Indian Creek Crack Climbs
Overview
Guided Crack Climbing at Indian Creek, Utah
If your goal is crack-climbing, a stop at Indian Creek is a must. Follow your guide on a tour of the world-class parallel cracks of Indian Creek. Splitter after splitter crack climbs line the massive walls to the entrance of the infamous Needles District. Join us for a full day of climbing in what is the mecca of Southwestern crack climbing. Stay the day, or sleep under the stars with an overnight stay.
Learn crack climbing technique from local guides and experienced crack climbers. Mastering this style takes patience, determination and practice, but once you feel your first breakthrough you will understand why so many climbers become passionate about it. With professional instruction and personalized coaching, progress comes faster: your guide selects routes that match your level while adding just enough challenge to build confidence and technique.
Indian Creek at a Glance
- Location: Indian Creek, about 100 miles round trip from downtown Moab, at the entrance to the Needles District
- Length: Full day, or an overnight under the stars
- Prerequisites: None; routes matched to your ability
- Format: Private guided climbing on the parallel splitter cracks of Indian Creek
- Season: Fall, winter and spring
- For: Climbers of every level who want to learn or sharpen crack technique
What You'll Learn at Indian Creek
- Hand, fist and finger jamming on parallel-sided cracks
- Foot technique and body position for splitter cracks
- Taping and skin management for a full day on sandstone
- Route selection and pacing on the miles of cliff bands
Trip Format
Follow your guide to Indian Creek, where petroglyphs and the iconic Six Shooters set the scene. The cliff bands hold miles of crack routes close together, so walking time is minimal for the amount of climbing you can do in a day. Your day is spent learning the nuances of climbing parallel cracks, difficult at first but one of the most stable techniques you can add to your climbing arsenal. Stay the day, or make it an overnight; see the Itinerary and Schedule tabs.
Who This Trip Is For
Hiring a guide makes sense for climbers of every experience level. Our guides handle the logistics, pick the best routes for current conditions and match objectives to your goals, so you spend less time figuring things out and more time climbing. We provide all technical rock climbing equipment; bring your climbing shoes, food, camping gear if you are staying over, and transportation to and from the trailhead.
Why Climb Indian Creek with The Mountain Guides
- AMGA-certified guides based in Moab who climb the Creek season after season
- Routes chosen for your level with the right amount of challenge
- All technical climbing gear provided
Plan Your Indian Creek Day
Check the Schedule tab for meeting details or contact our Moab office to book a full day or an overnight at Indian Creek.
Indian Creek
Follow your guide to Indian Creek, approximately 100 miles round trip from downtown Moab. Once there, you will be transported back in time to the old West, surrounded by petroglyphs and the iconic Six shooters. The choices are endless with miles of cliff bands filled with crack climbing routes all within close proximity to one another, making the walking time minimal for the amount of climbing that can be achieved in a day.
While there your day will be spent learning the nuances of climbing parallel cracks. At first difficult and painful but once mastered crack climbing is one o the most stable climbing techniques to have in your climbing arsenal.
Full Day Climbing:
1:1 – $400
2:1 – $260 per person
3:1 – $210 per person
4+ – $185 per person
Meeting times and location are determined by the season and guide. Unless prior arrangements have been made you will meet your guide at the Lion's Park, near the Moab bridge.
FOOTWEAR
- Approach Shoe - Guide Pick: BD Technician Pro
- Technical Rock Shoe: comfortable fit. -an aggressive fitting climbing, sport climbing shoe is not recommended.
CLOTHING
- Synthetic Shorts for approach (optional)
- Pant for Climbing
- Long Sleeve and/or Short Sleeve Synthetic T-shirt
- Warm Layer for chilly mornings (fleece or light down jacket)
- Lightweight Wind Shell
- 35- 40 Liter backpack
- 15-20 Pack for Multi Pitch / Tower climbs
ACCESSORIES
- 2 to 3 Liters of Water
- Lunch + Snacks for the day
- Sunscreen
- Sun Hat
- Sunglasses
CLIMBING EQUIPMENT The Mountain Guides does provide technical climbing equipment (if you need any of the options on the list please let us know in advance) If you have your own, your are more than welcome to bring use it.
- Harness / Helmet
- 3 Locking Carabineers
- Belay/Rappel Device
- Rappel / Leather / Garden gloves
- Personal Attachment System
Have gear questions? We’re here to help! Email us at moab@jhmg.com.
See more about gear, including recommendations and discounts from our gear partner Black Diamond here.
Located in southeast Utah, Moab is approximately 236 miles from Salt Lake City, 355 miles from Denver, 115 miles from Grand Junction and 458 miles from Las Vegas. Meeting times and locations are determined by the guide. Many of our climbing sites are fairly close to town, while Indian Creek, Castle Valley and Fisher Towers take about an hour to get to. Once there however, there are miles of routes with close proximity to one another, making the walking time minimal when compared to the amount of climbing that can be achieved in a day. Climbing around Moab is usually about a 10 to 20 minute drive from downtown. The approaches are very close to the car and routes are located close together.