Moab Tower Pursuits
Overview
“A pinnacle is worth five walls!” Layton Kor The ascent of Castleton Tower by Layton Kor and Huntley Ingalls in 1961 marked the beginning of tower climbing history in Southern Utah. Jackson Hole Mountain Guides Tower Pursuits offers THE bucket list, of the Great American West for rock climbers. Get away from the fray and get up on a tower this fall. Knowledge that is unmatched and unparalleled, our guides have spent decades climbing and guiding in the Moab area. JHMG is the only AMGA accredited company in Moab. Our Tower Pursuits offer a tower and guide for you, whether it is a Fifty Classic Climb, hard man line or your very first desert summit.
Jackson Hole Mountain Guide’s two-day Tower Pursuits program prepares and guides you to the summit of one of 20 different iconic world famous sandstone formations. We offer tower ascents for parties of one or two on Tower’s ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.11. Tower Pursuits requires crack climbing skills that are unique to the Colorado Plateau. If this is your first tower experience our guides are experts at suggesting the best tower for you and teaching you the necessary skill to stand on the summit. Take your traditional climbing skills to the next level. If you have a goal and some skills; we have a guide that can take your skills to the next level and help you achieve your tower dreams.
Day 1- Is prep for your tower climb. You will spend half the day climbing with your guide learning specific skills for climbing a tower. Revisit belay skills by belaying a top roped and lead climber. Rappel skills. Learn how to clean and rack climbing protection along with dismantling anchors. Climbing skills include: Off widths, chimney techniques, hand cracks and finger cracks. Learn to make reusable tape gloves.
Day 2- follow your guide to the trail head. From there expect a forty five minute to hour plus approach up the talus cone to the tower base. Take the skills you learned from the day before to achieve your climb. Summit a tower specific to your abilities. We offer over 20 different towers to climb. Some of the classics include Ancient Art in the Fischer Towers. The Kor Ingles route on Castleton Tower. This is one of North America’s 50 Classic Climbs in Castle Valley. Lonely Vigil located on the Light House Tower on the River Road.
Ancient Art is awesome!
Tower Pursuits: Price: $750 private; $500pp/group
Extreme: $800pp 1:1 guide ratio required
Group pricing is for 2 people on a trip. Please note that trips must reach minimum number of participants.
Please note that due to scheduling considerations, this trip cannot be booked online. Please click here to inquire about specific date for your climb.
Please read through our policies by visiting this page.
Fall – February – May
Spring – September – November
FOOTWEAR
- Approach Shoe – Guide Pick: Salewa Firetail 3
- Technical Rock Shoe: comfortable fit. -an aggressive fitting climbing, sport climbing shoe is not recommended.
CLOTHING
- Synthetic Short- Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Chockstone Hike Short
- Pant for Climbing Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Super Chockstone Pant
- Long Sleeve and/or Short Sleeve Wicking T-shirt- Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Metonic
- Long Sleeve Cotton T-shirt
- Lightweight Wind Shell – Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Super Chockstone Jacket
- 35- 40 Liter Back Pack—Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Hueco 35
- 15-20 Liter Pack for Tower Pursuits climbs Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Scrambler Roll To 20 OutDry
ACCESSORIES
- 2 to 3 Liters of Water
- For Approach Pack: hydration pack 2 liters
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Roll of 2 inch Cotton Athletic Tape
CLIMBING EQUIPMENT The Mountain Guides does provide technical climbing equipment (Helmet, Harness and personal protection equipment) If you have your own, your are more than welcome to bring use it.
- Harness
- 3 Locking Carabineers
- Belay/Rappel Device
- Personal Attachment System
Have gear questions? We’re here to help! Contact us at the Moab Office at 435.260.0990 or moab@jhmg.com.
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. Most trips and classes leave from the RED ROCK BAKERY, 74 South Main Street across the street from the McStiff’s Plaza. Meeting times are determined by the season. Please contact 435-260-0990 for departure times. 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.