Maple Canyon

• What Gear do I need?

Equipment 

Ropes: Ropes of all diameters are used at Maple. From 8.2mm in the winter to skinny 9.1mm for the heavy duty routes at The Pipe Dream Cave to big ole fatty 10.5mm for the toproping and working of climbs. You can get by with a 60 meter rope (about 200 feet in length) for most climbs and if you need a longer rope for a particular route it will be noted in the route's description. Do not bring a 50 meter rope to Maple!!!! There are too many climbs that are almost exactly 100 feet in length. Sometimes a 60 meter rope is cut shorter than a full 60m, so tie a knot in the end of your rope on longer climbs. If you bring a 70 meter rope, there will be only a few climbs where even this is too short. If you bring an 80 meter rope, you will be able to get back down off of any route in Maple as of this writing, and you even have enough to climb two routes at once in The Schoolroom. 

Climbing Shoes: You can climb in any climbing shoes available while you’re in Maple––heck, Chris Sharma did a 5.13a in his sandals here. It does seem that a softer shoe works better here, as it allows more rubber from the shoe to mold itself around the round cobbles. Some of the models with down-turned toes work the best. 

Helmet: You should always bring a helmet to Maple, especially when you’re belaying. Loose cobbles have hit many a belayer in the head; cobbles have also hit climbers in the face or head as they were getting lowered, so it’s not a bad idea to have one if you’re the leader. If you don’t bring a helmet on the multi-pitch climbs, then you’re on your way to thinning out the gene pool. 

Quickdraws: You’re going to need a ton of them for Maple! Some of the climbs require over 25 quickdraws. On many of the multi-pitch climbs, you’ll need at least 16 draws. You will also need some of your draws to be longer in length. Some of the bolts are in the only good rock available and there isn't always a clipping hold that is convenient to that bolt, so a longer draw will help with the clipping when you’re trying to redpoint a climb. 

Stickclip: This is a super nice piece of equipment for clipping the first bolt on a climb if it’s too high, or the rock is too loose to get to it safely. It will also come in handy if a hold has broken or if you’re just not able to get to the next bolt, saving you the cost of a bail biner. It will also allow you to work climbs that are too hard for you at the moment. 

Headlamp: Some of the crags are a little bit of a hike and you just might not make it out by dark. 

Climbing Shops 

The best full service climbing store near Maple is Mountainworks in Provo.  For many climbers it’s a dream shop where there are over 40 climbing shoes to choose from as well as dozens of harnesses and a sheer multitude of quickdraws and ropes. It is located at 2494 North University Parkway, Provo, Utah, and the phone number is 1-801-371-0223. This shop is owned and operated by the guys who originally bolted the first climbs in Maple Canyon. A large percentage of the money you spend here will find its way back into the canyons of Utah through new climbs, replacing of old anchors, and the building of better trails and belays. Many years over 20% of Mountainworks’ income goes into these endeavors! Check out their ad on the back cover. 

Climbing Gyms 

The closest climbing gym is The Quarry in Provo. It is located at 2494 North University Parkway and their phone number is: 801-418-0266. It's a massive gym with over 125 toprope and lead routes as well as a full-on bouldering area. 13,000 feet of wall space for you to get pumped silly. It's only a one hour drive and you can be pulling down for the rest of the day. There is also the amazing Mountainworks Climbing Shop in the same facility.

• Is the Rock Safe?

  The cobbles in Maple Canyon range from the size of a pea to as large as a Volkswagen Beetle! They have been polished for millions of years in ancient streambeds and then deposited here in a thick layer of sandstone climbers like to call the matrix. 

  The first thing you’re going to need to develop is “cobbletrust”. Many times the cobbles only have small part cemented in the wall, with very little holding them in place. Surely, they are going to break off and hit a climber in the face. Maybe; it’s a difficult move to the next good cobble. Well, there, my friend, is where cobbletrust comes into play. Get on a few easy climbs at first and get used to the feel of the cobbles and the feel of where the cobbles once were in the matrix. Get used to pulling down hard on them. A helmet is a must-have if climbing in Maple Canyon.

  There’s nothing like a day of climbing in Maple: the routes are a full-body workout, and they’re fun! Climb here long enough and some of the cobbles begin to feel like family. You know certain cobbles by name. The Big Kahuna, the cantaloupe on the ending of Shoot Em’ Up, the football on Football, Medicine Ball, the Rolling Stones tongue on Shootin’ Blanks, the pistol grips on , the hideous slopers on Firefly and True Grit, and the upside-down double-knee bar rest on The Great Feast. You’ll know certain holds in the matrix by name. The mono pocket on Cobbles N’ Bits, the sandstone rail on Lap Dance, the cracks on Lunchables and Cobble Reality, the final dyno bucket on Sodomizing Satan, the two-finger pocket on Predator, and the huge squeeze on Man Muncher. 

  Come into the shop to purchase our Maple Canyon guidebook and learn even more about this amazing canyon!

• Is Maple Canyon Good for Beginner Climbers?

  Absolutely! Maple Canyon is one of the best places for new climbers to get outside. With crags like Early Bird Wall, The School Room, and Road Kill Wall, new and experienced climbers alike could spend days up the canyon. These walls have many routes ranging from 5.1 to 5.12. The easier ones are perfect for people learning to lead climb at low grades, and with plenty of bolts.

  Early Bird Wall:

  Pitch 1 of Raven’s Ridge: 5.6

  Buzzards Over Lexington: 5.6

  Yankee Magpie: 5.5

  Cockadoodle Doo: 5.1

  Cockadoodle Don’t: 5.1

  Here Comes the Turkey: 5.1

  Super Chicken: 5.1

  The Rib Cage: 5.5

• Directions to Maple Canyon

  From I-15.  Take I-15 North from St. George/Cedar City or I-15 South from Salt Lake City.  At I-15 Exit 225 in Nephi, follow State Road 132 East to Fountain Green (14 miles).  Take a right on 400 South in Fountain Green. Follow signs to Maple Canyon as described below. 

  From I-70 going west from Grand Junction.  Take US Highway 6/191 west of Green River to Price. Continue north on Highway 6 after Helper where 191 will split near the coal plant. Travel about 52 miles past Price to the Junction of 6 and US Highway 89. Drive south through Birdseye and Fairview to Mt. Pleasant (37 miles). Take State Road 116 to Moroni. Then, take State Road 132 to Fountain Green (8 miles). Turn Left on 400 South in Fountain Green. Follow signs to Maple Canyon as described below. 

  From I-70 near Richfield and Salina.  Exit at Salina on to US 89 north. Follow 89 through Manti and Ephraim to Moroni. Turn left on Highway 132. Head west until you reach 400 South in Fountain Green. Turn left on 400 South in Fountain Green. Follow signs to Maple Canyon as described below. 

  Follow signs to Maple Canyon. After 0.3 miles 400 South will arc to the left as you leave town. Follow this road to the small town of Freedom (6 miles). Turn right on Freedom Road and after 0.4 miles take the next right to Maple Canyon. This road will turn into a dirt road after a mile and a half, go about 0.1 miles down the dirt road and set your odometer at the “Motorized Vehicle Travel Restricted to Designated Roads and Trails” sign.

• Maple Canyon Camping

  Camping in Maple Canyon can be quite fun since all the campsites are separated along a short stretch of dirt road and they each have nice trees for shade, a picnic table, a fire pit, individual parking, and close access to a restroom. They are in close proximity to all the climbing areas and have some fun bouldering near them as well. There is no potable water at any of the campsites or in Maple Canyon; you must bring your own. You will also need to pack out any garbage you accumulate during your stay at Maple and throw it away in the nearest dumpster. Please take with you any trash you find that someone else forgot to pack out, and whatever you do, don’t throw garbage in the restroom toilets as they are extremely hard to clean out. 

  Chopping trees or shrubs for firewood is prohibited, so bring your own wood for that too. The nearest city for these amenities is Fountain Green, which is about 7 miles from the campground; if it’s Sunday you’ll have to go all the way to Nephi or Ephraim. 

  There are 14 family-standard campsites that fit about four climbers comfortably and one group campsite that allows forty people. (This is going to be expanded in the coming years with more campsites.) As of this writing the family-standard campsites are $10 a night and the group campsite is $48 a night. You can reserve any of the campsites from May 1st to October 1st. You can book them in advance at https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232413.

  Camping at Maple fills up fast; every campsite can be full when you get there. If they are all full, there is dispersed camping before and after the campgrounds. Dispersed camping means the sites have no table, sometimes have a fire pit, but most sites are just a pullout and a place where someone has camped before. Look for a place that’s been used before; such places are along the road on both sides.  If you set up camp at one of these places you’ll need to go to the pay station, fill out a form  describing your location and listing your license plate number and pay the $8 camping fee. Please pay the fees and keep the campsites clean—so far the forest service has been impressed with climbers and think we are a responsible group of people. All fees that are paid to the forest service stay in Maple Canyon; they help pay for the toilets and canyon improvements. 

  If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you can drive about 1.5 miles up the road from the campground to free camping in the alpine meadows area known as Dutchman Flat. It’s absolutely stunning in beauty and serenity. It’s a little colder up there with an elevation of just over 7000 feet, but the stunning scenery makes up for it. It’s also quite a bit closer to The Pipe Dream Cave if you plan on just climbing there. 

  As a side note, when the crew from Provo were first putting up routes in Maple there was never anyone camping  on the weekdays and only once in a while was anyone camping on the weekends. One weekend some locals brought a big screen TV and a generator and played all three of the Alien movies during the night with the volume high enough to drown out the sound of the gas generator. Another evening there was a huge drum circle with about thirty naked drummers banging away on their drums for hours. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep on either of those two nights and our climbing suffered! The moral of these stories is:  be quiet at night and be courteous to the other campers while you’re here. 

• Top 10's in Maple Canyon

  5 Classic 10.a’s

  1. Gunsmoke

  2. Flak Jacket

  3. Kingpin

  4. The Scarecrow

  5. Meet the Buddha

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  5 Classic 10.b’s

  1. 245 North

  2. Big Kahuna

  3. Blunt Arete

  4. Blackberry

  5. Grease & Grime

  ______________

  5 Classic 10.c’s

  1. King Kobble

  2. Kissing and Angle

  3. The Angle’s Share

  4. Eagle’s Nest

  5. Mini Meditation

  _______________

  5 Classic 10.d’s

  1. Zen Master

  2. Crime Scene

  3. The Edge of Glory

  4. Dang Awesome

  5. Kama Sutra Awesome

• Top 11's in Maple Canyon

  5 Classic 11.a’s

  1. The Black Waterfall

  2. Taking the Bullet

  3. Rainmaker

  4. Pump Action Hero

  5. Minima

  _______________

  5 Classic 11.b’s

  1. Oneida

  2. Streak

  3. The Angry Inch

  4. Heathen

  5. Godfrees

  ______________

  5 Classic 11.c’s

  1. The Hitchhiker

  2. Back to Zero

  3. Groundwork

  4. Dry Spunk

  5. Lip Venom

  _______________

  5 Classic 11.d’s

  1. One Percent

  2. Zoaster Toaster

  3. Pipeline

  4. Amenema

  5. Lunchables

• Top 12's in Maple Canyon

  5 Classic 12.a’s

  1. 49

  2. Cobble Almighty

  3. Watermelon Sugar

  4. Tomacco

  5. Dry Times

  _______________

  5 Classic 12.b’s

  1. Power Trip

  2. Functional Idiot

  3. Beaten Into Submission

  4. Point Blank

  5. Towing Jehovah

  _______________

  5 Classic 12.c’s

  1. Orgasmo

  2. Space Lord

  3. Deliverance

  4. Cobble in the Sky

  5. Jackknifed

  _______________

  5 Classic 12.d’s

  1. Ribonucleic Convulsion

  2. Deceptacon

  3. Jesus Freak

  4. Super Spunk

  5. Welcome Back Cobble

• Top 13's in Maple Canyon

  5 Classic 13.a’s

  1. Sprout

  2. Loser

  3. 911

  4. Shoot Em' Up

  5. Diggler

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  5 Classic 13.b’s

  1. La Confianza

  2. Special Forces

  3. Rodeo Clown

  4. Death From Above

  5. Vote with a Bullet

  _______________

  5 Classic 13.c’s

  1. Toxic Turkey

  2. The Great Feast

  3. Hammerhead

  4. Don't Mess With Texas

  5. Cobble Killer

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  5 Classic 13.d’s

  1. Wyoming Sheep Shagger

  2. Millenium

  3. SST

  4. Whole Shoot

  5. Ego Boost

A free topo to one of my favorite walls in Maple…The Orangutan Wall!!!