pro it gets a little to interesting sometimes. 

But as long as i am able to find the right way up this still steep rock face the quality keeps very good. It is just a matter of  keeping the eyes open and see the pitons in place. With on the upper parts are quite spread out.

5.12 climbing, in a delicate mood - Anna Backlund

  With a day close to the limit of getting dark we decide to make it easy and rappel the route instead of taking the chance to go around the west face. That would give us less rappelling but unknown terrain.

And with most of the anchors in place i just have to leave a few nuts after me. And the 10m of extra cord comes well in place to tie the points together. With the sun just setting we rapp the last pitch and are able to scramble down and out of the bowl just right at head torch time. 

Back down at the parking lot the only epic of the day is when some of my gear starts to fly away in the still hard blowing wind.

5.10R Upper part of Wind Sand & Stars

  It is time to get back to st Gorge and a nice motel room, celebrating the climb of the trip. And maybe of the year. One of my top five rock climbs; "Wind Sand and Stars” In spirit of Jeff Lowe.

The route

P1: ( 5.10 ) Up and left, passing some delicate moves around a corner and up an other 10m. 35m pitch
P2: ( 5.10 ) Up and left via face and cracks to a finger and hand crack below the pillar. Traverse right to a stem box. Left at bolt on a ledge to the anchor. Harder than it looks.
P3: ( 5.9 R ) Long Chimney. Some sparse pro in hand and finger size gear.
P4: ( 5.10- ) Up to .5 & .75 crack. Take a right, traverse face in front of large boulder. Gear Anchor
P5: ( 5.12) Hard stemming up to a piton. Crux is before and after piton. Hanging Belay
P6: ( 5.12 ) Out the awkward V-slot and onto the face via more hard stemming. 2 solid bolts protect the crux. Bolted anchor on ledge.

(possible to link these two pitches with a long rope)

P7: ( 5.12 ) Long pitch, lots of bolts. More hard stemming to easier and fun 5.11 face. Bolted anchor.
P8: ( 5.10 R ) From ledge climb the dirty crack system to the east to a small ledge where you can face traverse around the large arête. ( there might be a better option of using the crack system in the large corner, but I don’t think you can traverse around the arête from that point ) Once around the arête, face climb up to a bolt, then right to a crack, then back left to a piton, then up the stemming corner / face to a crack system in a right facing corner. The crack system will lead to the original anchor, a fixed nut and a piton on a slopping ledge. An other long pitch.
P9: ( 5.9 R ) Face climb up to the base of the left facing corner with large crack.
P10: ( 5.11- ) Climb the crack on the face and crack in the left facing corner above the belay linking them via face climbing. Climb the bolted face above the crack. Climb past the tree and up to an anchor. Anchor = Piton and hangerless bolt.  A stopper wire and sling bolt adds extra pro.
P11: ( 5.6 ) Climb a rail out left, then up and back right to a gear belay. 

Descent

Rappel the route or scramble up to the summit.

Left then down and back left. There is a large cairn at the start of the raps.
5 rappels off the west face of Paria Point.
At the first rappel, the next set of anchors is to the north.
At the base of Paria Point you can scramble down some 3rd and 4th class ( to the west I’m assuming )
or you can skirt the base of the cliff heading south via 3 more 60m rappels. You’ll have to fight the rope on your way down, but all the pulls are clean and there is very little loose rock.

Equipment

2x50m rope

1 set of RP´s 

1 set of wires

1 set of Aliens blue - red

1 set of BD #0.75-4

10 QD´s 

//Suffer a little. Learn a lot.