Anybody Climbed American Fork Canyon?

[tallsteve]

Just curious if anybody climbs AF Canyon. I drove up the canyon today and right before you get to the Tibble Fork turnoff there must have been 20 vehicles pulled off to the side of the road with all of them climbing on the south facing cliffs. I talked with someone a while ago and he said people come from all over the country just to climb AF Canyon. Is that true? Not being a climber myself, just curious if and why the canyon is so great for climbing?

[Brian in SLC]

I talked with someone a while ago and he said people come from all over the country just to climb AF Canyon. Is that true? Not being a climber myself, just curious if and why the canyon is so great for climbing?

Used to be one of the "it" places for the booming sport climbing thing. Has some what faded a touch in popularity. As soon as Maple dries out, for instance...(!)

If you look in the guidebook and surf the old climbing rags, you'll see that it was developed as a climbing area when sport climbing soared in popularity. Was regularly featured on the cover and in the climbing rags. At one time, may have had the highest concentration of hard sport climbing routes in the country.

Route developers also "set" routes at many grades, so, its popular 'cause there's routes to climb for folks off all abilities. And, the climbing is fun.

Most folks that have travelled and climbed limestone especially in Europe diss the rock in AF, which, admittedly ain't the best, but, the routes are pretty good.

Has hosted a who's who of the best American and foreign sport climbers. So, its on folk's radar especially visiting climbers on a road trip. Easy place to climb for awhile and there's reasonable camping nearby for the dirt baggers.

As other areas have been developed, its popularity has waned. But, folks still go and climb there, and, there always seems to be new stuff to do (rumored to be very hard work, and, those guys aren't as motivated for the AF thing as they used to be).

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

[trackrunner]

Just curious if anybody climbs AF Canyon. I drove up the canyon today and right before you get to the Tibble Fork turnoff there must have been 20 vehicles pulled off to the side of the road with all of them climbing on the south facing cliffs. I talked with someone a while ago and he said people come from all over the country just to climb AF Canyon. Is that true? Not being a climber myself, just curious if and why the canyon is so great for climbing?

Never climbed there but my sister and her husband have climbed there. Climbing ranges from 5.6-5.14c. It has a large concentration of upper range difficulty stuff (a lot) not found in many places. People come to measure their manhood/womanhood on the many 5.14 classes; the most difficult and rare climb class.

[jumar]

I haven't climbed there in years, but I did a lot 'back in the day'. Fun sport routes.

I took my biggeset ever whipper in AF, about 40 feet give or take.