Chris Lawrence
You are browsing the archives of Chris Lawrence.
Barely Standing- A History of Desert Climbing in Southern Utah
The red rock walls and unending canyons were so remote the three men might as well have been rock climbing on Mars. In 1962, the trio of climbers, which included Layton Kor, Huntley Ingalls and Steve Komito, were attempting to ascend Standing Rock, a spectacular 350-foot tower, located in Canyonlands National Park. But in […]
Book Review: Desert Towers: Fat Cat Summits and Kitty Litter Rock. By Steve Bartlett
Desert Towers: Fat Cat Summits and Kitty Litter Rock By Steve “Crusher” Bartlett Sharp End Publishing 2011 352 Pages Any climber who has set foot in southern Utah can’t help being swept up in the majesty of the place—the endless red rock walls and narrow sandstone towers. Spend enough time in “The Red Planet,” and […]
Westwater
My stomach tightens as I oar my 14-foot raft toward the hardest whitewater of the canyon: Skull Rapid. It’s spring and the water is extremely swift, swirly and ill tempered. Ahead of me, I see an enormous 7-foot wave crashing at the entrance, with far nastier whitewater below. Instinctively, I know I am heading into […]
Lessons From Desert Climbing
The name alone should have given me pause: “For Desert Rats Only.” As I began to lead the first pitch, gingerly placing my first few pieces of gear, I marveled at how chossy and sandy the crack was, as well as how much it flared. As I ascended about 25 feet off the ground, the […]
