(The climb is the tower on the left)
My mother told me to be careful and she expressed her concerns. I told her I didn't think I was doing it that much and that when I did I was always in control, safe, and with others. Finally though it caught up with me and I decided to take some action. In the Moab desert Andre Wille and I went to our first AA meeting....
Ancient Art is a small tower of mud and cobble cemented together and standing with a prayer among other frozen columns of rock and grit. It's about 200ft of climbing broken into 4 pitches due to anchors, rope drag, etc...The last pitch is one of the most unique ascents I have ever partaken. After climbing a small wall you top out on what is known as the sidewalk. This is a strip of stone 2-3ft wide with about 300ft or so dropping off on each side. The sidewalk is about 12ft long and leads to the diving board. This is a beak of stone about stomach level that you must belly flop onto in order to make the next moves which lead to the summit. After an awkward high step and lounge you then have about 15ft of "noodle" to scramble and climb which leads to the summit point. This is a small pillar step about 2ft wide. Just enough stone to stand upon and feel the spook of the summit as the wind and swallows rush about your head.
