I felt like I was back in the Wasatch while on this route! For the Interior this route deserves 4 stars for these reasons: committing moves over runout terrain and excellent exposure; great length of pitch and aesthetically pleasing, quality rock; and the approach allows you to be on a great route within an hour while feeling very alpine and out of the way. The cruxes hit you at the beginning as you access a great hand crack, and up above where you meet a funky dihedral and squeeze section that leads to easier terrain to the top of the formation. Gear heads need to make this a yearly must do!

When Free Climbers Wore Hammers

Rappel Route

South Ridge

Handcrack

Major Groove

Minor Groove

Access Route

Rappel Route is one of the better climbs at Main Rock, and doubles as the usual descent from the top of the rock.  Face climb to a small stance below a bulge.  Above the bulge is a blank face with a flake on the left side.  I tried to climb through the bulge on some marginal, sloping holds, but ended up traversing to the right a little.  Continue up the face above (thin, 5.9) or the flake to the left (5.8).  Once above the face, the climbing eases significantly to the top.

South Ridge starts from a grass ledge and climbs a low angled face to a block.  It is one of two routes used to access the anchors on top of Main Rock.  The protection is sparse, and generally pretty poor, and the rock is loose and dirty in some areas.   

  From the ledge, climb up low angle slabs to a block.  Climb around the right side of the block to gain the ridge.  Follow the ridge to a prominent pinnacle.  We ended up rapping from the pinnacle, but you can also choose to continue to the summit.

On the left side of Main Rock's east face, this route ascends a curving crack that starts thin and opens up to chimney-width. Stem up an make a few slabby moves to gain the crack. The name is a bit strange, as there is only 1 handjam (ok, maybe 2 for shorties) on the entire route. 

  One may rap off from the pinnacle, or continue up 5.6R slab to the summit bolts.

Major Groove climbs the wide crack just to the left of the Access Route. Face climb (crux) to the base of the groove/crack.  Grunt your way up the crack with a combination of face, crack, and chimney techniques.  Not a difficult climb, and like the Access Route, very short.

Minor Groove is probably one of the better routes at Angel Rocks - longer than most of the other routes, fun moves, and great rock all make this a fine route.  At first glance it looks like a crack climb, but it's actually a thin face climb with a couple of crack moves in between.   

  Start the climb on the face below the groove.  After about 15 to 20 feet, a left angling crack/groove provides some good holds.  The first crux is transitioning from the face into the bottom part of the groove.  Look for good face holds - they are small, somewhat hidden, but all there.  Continue up the groove using the shallow finger/hand crack in the back.  There are some good spots for chimney moves and rests where the groove widens.  The second crux is the transition from the groove to the lower anchors.  Look for an excellent (although somewhat hidden) hold to the left.  Pull up and through the top of the groove, climb past the anchors, and continue up easier ground to the top.

A short, easy way to access the summit and anchors on Main Rock.  Unfortunately, the route is almost as exciting as the name. 

  From the right end of the grassy ledge atop the buttress, place a cam in a good crack up and to the right and start up the face.  Climb the flake up and left until you hit a vertical crack.  Follow the easy crack to the top.  Rappel Route is just to the right, and there are anchors on the summit to the left.

Main Rock, as the name suggests, is the largest formation at Angel Creek, home to the largest concentration of routes.  It also boasts the longest routes in the area as well.  There are climbs on all aspects of the rock, with the majority (and the best) on the eastern side.  The granite ranges from solid on most of the routes to crystalline and crumbly on others.  There are two routes generally used to access the bolts and anchors at the top of the formation - South Ridge (5.6) and Access Route (5.5), both of which can be led with a light rack.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Main Rock