Camping
- You can book online and pay $8 a night. The benefit of this is you reserve your campsite (most are booked solid on the weekends). You also get one of the 12 "nice" campsites that have firepits, several flat tent spots each, big table and shade. It's also possible to just turn up, and if one of the $8 sites is free, you can book and pay, but more interestingly for dirtbags are the $3 per night campsites. These are a first come first served basis and are great for long termers. They're not reservable. They are less deluxe, not having a table, and might be a big hike to the nearest toilet.
- There are several pit toilets located within the campground. They are kept in quite good order.
- There are no showers.
- There is no water. Bring your own.
- You'll get no phone reception anywhere in the canyon.
- Nearest and best is the coin laundry behind the Fast Trax service station in Mt Pleasant.
- In Ephraim, you can buy groceries at either Kent's Market (very cheap specials for dirtbags) or Wal-mart. Nephi and Mt Pleasant also have supermarkets.
- For rest day meals, there is a Subway and McDonalds in Ephraim. Nephi also has a Wendy's. I recommend Roy's Pizza (formerly known as Fat Jack's) in Ephraim or Cavalier Pizza in Mt Pleasant. And for something sweet, you can't go past Ephraim's Malt Shop for great shakes and slushes.
- Water is easily obtainable at the service station adjacent to Ephraim's Wal-mart (near the air hose).
Wifi
- Various unsecured home routers on main street of Manti, good for picking up emails on the move, or updating your scorecard ;)
For longer stints you have two options:
- McDonalds in Ephraim has power, free wifi and endless soda. Use the ice machine to top up your esky on the way out.
- Computer lab in the Snow College in Ephraim. Drive around Snow College until you spot a bell tower. Park there. The building left of the bell tower is the computer lab and has free Internet access on very fast computers.
- There are $2 hot showers and an indoor pool in the Gymnasium/Recreation centre at Snow College in Ephraim.
- There is an online guide available (link) for $12. It is not a new guide. It is over 10 years old but is the best that is on offer currently. Supplement this with the online information on Mountain Project. Ask around for info on new sectors if you're interested.
- Routes tend to be endurance affairs. Holds tend to be open grips, but there is some crimping to be found where cobbles have fallen out. A 60m rope is fine. There is enough to occupy the 5.10 climber (unlike Rifle), and plenty if you climb harder than this. Because of rockfall, helmets are good. Especially for belaying. And for routes 5.12 and above, you're going to want your kneebar pads.
- Grades of routes are all over the shop at Maple. For example, routes at the great cliff "The Minimum" are so ridiculously soft I'm surprised the bolts don't fall out. And yet, routes in Box Canyon are often quite stout. The best thing to do is take the grades with a large pinch of salt, and if you want to see what consensus is saying about a route, check it out on 8a.nu's Maple ticklist. And if it's obviously soft, don't take the higher grade ;)
If stuff changes, email me and I'll keep this post updated.
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