Wasatch Granite Weekend — Little Cottonwood and American Fork
Base city
Salt Lake City
Total Climbing
5 pitches granite + 4 sport pitches (two days)
Difficulty
Advanced — 5.8 multi-pitch and 5.12a sport
Estimated cost
$320-520 per person for two days (hotel, food, gas)
Best for
Visiting climbers based in Salt Lake City for a weekend who want both trad and sport on two different rock types.
Day by day
Day 1
Morning
Leave SLC hotel by 7am. Drive south on I-215 to UT-210 and up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Arrive at Storm Mountain picnic area by 7:30am. Short scramble to the base of the Beckey Route. Start pitch 1 by 8am.
Afternoon
Climb pitches 3-5, including the crux thin hand crack on pitch 3. Be off exposed pitches by 1pm during monsoon season (July-August). Descend via walk-off and rappels. Back at car by 2pm.
Evening
Drive back to Salt Lake City. Shower at the hotel. Dinner at Red Iguana — make a reservation. Skin cream on hands overnight for day 2 limestone.
Day 2
Morning
Drive 40 minutes south from SLC to American Fork Canyon. Stop at Lucky Lab Coffee on the way. Start on lower canyon 5.10 routes for a longer warm-up than usual — your forearms are fatigued from yesterday's granite.
Afternoon
Move to the main cave for Battle of the Bulge (5.12a) when the warm-up is solid. Work the crux sequence on top rope first if needed. The tufa holds feel completely different from granite — trust the pockets.
Evening
Drive down the canyon and back to SLC. Lone Star Taqueria for dinner. Pack for the flight home or continue north.
Routes Included
Gear List
- ✓Trad rack for day 1: cams 0.5-3 inch
- ✓12 quickdraws for day 2 sport
- ✓60m rope (works for both days)
- ✓Helmet
- ✓Layers for LCC cold
- ✓Skin cream: both granite and limestone are abrasive
- ✓Chalk bag
Logistics
SLC is the base. LCC: 30 min south on I-215 then UT-210. American Fork: 40 min south on I-15 then SR-74. Rental cars work on all approach roads. Uber and Lyft do not serve either canyon reliably.
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