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Summary

Shirley belaying me up pitch 2 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire. View up (May 2008).

In May of 2008, Shirley & I got a chance to do a quick weekend trip to Moab via Salt Lake. Having done the Lonely Vigil (5.10-) route on the next door Lighthouse Tower a few years earlier, we wanted to return for Dolomite Spire. So on Saturday morning, we hiked up from the River Road and climbed Dolomite via the Kor Route. Interesting but mostly stress-free aid. The following day, we climbed the Northeast Chimney Route (5.7) on the Off-Balance Rock in Arches N.P. I recall a physical if not too hard chimney on pitch 2 and the fact that it protected just fine! Some beta follows.

Kor Route on Dolomite Spire (5.8 C2 3P)

Leading pitch 1 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire. View down (May 2008).

This is the easier of two published lines on the tower (the other being Dolofright at 5.11d R). The line was put up by Layton, Joy, and Kordell Kor in 1969. This is a hammerless affair and has been such for years – DON’T NAIL! The aid is mostly straightforward though interesting without being scary (sound appealing yet?). Enjoy.

Pitch 0: 5.7, 30 feet. Climb a vertical groove starting directly below the notch separating Lighthouse Tower from the cliff on its right (when viewed from River Road). Rock is a little chunky but the going is fairly easy. Belay from bolted anchor.

Walk left ~100 feet from the notch following a faint climbers trail till you’re at the base of Dolomite Spire.

Pitch 1: 5.7, 40 feet. On the backside of the towers, climb up and into a chimney just left of Dolomite Spire via a short handcrack. Walk along bottom of chimney and move up to a fixed anchor in the notch between the towers.

Pitch 2: C2, 50 feet. Aid up discontinuous cracks (some fixed pins) and make your way up and right (ignore the bolts above and on left). Do a sharp rightward traverse to a bolt. Step right into a short right-facing dihedral and move up to a belay stance.

Pitch 3: C1+, 70 feet. Move up the right-facing dihedral on a mix of mostly fixed gear. A hook move was used here. Bolt ladder through a bulge finishes the pitch on a sloping ledge. Note that pitches 2 & 3 can easily be combined.

Pitch 4: 5.8 C1+, 50 feet. Move right along ledge (toward Big Bend Butte) clipping a DA. Move up to a good bolt and mantle up and right onto a stance. Move gingerly around loose-sounding blocks. Traverse left and move up past one or two bolts. Either bust out some free moves or hook up and onto a sloping ledge. Finish up a short bolt ladder along a right-trending ramp to summit.

Descent:
Rap with double ropes to rap station visible below on Big Bend Butte.
Rap with double ropes to ground.

Note that a 60 meter line MIGHT suffice for single rope raps.

Alternatively, double 70 meter lines will bring one down comfortably in one rappel (double 60 meter lines will leave you about 15 feet short of ground and looking at some 5.6? downclimb).

Gear:
Double cams from black Alien to #2 Camalot. Single #3 Camalot. Set of nuts esp. mid- to large-sized RP’s (#4-6). Pink & red tricams, possibly doubles (or hybrid Aliens if available). A BD Talon hook and a BD Cliffhanger hook.

Northeast Chimney on Off-Balance Rock (5.7 2P)

Shirley leading pitch 1 of Northeast Chimney route on Off-Balance Rock (May 2008).

This moderate line will put you on the pretty spectacular summit of Off-Balance Rock in two fun pitches. Climbing is well protected and quite fun! Pitch 2 is the “funner” one. FA information is not known. Belay and rap anchors have been cleaned up by the Arches Task Force – many thanks for their effort.

Pitch 1: 5.6, 50 feet. Climb up the low angle, right facing dihedral for 20 feet. Traverse a sloping ledge 10 feet right and climb up another 20 feet (on left side of whitish rock) to a ledge with belay anchor.

Pitch 2: 5.7, 70 feet. Move into the squeeze immediately from belay. Walk/force your way along bottom till you see a crack above on left. Chimney up. Belay from anchors just below summit.

Descent: Single rappel with two ropes. Don’t think a single 70 meter would make it in one shot anyway (not sure though).

Gear:
Double cams from blue Alien or TCU to #1 Camalot. Single #2 and optional #3 Camalots. One or two medium nuts. Two ropes.

Photo Essay

Kor Route

Starting up the Kor Route on Dolomite Spire (Apr. 2008).

Shirley belaying me up pitch 2 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire. View up (May 2008).

Leading pitch 2 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire. View down (May 2008).

One of them new Metolius cams in a pin scar on Kor Route - note how the trigger wires ...pardon - trigger cords! - get in the way. Aliens still seem superior for pin scar placements IMHO - though this particular one held just fine (May 2008).

Leading pitch 2 & 3 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire (May 2008).

When you're out of Fixe hangers, just use webbing. Kor Route on Dolomite Spire, Moab, UT (May 2008).

Positive hooking somewhere on Kor Route (May 2008).

Shirley jugging P3 of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire with yours truly at belay (May 2008).

Shirley at the belay atop pitch 3 of Kor Route. For opposite view, see here (May 2008).

Starting the lead of the final pitch (#4, our 3rd) of Kor Route on Dolomite Spire. Big Bend Butte is in background. For opposite view see here (May 2008).

Shirley jugging the final pitch of Kor Route to the summit of Dolomite Spire. Shadows of Big Bend Butte, Dolomite Spire & Lighthouse Tower visible (May 2008).

Shirley topping out on the summit of Dolomite Spire via Kor Route (May 2008).

Shirley on summit of Dolomite Spire with the Colorado River below and Big Bend Butte in background (May 2008).

Shirley rapping off the summit of Dolomite Spire. Big Bend Butte is on the right (May 2008).

Northeast Chimney

Shirley leading pitch 1 of Northeast Chimney route on Off-Balance Rock (May 2008).

Shirley on pitch 1 of Northeast Chimney on Off-Balance Rock (May 2008).

Shirley topping out on pitch 2 of Northeast Chimney route on Off-Balance Rock (May 2008).

This little smartass was giving me grief for climbing roped while I sat there on the summit belaying Shirley up....good thing he was out of my reach on the sub-summit of the formation...(May 2008).

Shirley on the summit of Off-Balance Rock. If you know what to look for, you can actually spot the Dark Angel tower waaaaay off in the distance on the horizon (May 2008).

Shirley & I on summit of Off-Balance Rock. Northeast Chimney is the gash to the right of us (May 2008).

Shirley enjoying the views and the warm sun on the summit of Off-Balance Rock. View is toward Garden of Eden area of Arches and LaSal Mountains beyond (May 2008).

Balanced Rock as seen from summit of its Off-Balance cousin. Hikers below provide scale. Strictly off limits to climbing (so wipe the drool off your face you desert tower SICKO!).

Shirley rapping off of Off-Balance Rock (May 2008).

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