12 years in the making…
After a 12 year wait the comprehensive, locally written Maple Canyon Rock CLimbing guidebook is available! Order it online or stop into Pipe Dream Adventure Sports on 327 South Main in Ephraim to pick up your copy. Read on for a little history…
The third edition of Maple Canyon Rock Climbing was published in 2000. That guidebook featured 200+ routes for one of the worlds most popular and iconic sport climbing areas.
New route development quickly rendered the guide outdated. By 2005 there were twice as many routes in the canyon as there were in the “outdated” guidebook. The original author (me), raising a young family, could no longer keep up with the development and passed the mantel onto active local route developer Darren Knezek.
In 2006 Darren Knezek assumed the role of guidebook author. A strong drive for a perfect guidebook and constant new route development delayed the guidebook release. Rumors of the much desired guide swelled with every spring and slowly died with each coming fall. Americas premier summer sport climbing destination would remain without a guidebook for 12 years.
Darren spent much of 2009, 2010 and 2011 climbing every route in Axhandle Canyon, Choke Cherry Dike, New Canyon and Round Valley and most of the routes in Maple Canyon – totaling over 550 ascents. Howd’ya like that for first-hand information?
Above: DK doing what he does best. Maple Canyon, UT.
After much anticipation, the new edition of Maple Canyon Rock Climbing is now available. Here are some reasons why you’ll want to consider buying Darren Knezeks version of the guide:
- 600+ total routes in the guidebook
- 550+ routes in Maple Canyon
- 20+ routes are multi-pitch routes totaling more than 60 pitches by themselves!
- 50+ routes in five satellite areas, consisting of volcanic, sandstone and limestone walls
- Several previously unpublished climbing areas
- 300+ color pages
- Area history and anecdotes by route developers
- Route insights and tidbits by the route developers and FA climbers
- No “unknown” routes – this is the one and only comprehensive guide
- Photos by local photographers
- Written by a local route developer
- Supported by local route developers
Consider your options before you purchase a guidebook this spring! Prepare yourself. May 1.
Darren Knezek, ice climbing day in Maple Canyon January 1 2010
Received my guidebook today, and my first impressions are that it was well worth the wait!!
I’ve been reading through it all afternoon, and have been enjoying the stories and photos and history very much. It is such a nice guidebook, well laid-out and easy to see the climbs – I hate knowing that it will be quickly thrashed in my pack and at the crags. Such is the life of a guidebook.
Looking forward to my next trip to Maple!
Received my guidebook today (June 6th), and my first impressions are that it was well worth the wait!!
I’ve been reading through it all afternoon, and have been enjoying the stories and photos and history very much. It is such a nice guidebook, well laid-out and easy to see the climbs – I hate knowing that it will be quickly thrashed in my pack and at the crags. Such is the life of a guidebook.
Looking forward to my next trip to Maple!
Spent last weekend in Maple. The guidebook was spot on with route information, photos and other useful advice. The other climbers in my group, some of which were using a different guidebook, had serious guidebook envy.
Climbed some of the recently developed routes on the Early Bird Wall, and a helmet is a must, for the climber and especially the belayer. There are some big cobbles still waiting to drop. My pack left the gully bore the worst of the burden.
I am ready to embrace my developing symptoms of ‘cobblitis.’