Chutes and Towers™ with Kling Mountain Guides
Do you want to truly experience the best Utah has to offer? Than come on one of our signature Chutes and Towers™ trips! The La Sals offer superb skiing for all abilities. From first time backcountry skier to future olympian, the La Sals have it all. If you are not from the Colorado and Utah area, than this is a must do trip! If you are from the desert southwest than tick these classics off your list! See the desert from a different perspective and don't go with the ordinary, go with the extraordinary, Kling Mountain Guides.
The Ski
From our base in Moab we'll drive into the La Sal Mountains and Manti-La Sal National forest. We'll slowly ascend the winding road from desert to alpine. From our van we'll tour up the Pre - Laurel highway. It's just a short trip through the forest before we hit the ridge and are above tree line. From the ridge, Mt. Peale (12,721) the third tallest peak in Utah, Mt. Mellethin (12,645 ft) , and Tukuhnikivatz (12,482) will all be in front of us. From the summit of these peaks you'll be looking down at Canyon lands National Park, Arches National Park, Castle Valley (where we will climb the next day!), the Fisher Towers (where we offer climbing rips), and Moab (where offer more climbing trips!) 9,000 feet bellow you. We now must pick our line to ski. Our choices include such lines as El Pinche and Tukular-reactor to Gold Miners and Tele-Heave. By the end of the day we'll have skied between a minimum of 1000 feet and possibly over 6000 feet of vertical! We don't want to go to big though, because tomorrow we are climbing a desert tower!
The Climb
From our base in Moab we'll drive to either Castle Valley or Indian Creek. Both locations offer incredible views of what we skied the day prior. We have two choices for our climbing adventure. Castleton Tower or South Six Shooter Tower. Enormous sandstone towers help distinguish the Moab area from almost any other desert on earth! For climbers, these magnificent monoliths provide a unique climbing experience available nowhere else.
Castleton Tower is a must have on any climber's tick list. The Kor-Ingalls route (5.9) is one of the 50 Classic Climbs of North America. This tower sits in solitaire. From the summit one has a view overlooking hundreds miles of desert and a perfect view back at the La Sal ski tour from teh day before! This impressive 400 ft tall tower sits on top of a 1000 ft tall talus cone. The climb includes up to five pitches of crack and face climbing and three rappels back to the talus.
South Six Shooter is an other classic desert spire! Situated in the Indian Creek area, South Six Shooter is an ideal first tower for the aspiring desert. This climb consists of three pitches of moderate 5.7 climbing. The finish is a dinning room table sized summit and amazing views of the La Sals and surrounding desert!
Cost: $495
Price Includes
- Guide fees
- Group climbing equipment (ropes, harnesses, all other technical climbing equipment, climbing shoes, first aid kits)
Price Does Not Include
- Personal travel including flights to and form Utah
- Transportation costs while in Utah
- 3% federal land use surcharge
- Items of personal nature
- Individual travel costs, delays, etc.
- Excess baggage fees
- Personal clothing or gear
- Alcoholic drinks and personal snacks
- Breakfasts, lunches, or dinners while on the trip.
- Hotels before, during, and after trip
- Recommended Travel/trip cancelation insurance
- Guide/ Staff gratuity
Prerequisites:
- Participants should be in great physical condition.
- There are literally thousands of climbs of varying difficulties in and around the Moab, Indian Creek, Castle Valley, and Fisher Tower areas. Please get in touch with us to talk about what ski and climb combination right for you. If need be, we would like to ski and climb with you prior to your Chutes and Towers™ trip to help ensure that you are up to the challenge.
- If you do not possess these skills or need review, we recommend doing a skills course with us in Utah or Colorado prior to your Chutes and Towers™ trip.
Registration:
- To secure your spot on this trip you will need to fill out our domestic registration packets. A 50% deposit is required.
