Abraxas Wall – Featured Crag

Moab generally isn’t known for its stellar crack climbing. Sure there are a handful of decent lines on Wall Street, but most of those routes involve a fair bit of face climbing. Generally, if you are seeking splitters, you head to Indian Creek. However, if you are looking for a good crack fix close to town, you’re in luck, as there are a couple lesser known crags in the immediate vicinity that offer some decent jamming opportunities. One of the best for colder weather is the Abraxas Wall in Kane Creek.

Composed of the same softer Navajo sandstone as Wall Street, you might be fooled into thinking it’s Wingate when you first spy the routes here. The lines are mostly pure crack pitches, much more reminiscent of the Creek (or at least the Swell) than most of the other stuff around town. There’s a good range of grades, from 5.9 to 5.11+, with the incredible arch route Shogun (12+) and its burly extension Bushido (13c) for the hardman or woman in your group.

The wall soaks the sun all day, making it ideal for those colder, sunny days. If it’s in the 50’s and there is no wind, you’ll probably be hot at some point. Also, there’s enough variety in the routes that they don’t require Creek sized racks, generally a triple set will get you up most of the climbs here.

To get to the wall, take Kane Creek Road south out of Moab. Go past the Tombstones, past the big parking lot (you can park here if the closer lot is full) and up to a small parking area just past the turn off for the Amasa Back mountain bike trail. Walk back down to the road to Amasa Back, and take this down to the creek. Cross the creek and head right up a well worn trail to the base of the cliff. The approach probably takes 15-20 minutes and is fairly casual.

There are just enough routes to keep you busy for a day, and it’s well worth a visit. For more info refer to the book Desert Rock 3. There is also some limited info on Mountain Project.