Planet X is located a few miles north of Hanksville, on the east side of the road, a half-mile south of the Viewfinder Towers pullout. It is a nice free-standing formation. Approaching from north or south, it looks like a pyramid, but is very thin viewed edge on.

The climbing is thought-provoking Fisher-Tower-style aiding on a fine-grained Entrada sandstone. It follows a series of mostly splitter cracks, in mostly "good" rock, to the summit. The climbing is a lot of fun; some tricky placements, yet regular bomber pieces. The ambience is pleasant; a roadside location, yet with a quaint backwoods feel. So maybe more or less worthy of two stars. The first ascent was spread over two afternoons, but they sure seem to go quick in mid-December.

The route starts in the middle of the north face. The pitch meanders; watch out for rope drag. The two belay/rappel bolts are 4" x 1/2" Rawls.

1. Follow a bulging crack angling up and left to a ledge, from where a thinner crack gains a rotten band, fifty feet up. Step right to another good crack, which leads to a higher rotten band. Continue to better rock, and tension right to a ledge and a final crack leading to the two-bolt rappel/belay station (100', A2+).2. Step high, then throw a length of rope around the summit block. Tie this off, and belly up onto the summit (10', 5.5).Descent: Downclimb to the belay. Rappel 110' down the north face.

Planet X, via the route Problicom Motion

Johnny Hanksville of Mars

Formation: Castle Ardbeg. Route: The Whiskey Tour

Power Chords

Bensass

Dirty Devil Tower- South Side

South Side

Prairie Dog

Unknown - Brigham Butte

Meat Log

Strummer

South Face - Meat Log

Princess Bong

This route avoids the chimney and semi-sketchy start to Meat Log's other route. Begin up a slab ramp to a chossy crack on the south side of the tower. Then crank up the crack to a better quality crack at a stance. Once on the shoulder, semi-dicey manteling leads to the top. Use the other route's anchors to descend. Great summit!

This is on the same Viewfinder Tower as Planet X. With so many Viewfinder Towers, it may make sense to categorize them according to Tower names (FA names?) rather than by route names. Climbed during the filming of the movie on a day off.

Start in an alcove on the right side of the North Face. The rock on most of the route seemed to be good quality Moenkopi Sandstone rather than the aforementioned Entrada...but the rotten summit block may very well be Entrada.

Pitch #1: Climb the mangle of disjointed crack systems to a saddle attaining the west arete and follow it to the top and two-bolt belay.

Rappel straight down the face to the ground with one rope.

Start on the bubbly south face. Route works up and leftwards, ending in a southwest-facing chimney slot at the top. First pitch is great, other pitches not so much. Exploring the summit area labyrinth is much fun. If this cleans up it might go free.

P1: Climb steep pockets for 20 feet to ledge. Gain a ledge and move left into a right-facing dihedral with roof at top. Up this, mantel onto big ledge on left and build a belay (5.8+R, 50). A fun pitch on surprisingly good rock!

P2: Angle left (5.8) into the leftmost of three cracks. Aid this to end, over bulges to a big ledge system and a two-bolt belay (5.8, A2, 50).

P3: Move up and left with care, around some dubious blocks, into a chimney. Up this to a two-bolt belay (5.7, A1, 50).

From here the true summit is some distance away. Negotiate crenelations and secret passageways to get there (4th-class with one aid move, 150).

Start with the same scary boulder problem as for Strummer, up to a curving flake/crack.  Don't fall before you get in your first piece! And don't pull too hard on any of the edges! Once at your first piece, climb, or aid up and to the left through a series of cracks for about 25ish feet.  Eventually, you will come to a ledge that will start leading to the other side of the tower.  Scoot around the ledge and look up to a face with 2 bolts.  Either aid, or climb these bolts to more gear placements. Near the top of the tower, there will be 2 crack systems; on the left is a right-facing corner and on the right is  a lightning bolt looking crack.  Choose the right (the lightning bolt crack that is).  Once at the top of the crack, free climb the last 15 feet to the anchors.

This route climbs a crack system to a chimney then to top on the east face.  A thin hands crack leads through some steep soft rock as well as slabby soft rock.  Some of it loose, with a large hollow, but attached rock just below chimney. Belay at three bolt anchor in chimney that is not visible from below.   From anchor, scramble/fourth class to top, 10.

Note:  There are several other options for reaching the top of this tower on the north side and west side.  Also, this route may have gone free, I was alone and scared so I aid soloed.

Start by scrambling up the boulder on the south side of the tower and following the wide, low angle crack system to the first ledge. A sandy, slopey bulge leads to the beautiful new shiny bolts at the top.

Start up the boulder leaning against the lowest angle face on the south side. Up a low angle wide crack and up to a ledge. Up and over a sandy harder-than-it-looks bulge to some sweet shiny new bolts and a great view.

Want to stretch your legs after a long drive from Escalante, Capitol Reef, or the North Wash? This low-stress tower fits the bill! From the Viewfinder tubes off UT24, turn west on the dirt road just north of the tubes. Drive 0.25-mile north-northwest and hike to the closest short tower. Begin climbing up some friable rock on the north side of the tower. Climb past 4 bolts to the summit. You'll have to down-climb back to the anchor after summiting.

This tower is an excellent low-stress aid climb or tough free climb (FA by Darren Knezek??). From the Viewfinder tubes off UT24, turn west on the dirt road just north of the tubes. Drive 0.25-mile north-northwest. Hike southwest to the largest tower (located 38.4593, -110.6855) and is just past the Prairie Dog). The route climbs the south side of the tower and is well-bolted. The first bolt requires a rivet hanger or nut. Then aid the bolts with an occasional piece of gear or free climb between bolts – some free climbing is mandatory at 5.7. If free climbing, to me, the most challenging free climbing seems to be the first 2-3 bolts (mid 12?); don't expect the highest rock quality either.

Start below the chimbley system on the right side of the North Face.  Climb steep pockets to reach the first gear at about 20 feet.  Continue up the chimney.  After the chimney, climb right past some precarious blobs then up to a two bolt anchor a few feet below the summit.

The tower is located a half-mile south of Planet X, near the Viewfinder Towers, and a few miles north of Hanksville, just east of Highway 24. At the south end of the cliff-band behind Planet X, hike a couple hundred yards east under the cliffs, and the tower is pretty obvious. A solid one-star choss classic.

Career Opportunities  115', 5.9R, A3Steve "Crusher' Bartlett, Strappo Hughes, 4/27/2004 Our route starts from the saddle under the east side of the tower.  It ascends the main central crack system, with a deviation to avoid a potentially detachable car-sized block.We found the climb more challenging than it appeared. The cracks are mostly flared and tight. A bouldery start (spot?) leads to a precarious pin placement, followed by devious and varied aiding.

1. Teeter up a 5.9 sandy slab and place a pin when you can (there are excellent opportunities for careering off these first moves). Aid up for twenty feet until under a badly parked Cadillac. Veer left and up here, then angle back right until you rejoin the main central crack system safely above the Cadillac. (It looks much easier to go direct up the left side of this car, but we were not convinced it would stay put). Continue up the main crack (easier) to a final mantel (best to not have too much rope drag) onto the crusty ledge just below the summit blob. Belay here from two bolts. Both bolts are pretty good; one is 1/2", the other 3/8", both are four inches long. 100', 5.9R, A3.2. Kick steps around the west side, and onto the summit. 15', 5.4.

Start: on the south-southwest side, under an obvious crack system.

Climb up the cracks to the summit. This will probably go free. It was blowing a fierce windstorm all day when we climbed this. Rock is mostly good, but the summit area rock is paler and softer.

Description

Protection

Routes in Viewfinder Towers