Snow Canyon State Park-Living on the Edge
Snow Canyon State Park – Aftershock Wall – Living on the Edge – 5.10c – ****
Living on the Edge is another classic southern Utah climb. It is a must do for anyone who enjoys multi-pitched sandstone. Living on the Edge is part of the Aftershock wall just to the right of circus wall
Pitch 1: For me, the first pitch is the glory pitch, and worth doing even if you don’t want to climb the rest of it. In all actuality, probably 80% of the climbers who climb it only do the first pitch. The only thing that could make this pitch better is if it was at the top of the cliff and not at the bottom. It is pretty straight forward climbing just above the lip of the arch. Powerful climbing just above the edge gives you a dose of exposure and makes for great pictures.
Pitch 2: I thought this was the hardest pitch of the climb. Start by moving straight up from the first anchors. I have seen from other climbers’ reports of the climb, indicating that they used smaller cams in the cracks right before turning the corner, I never did, which would explain why I might have been a little sketched out on this pitch. Clipping the bolt around the corner after the choss-grade rock is in my opinion the crux. The exposure after the crux is awesome and makes ascending it very enjoyable. Climb until you reach the ramp.
Pitch 3: With your belay stationed at the anchors atop of pitch 2, start up the ramp, to the right, and look for the bolts that begin several moves up. The starting moves are not hard but the height and the distance from your belay partner does make for slightly sketchy start. Move up the Patina. Watch out for the flake on this pitch. You can definitely feel it move as you pull and mantle off it, so be careful. Look for the anchors where the slab and overhang meet.
Pitch 4: Didn’t have my rack on that day so I haven’t done it.
Decent: The way we did it from the top of pitch 3 was to rappel down to the anchors at the top of pitch 2 and then using two 60m ropes we rappeled down to the bottom. For those who are looking, go to the top there is a “walk-off” to the north but caution should be used as I thought it was near 5th class descent when I went down it from Barbarian.
Mountain Project – Living on the Edge
Rockclimbing.com – Living on the Edge
