Zero Star Routes

 

 

Since it’s all relative…  I ‘ve set out to climb the overlooked climbs of Utah.  The way I figure it, if it received no stars in the guidebook, it’s likely because the authors never climbed it.  Or maybe they just don’t like offwidths. 

 

So, here’s a quick synopsis of whatever I could think of and dig up.  I guess so far there just aren’t so many- too many one star routes to occupy.  I’ll start with the granite:

 

Ferguson Canyon

  • Hank’s Crank, 5.10a:  Aid solo.  Cruddy approach, short climb.
  • Garden of Gordon, 5.6:  Short and presumably un-memorable since I can’t remember any details.
  • Blind man’s Glasses, 5.8: Short but fun moves in the lower crack.
  • Anonymous: 5.9:  Short but the face was super fun.
  • Exodus, 5.9:  1 ½ move wonder.
  • Draw the Line, 5.9:  The better line on the Diminutive Rock.  Fun with cool moves; albeit short.
  • Unnamed, A1 5.10: FA. Roped solo.  A short one bolt line.  Looked better than it was.  Regrets of a ground up assault.
  • Unnamed, A2 5.8:  FA, Roped Solo.  Funky aid line that aimed for a roof that was just a little too scary.  Built a belay and bailed.

 

Little Cottonwood

  • Windjammer, 5.10:  Aid solo.  The initial corner was really cool, but the upper half the route was less cool.  Flaky rock.
  • Squeeze My Lemon, 5.7:  Quality.  I dig this route.  Fun crack climbing with a good 5.7 crux.
  • Winter Diversion, 5.6: Roped solo.  Long with 3 distinct, varied, 5.6 cruxes.  A “mountaineering” style route.  Almost ran out of rope with solo-anchorage.
  • Eider Duck, 5.8:  TR solo.  Once again, long.  Rotten slings grace the top.  I walked east and rapped of a lower tree.  
  • Via Duck, 5.8:  Roped solo onto “Why a Duck”.  Added some spice to the upper climb.
  • Horned Grebe, 5.8:  Roped solo- 2 pitches.  This took some exploration, route finding, and vegetation battling to climb.  The second pitch belay wasn’t where I thought it would be and was mank.  Odd climb. 
  • Walk the Duck, 5.7:  TR solo.  Fun, easy troughs. 
  • Ruddy Duck, 5.8:  TR solo. Cool slabbage.
  • Riveting, A1:  Crap route.  Really does deserve zero stars.  Yeah it is quick, but just climb the legit first pitch of the Peeler.
  • Pfeifferhorn North Ridge, 5.5:  Solo.  Summer ascent.  Cool route in a cool location.  I found an old, mank, fixed line on the crux that helped keep me sane.
  • Rotten Egg, 5.6:  Likely FA.  Roped solo.  Fun moves on chicken heads and odd cracks lead to jungle and precarious death blocks.  Scary exit.
  • Runnel Chunnel,  A2 (probably free at 11d):  FA.  Roped solo.  Fun steep slabage nd face leads to the chunnel and death spikes.  Very delicate and scary.
  • _____ Duck, 5.7: FA. Roped Solo.  As yet unnamed.  Fun runout slab climbing.  Scary exit because I just didn’t feel like drilling another bolt for a 5.7 climb.
  • Egg West, 5.6:  Likely FA.  Roped Solo.  Fun well-protected dihedral leads to an easy runout slab and bush belay.