Land of the Rising Moon, 5.6-5.12b

Overview/Approach

Land of the Rising Moon is one of three climbing destinations located on a formation named Turtle Rock in the main Vedauwoo climbing area (accessed out of the established campground/day use areas).  It offers three main attractions, one of which is one of my favorite 5.10 trad climbs in the park, Moon Tide, 5.10a****.  Moon Tide has typical wide shenanigans involved (C4 #6 recommended) as most good 5.10 routes at the Voo do.   Straight and Narrow, 5.8****, is also considered one of the better routes at its grade in the park and I can’t disagree.  It follows multiple related cracks up a fine looking corner.   Chitty Corner, 5.7**, has the honor of the most full page photos (3!) in Zach’s guide.  But in reality, it is a poor route.  It definitely is no more difficult than 5.7, but it is short (30’) and named Chitty (shitty) for a reason with plenty of rat midden to maneuver around.  Straight and Narrow and Moon Tide each have their own fixed raps.  Chitty can be scrambled down via a chimney to its right. 

Park at the Box Canyon trail-head paved parking which is down the hill from the paved road campground.  Follow the wide trail past day use picnic areas to its western end and continue up an established trail that has a wooden bridge and wooden stair case (2018).  After the stair case scramble up and right to the col on the right side of the formation in front of you.  Land of the Rising Moon is on the right side of that col.  Descend on slab to the right and you will quickly make out Chitty Chimney and the Straight and Narrow Corner which are just meters apart.  Moon Tide is on the west facing wall to the left of Chitty.

Routes Listed Right to Left as you come to them via the Approach

Drain Pipe- 5.6/

Straight and Narrow- 85’-5.8****/ Worthy of its four star recommendation.  Climb the twin cracks in the significant left facing corner.  It turns to triple cracks and then a bit wide and finishes off a hand crack in the left wall to a fixed rap.  Double to C4#3.  Dow

Master of Sport- 5.12b**/

Cross of Iron- 5.12b/

Chitty Chimney- 30’-5.7**/ Not sure why this route gets a recommendation in the guide nor why the guide has 3! full page pictures of it.  An easy and short chimney full of rat midden (hence the name).  Nothing interesting about it.  Solo up and place a large piece if you want up and left and exit up and right.  Set up a gear top rope and last person down just scrambles down the ramp inside the chimney to the right.  Dow

Moon Tide- 60’-5.10a****/ Not a tall route as most four star routes should be, but varied and fun.  Start at the base of the wide splitter on the west wall of the formation that is split by Chitty Chimney (around and to the left of Chitty).  Stem into the wide crack and fist it up to an internal flake.  Mantle the flake and then face the crux, a curving wide crack that pinches down to fingers on a blank traverse right.  You can stand up for a rest and extend a piece of gear at the vertical crack (5.10d variation), but then have to descend a move and traverse the finger rail right.  You can full body the sloping ledge right below the finger ramp which offers a more secure way to do the short traverse.  The traverse right takes good gear until you lay back up to a C4#6 off width finish.  Knees and heel toe to the top and then make an exposed traverse (4th class) left to the fixed chains.  Single from C4#.3 to #6.  Extend your placements to avoid rope drag.  Dow

Blade Runner- 5.11bPG**/

Colorado Cable Cutter- 5.9+/