ONE DAY LIKE THIS:
MOES VALLEY
Words by EMmeline Wang, Photos & Video by Three Peak Films
Every stellar climbing trip for me starts with a good cup of coffee and my girl, Joanne, by my side. It was a crisp Friday evening as the first snow began to dust us in its delicate snowflake shapes in Salt Lake City. Our clock struck 5pm, signaling our time to leave … our trip to St. George, Utah was underway.
With the chilly evenings during Utah’s winter season and the unprecedented height of COVID-19, our goal was to arrive avoiding contact with others and to stay in the warmth of the car, we kept pit stops to a minimum. Joanne and I were psyched to arrive in the Southern Utah desert to meet up with our good friend, cinematographer, and Utah local, Bruce, who was the designated tour guide and photographer for the weekend. That night, we indulged in the classic climbing ritual that so many of us undertake upon arriving at a new area … we watched movies about climbing and pored over a guidebook, dialing in our tick lists and deciding which problems we wanted to pursue.
Saturday morning, we woke to the warm rays of the desert sun. The psych we had garnered the night before quickly motivated us to get to it and being our day. As I hastily prepared the coffee, Bruce tinkered with his camera equipment and Joanne made final decisions on which problems were going to suit us best for the day.
We meandered through a nearby development on our way to the boulders, a residential neighborhood that eventually led to a dirt road. The track ahead teased us with a glimpse of what the Southern Utah desert has to offer: textured, opaque red dust that blew in the wind like a rhythmic dance and multi-colored sandstone boulders that stood proudly along the outstretched valley. The beauty of Moe’s Valley is something special.
Pack. It. Out.
When visiting any area in the USA, it is deeply important for us to respect the lands on which we recreate. Moe’s Valley is situated on Southern Paiute and Pueblos Native lands. For Moe’s Valley (and really, any other area to be honest) there a few golden rules, namely ‘pack out the poop’, keep to the trail (especially as this area sees a ton of traffic), and pay close attention to avoid stepping on the black cyanobacteria soil crusts – this incredibly fragile soil is essential for the survival of the ecosystem here can easily be destroyed if one is not careful.
As we unpacked the car and began our approach, the trail seemed pretty self-explanatory; especially since the land managers of Moe’s Valley have strategically placed signs where needed to make staying on-trail easy to follow. Eager to climb, we walked at a brisk pace, quickly arriving at our first boulder: The Teepee Boulder.
Upon our first warmup on “Cornered,” a classic problem in the area, my hands immediately gripped and acclimated to the sandstone’s gritty macro-textured surface. As we continued to peruse the next areas, some key problems we jumped on had some impeccable movement that I believe anyone would be psyched to try. We wanted to create an approachable list for anyone to try when travelling to Moe’s Valley, so here’s the breakdown of our ticklist:
Moe’s Valley has a really enjoyable style that I would describe as an “acquired-taste.” Moe’s Valley contains many lines that are overhung and what I like to call ‘thuggy’, if that’s your jam then you’re going to love it here. For someone like me, who has an affinity for face climbing on tall boulders, I rose to the occasion and embraced my weaknesses in the world of the overhung.
Top tip #1: relax into each move, use your power tactically, especially to give you that little bit extra to make those steep lurches for the next hold.
Top tip #2: Take good company, a crew that will keep the stoke high and appreciate the incredible beauty of this place is essential (they also make great spotters!)
Top tip #3: Go crush!