Trip Report
TR : Challenge Buttress and Hellgate, Utah, parts 4 and 5 of ???

by Russ Walling
Sunday October 4, 2009 10:06pm
Fourth and fifth stops on the tour, Challenge Buttress in Big Cottonwood and Hellgate in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

photo not found
Missing photo ID#127718
Rudy and Chris at Hellgate on the dreaded "something"


Challenge Buttress is some sort of Quartzite that really looks like crap and climbs really well. Pretty good routes for 5 minutes from the road, but nothing to really write home about. Our wilderness serenity got blown out of the water when the afterwork SLC crowd showed up, including a gaggle of Frat Boys that Sooze ended up schooling.... one even called her "Ma'am" after the tongue lashing! I guess if we want the crags to ourselves we will have to go a full 6 minutes from the road.

The next day we went to Hellgate, a "limestone" area way up there by the Snowbird Ski Area. I would call this an area in development, even though it has been around a while. Either that or the rock will just continue to erode until there is no crag left. Some of it is good, some of it is good then bad, and some of it is absolute choss. Bring your sunscreen to this one... the alabaster rock along with the summer sun at altitude is like a skillet on high. I've got a fair amount of Jamaican blood in me and I still got cooked.

Well, here ya go.... the pics ain't that good for this set, but once again, there are no hidden fees.


Challenge Buttress and Hellgate: parts 4 and 5
http://fishproducts.com/supertopo/cottonwood_hellgate/ (browser driven)
http://fishproducts.com/supertopo/cottonwood_hellgate/slideshow.mov (QT movie)

Anyway, standard caveats in force, Quicktime 7 at a minimum, plant your mouse over the "I " button in the upper right corner for captions to the pics, mouseover the bottom center of the images to navigate, let it have time to load, blah blah blah.....

*If any of you guys would like to test this larger version, try it out and then let me know how it looks on whatever sized monitor you have. Mostly seeing if either version (browser Vs. QT Movie) gets clipped on your screen at the top or the bottom*
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/cottonwood_hellgate_large/ (browser)
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/cottonwood_hellgate_large/slideshow.mov (QT Movie)



Here are links to the previous slide shows:
Kolob Canyon: part 1
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/vacation_09.1 (browser driven)
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/vacation_09.1/slideshow.mov (QT movie)

Maple Canyon: part 2
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/vacation_09.maple (browser version)
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/vacation_09.maple/slideshow.mov (QT version)

Ferguson Canyon: part 3
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/ferguson (browser driven)
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/ferguson/slideshow.mov (QT movie)


  Trip Report Views: 1,927
Russ Walling 		About the Author
Russ Walling is a gym climber from Poofter's Froth, Wyoming.

Comments
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Jul 25, 2009 - 01:18pm PT
VLG: had to wack the previous post... but Doug lives in Castle Valley
FeelioBabar

Trad climber
One drink ahead of my past.
  Jul 25, 2009 - 01:44pm PT
Nice!

That very rusty bolt is an original Mugs Stump bolt.....
T Moses

Social climber
Paso Robles
  Jul 25, 2009 - 03:51pm PT
"...on something..." and "advanced whale technique" Too Funny!
johnboy

Trad climber
Can't get here from there
  Jul 25, 2009 - 04:15pm PT
Well done TR, thanks,


Now get back to work gawd dammit!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jul 25, 2009 - 04:21pm PT
Good job Russ and Suze,

Keep it up guys!!
tenesmus

Trad climber
slc
  Jul 25, 2009 - 08:38pm PT
You guys are crazy for not helmet-ing up at Hellgate. That place climbs fun, in an alpine setting but the rock is soooo chossy!

Its fun to see some of the local crags on here. But there are some even better crags to beat the heat. Let us know the next time you're in town and beta will follow.
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Jul 26, 2009 - 12:25pm PT

Helmets? We had 3 ball caps, a visor, and a ChinaMan™ Hat. Only one guy got hit in the face (Dreamy Chris) with something just under toaster size. After that we just stopped looking up....

Thanks for the offer of a tour, but I'll probably never get out of here (the Sand) again....

Got some Uintas coming up. That stuff was probably my favorite.
Prod

Trad climber
  Jul 26, 2009 - 01:18pm PT
Did you even bring climbing gear?

Hows about some details on the Sooze schooling frat boys.

Prod.
Grahm Doe

Sport climber
Just South Of Heaven
  Jul 26, 2009 - 01:35pm PT
Russ, great trip reports. Love the slide show format. *** The larger versions were clipped on my monitor. The regular versions fit perfect.

Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Jul 26, 2009 - 03:04pm PT
What he said, though the clipping is minimal and bigger is better.
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Jul 26, 2009 - 03:07pm PT
It would really help if you guys would say what size monitors you have......

and what resolution you are running them at....
Jingy

climber
Random Nobody
  Jul 26, 2009 - 04:37pm PT
Russ - I got a 13 inch monitor, the text at the beginning does not fit the browser window (Firefox 3.0.12). Missing a bit from the top of the screen.

Running 1024 - 768 resolution


Cool TR, kept thinking "Why would Russ climb that chossy looking "rock"?

That Hellgate place looks more like a road cut than a climbing area.
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Jul 26, 2009 - 08:42pm PT
Thanks for writing these, they are a fun vicarious adventure.
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Jul 26, 2009 - 09:01pm PT

uhh..... what.....?

oh wait... you are that Tahoe choss pimp guy with the new "better than Snowshed" area.


I laugh robustly.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Jul 26, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
coolio, the large version seemed to work fine for me...

advanced whale technique
"thar she blows!"

been there, done that... of course, the WFWO has made your abs into steel...

Scared Silly

Trad climber
  Jul 26, 2009 - 11:28pm PT
Nice ... the rocks in the catch fence. Those were once holds. Crap is always coming down. Too bad you did not head farther up canyon to the Castle. Some quality long routes. Helmets are a must though.
ChrisW

Trad climber
boulder, co
  Jul 26, 2009 - 11:39pm PT
That was SWEET! Is Chim Chim really serious? he's worst then me.

SpaceyChris.
susan peplow

climber
Joshua Tree, CA
  Jul 27, 2009 - 12:19am PT
Full size is nice although I had to chose full screen due to various menu bars I run. Otherwise, nice unit on new rig.

I've got the route names...someplace. One of the last routes Rudy McNugget and I were on had some serious gypsum powder at the top. I complained the whole time on lead that it sucked. Then later while belaying Doug I realized the climbing was kinda cool.

And how about those kids coming in with their circus while we're climbing. No asking, just drop their sh#t, start climbing and camp on a route for the entire afternoon. Somewhere during etiquette class I got ma'mmed. Silly boys, I'm all for getting out but how about some crag protocol? Don't they teach that in SLC?

Fantastic trip...more to come. Maybe even route names & grades on the next installment :)

~Sooze (back at work and hating it)
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Jul 27, 2009 - 01:06am PT
a choss fence!!!

sweet
golsen

Social climber
kennewick, wa
  Jul 28, 2009 - 06:11pm PT
Dude, I enjoyed the show but at the Hellgate I think you missed the stellar Tower routes. Funny thing is long ago(21 yrs now) in R&I magazine I extolled the virtues of helemts. Then about 5 yrs ago found myself with similar head pro that you had and some locals setr me straight. Challenge? I think you missed some good ones there too but its all choss. As Jonnny Woodward use to say, BCC is all a big pile of choss...
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Jul 28, 2009 - 06:31pm PT
Sweet. Another installment...

What's up with the Chim-Chim = Dick guy?
MisterE

Gym climber
Small Town with a Big Back Yard
  Jul 28, 2009 - 07:54pm PT
Bump for more fun from my favorite climbing couple!

Man, I hope this thing goes to like, Part 50
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Jul 29, 2009 - 11:33am PT

Grow up Chim Chim.... calling names and getting all huffy is so 4th grade.
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno
  Jul 29, 2009 - 12:24pm PT
First rule of sh#t talking:

People being able to understand wtf you're saying, when "I actually a mirror", would probably help. Otherwise, instead of being offended by your words, we're simply amused.

Carry on.
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Jul 29, 2009 - 12:50pm PT
Nef - I think in 3rd grade, that originally went something like this:

"I'm rubber, you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!"

There may have been a nya-nya-nya afterwards as well.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Jul 29, 2009 - 12:55pm PT
E, imagine the TR they can write after they go to Vedauwoo next Month!. All the more material and photos, when you and Maidy join us all!
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno
  Jul 29, 2009 - 02:30pm PT
hahaha nice, steelmnkey! :)
klk

Trad climber
cali
  Jul 29, 2009 - 02:45pm PT
ok, the movie was pretty cool altho that's a long way to drive when you already have so much choss right there in socal. still, it's nice to climb someone else's choss for a change.

the soundtrack was a bit suspect.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  Jul 29, 2009 - 02:45pm PT
Nice!

Good slice of stuff. Too funny runnin' into you guys at "Utah Mountain Sports" aka IME. Close enough to the liquor store, eh? Sierra for 26 bucks a case...!

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Jul 29, 2009 - 03:05pm PT
And Brian's over there going "Yeah, I was just over here to get some webbing and a couple of biners... I wasn't here boozing it up or anything." :-)
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jul 29, 2009 - 07:32pm PT
Cool slideshow bump!
divad

Trad climber
wmass
  Jul 29, 2009 - 07:57pm PT
Hey, nice TRs

Sh#t talking threads are cool too!

Maybe
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
  Jul 29, 2009 - 09:30pm PT
What's the story?

I noticed a Kinnaloa sticker on the store window
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  Jul 29, 2009 - 09:55pm PT
pretty cool looking area.

The ABW (advanced beached whale) moves are actually legit, I think.

What's up with Sooze, is she on a lead tear, or what?

just sayin!

Get'er done Sooze! Just don't hammer 3 beers for breafeast before a gnarly approach. Fuel up, baby, fuel up!

(and I though beers were fuel)
Go
Recent Trip Reports