Category: Rock Climbing

Climbing the Roadside Crag – Wall Street down in Moab

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

There are only a handful of climbing crags that it seems like every climber in Utah has checked off, as sort of a right of passage, if you will. There are the classics in the Cottonwood Canyons near salt lake, the conglomerate caves in American Fork, the boulders down in Joe’s Valley, and of course the most easily accessible of them all, Wall Street down in red rock desert of Moab. Sure, people come here for the classic slab and crack climbs that run parallel to the mellow Colorado River that runs through the desert. But the true reason why …

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Salt Lake vs Park City | Where to Live for the Best Outdoor Adventures | Rock Climbing (Part 5)

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

It’s no secret that Salt Lake City mountains are home to some of the best, most accessible rock climbing routes in the United States, and possibly the world. You can find yourself surrounded by endless boulders, exhausting sport routes, and towering big walls, just 20 minutes from town. Can the same be said about Park City, well the answer is pretty simple, not really. People that live in Salt Lake City believe that Park City is just another suburb of Salt Lake. The locals that live in Park City know that’s simply not true. And so it goes, the endless …

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6 Tips for Beginners Learning How to Rock Climb

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Rock climbing, as a means for exploration, has been around forever. It has always been a way to access new terrain to explore. As a sport, it gained its popularity in the late 60s with the explosion of activity coming out of California’s Yosemite National Park. And most recently with the booming popularity of Rock Climbing gyms, Rock Climbing is more accessible than ever. I’ve climbed very hard routes in gyms (5.12+) and absolutely fun and exposed climbs outside, but there are so many things I wish I was told when I was starting out climbing. Here are some of …

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Climbing in a Flow State on The Grand Teton

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Move after move, far above my last piece of gear, stemming off a thick sheet of rime ice, I felt like I couldn’t fall. Climbing 5.4 off the ground is no accomplishment on its own; but in some of the most adverse climbing conditions I’ve ever faced. And at 13,000′ and going on 12 hours of climbing, it’s something I wanted to look into. I’m no 5.12 climber or experienced mountaineer, but why was I making every move with pure confidence? I attribute it all to being in a flow state. Flow is something most adventure and action sport athletes …

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Climbing Owen Spalding Route on The Grand Teton | Technical Pitches Beta

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

If I had known it was going to take us 20 hours to complete, I’m not sure if I would have left the trailhead. But after taking those final steps onto the summit, it would make the entire effort worth it. Everything from the 1:30AM start, the trek in the dark, the struggle with the altitude, the ice all over the climb, the broken crampon and subsequent fall, and even the encounter with a huge black bear. It was all worth it. We climbed the Grand Teton. Zachary KenneyHi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker …

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Gear List Required to Climb The Grand Teton

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

On July 20th, 2019, three of us climbed the 13,770′ Grand Teton via the Owen Spalding Route. We headed out from the parking lot at 1:30AM, in the pitch black of night, and didn’t reach the truck again until 9:30PM. Car to car in 20 hours (just 17hrs off the FKT). Granted, this was our first time up this mountain, finding the route, and mountaineering in general. We were physically prepared to climb the mountain in the snowy and icy conditions that were ever-present on the route; however, the mental aspect of such a long day in the mountains was …

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Dogwood Crag | Great Beginner Spot to Climb in Salt Lake City

Zachary Kenney2 Comments

I’ll be the first one to admit, the amount of climbing areas near, and in, Salt Lake City can be overwhelming. The first time I pulled up Mountain Project when I moved here, I had no idea where to begin. In the Wasatch Range alone, there are 1,595 Trad routes, 2,230 Sport routes, 318 Top-Rope Routes, and 679 Boulder problems. So as you can imagine, when I looked at the map below for the first time, I had no idea where to begin. Sure, with the introduction of Mountain Project, finding rock climbing areas and routes have never been easier. …

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Climbing Purblind Pillar | Campfire Stories

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

In this new series, Campfire Stories, I wanted to capture some of my favorite funny and crazy moments from trips I’ve been on.

“900 feet above the ground from where I stepped off the deck and onto the first holds of the route. That’s when it finally hit me. The wave of accomplishment, stoke, and relief. We’d spent nearly the entire day on this wall, 7 hours to be exact, and our ascent was finally over. Even though it’s only rated a 5.8, the 6 pitches of the climb were one adventure after next. And for my first time on the Red Rocks of Vegas, it was one helluva trip.”

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The Grand Teton via Owen Spalding Route: Full Trip Report

Zachary Kenney8 Comments

11:30 PM After grabbing a late burrito dinner in town at Abuelitos, we finally entered Grand Teton National Park. The plan was to catch a couple hours of sleep next to the truck before heading out. I can remember getting into my sleeping bag with a cool breeze rolling down from the mountainside across my face. I fell asleep immediately. That is, until the moon rose up and lit up the entire sky. Zachary Kenney Hi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer.  My passion is to tell stories that will hopefully motivate you …

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Scrambling to Upper Saddle | The Grand Teton

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

This photo captures a moment. A moment on this climb, when things were just about to get real. We just made the lower saddle at sunrise, took a quick break, and were moving up the ridge towards the Black Dike picture in the middle of the frame. In all the research and beta I could find, most notably on Wyoming Whiskey’s page which outlines, in detail, all the route options up the Grand, there was no mention of how difficult this section would be. A 1,544′ scramble separates the upper saddle from the lower saddle, in just over a half-mile. …

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