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| Kor-Ingalls   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Utah, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 38.65140°N / 109.3675°W Route Type: Technical Rock Climb Time Required: Half a day Difficulty: 5.9+
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| Page By: colbyjw Created/Edited: Mar 23, 2003 / Oct 14, 2006 Object ID: 157878 Hits: 3339 Loading... Page Score: 87.67% - 7 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
ApproachFrom the climbers campground:
Head towards Castleton hiking between the two hills on the east flank of the campground. From there, locate trail and start switchbacking your way up the gigantic talus cone towards the tower. The trail starts to deteriorate up high on the cone but is still faintly visible through the scree. The trail should put you on the ridge between the Rectory (tower just north of Castelton) and Castleton tower.
From there, scramble up and over a small boulder to gain the ledge that circles around Castleton. The ledge above the boulder should put you right under the North Face routes first pitch dihedral. Circle around clockwise (to the west) hiking under the North Chimney eventually gaining the dihedral that Kor-Ingalls climbs.
Route DescriptionThis was the first route put up the tower in 1962 by Layton Kor and Huntley Ingalls. It ascends the big west facing dihedral on the south side of the tower.
Pitch One: Climb a face 20 feet up to a 5.6 chimney. Pull out of chimney and continue to two bolt belay. There is an alternate, and better, belay about 15 feet higher that takes gear.
Pitch Two: Three ways to go (that I know of). This description is the left flared crack with a bolt. Continue up fist crack (5.8+) until you can gain an easy traverse right. Keep climbing near dihedral following up crack/face and easy chimney climbing. Two bolt belay.
Pitch Three: The crux pitch. Climb up offwidth in dihedral with a 5.9 exit move (protected by a 3/8" bolt that sticks out 3/4" from the wall) out of dihedral about 25 feet up. Pull a couple face moves and enter the 5.9 offwidth/squeeze chimney and continue to the top protected by 2 bolts up high on the pitch. The bottom bolt is good and well placed, but the top bolt ~8 feet higher is a little sketchy. It is possible(and probably easier) to face climb through the offwidth section above the last bolt. There is a small crack located in the back of the final squeeze chimney (accepts finger size cams blue and yellow metolius). Two bolt belay.
Pitch Four: The final pitch, and a big relief from offwidths and squeeze chimneys. Climb broken crack systems and flakes up right towards chimney of main tower and a little spire. On top of the ledge, head back up and left towards another set of bolted anchors at the top.
Descent: Rappell either Kor-Ingalls or the North Face. Kor-Ingalls generally is not recommended due to the fact that many climbers will probably be coming up behind you. The North Face is also a route, just not as popular, so use caution.
rpc has a good write-up in the Additions/Correction section.
Essential GearI think at least two 50 meter ropes is a MUST to get back down to the ground. A single 60 meter might get you down Kor-Ingalls but not the North face. A single 50 meter rope WILL NOT MAKE IT. Better to be safe than sorry.
As far as protection goes, bring about 1set of nuts and probably 11/2 sets of cams (double in finger sizes). Remember that tricams and hexes can substitute. Fortunately the cruxes are protected with bolts and you can get a couple smaller pieces deeper in the chimney, so no big gear is really required; however, it is nice to have a #3.5 and #4 camalot.
Miscellaneous InfoIf you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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La Sal Mountains
