This weekend we went down to Mesquite for the Motor Mania Car Show. This is pretty fun, but since you are down in Mesquite and only 40 minutes from epic climbing, how could we not take advantage of the weather?! Especially while it was snowing in Salt Lake.
We invited our friends Amy & Jon to come down with us. They are some of our go-to climbing buddies. We first started out on Black Rocks since it rained the day before and the sandstone was still really wet making it not safe for climbing. The Black Rocks is basalt, which will not be effected negatively when climbed on wet. I have never climbed on this type of rock before and wasn't sure what to expect. It was quite crimpy and sharp. But I really enjoyed it. I like crimpy climbing and there were quite a few porous pockets to work with. You can't go wrong with a nice crack to climb either.
Saturday we enjoyed sitting by the pool for a bit soaking in some sun, and than walking around and seeing all of the cars. Sunday on the way home we stopped in Moe's Valley. A classic bouldering area in St. George. The sandstone was finally dry enough to climb on and we wanted to try it out. I have bouldered in Moab before, but never any where else. Moab usually shuts me down. I have not topped out a boulder outside before. So I wasn't sure what Moe's would bring for me. Thankfully, I was able to top two boulder problems and project a few others. I was also able to try the first move in Bat Cave. You start feet up and traverse over. Such a weird start but it was fun. I wasn't able to complete it, shifting your feet from above your head over to the face of the climb was difficult. There is always next time! This valley was huge and we plan on going back and spending more time here to try other problems.
What You Want to Know
Take Me There!
Moe's Valley is super close to St. George which makes it an optimal climbing area for a quick session. You do have to take a dirt road to get to the parking area, which when wet could be problematic. But you shouldn't climb on wet sandstone anyways, so it all works out.
Black Rocks is also super close to St. George. The benefit of this area is that it may not be as popular as Chuckawalla Wall, which is on the same road. It is also much bigger and can accommodate more people. Parking is on the left side of the road if you are coming from St. George, and than hike down into the area.
How's the climbing!?
I loved bouldering in Moe's Valley. I am no expert with outdoor bouldering, the only other place I have bouldered is Big Bend in Moab. But area is good for all skill levels. Their were climbers projecting V8's or higher right next to us climbing V0-V2's.
The Black Rocks were an awesome area too. A great place to go if the sandstone is wet and unclimbable. It had two main walls with a good mix of climbing grades. This is one of my favorite places in St. George. The climbs are pretty short, but when I am in the mood to tackle a lot of climbs, that is perfect.
What Do I Wear?!
With all climbing wear something you can move in. Some of the movement requires you to have flexibility. As far as gear goes, I absolutely adore my La Sportiva Kataki's. They are aggressive but super comfortable. The harness I use is the Petzl Selena. I previously had the Black Diamond Solution harness and loved it. The only issue I had is that if I was hanging for too long the leg loops weren't the most comfortable, which is why I switched to the Petzl. They are very similar designs but the Petzl has a bit more padding on the leg loops. If you are just starting out, comment below and I can suggest other shoes and harnesses that are cheaper but still very functional.
Can I bring my dog?
Both places you can bring your dog. Most people are pretty relaxed about them being off-leash as long as they aren't in the way and causing a ruckus.
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