My first time in Moab featured an amazing rock climb adventure featuring a desert tower: Ancient Art.

Throw-back pic:

This time around, I wanted to try out some other, lesser-known climbs in the area. I connected with a local climbing guide, Brian, requesting that he show me the ropes (pun intended). Brian took me to this off-beat location that isn’t typically frequented by visiting climbers. It was on the east side of the Colorado River, an incredible fin-like tower curled up alongside of a long ridge.

The name: Bounce Test. A few locals have ascended it, leaving comments on Mountain Project about its somewhat sketchy nature. The route earned its name when, during the first ascent, the ledge on the third pitch broke, sending the climber tumbling down to the start. I happily took up the role as a second, faithfully belaying and climbing cheerfully on top rope without the added pressure of leading the climb.

The first pitch nearly kicked my butt. The altitude alone left me breathing hard with my heart steadily pulsing at a quicker rate than usual. I cautiously made my way up the slabby rock, thinking of the loose scree that could easily leave me cheese grating a few feet until the rope tension caught. It was fun, and the view was incredible. I stopped often to appreciate the Colorado River running through the unique red rock landscape.

It’s often unusual to experience such diverse styles of climbing within the same route, yet Bounce Test offered a variety of rock/angle/features that kept me on my toes (again, pun intended).

I scrambled up inclined sandy features, using hands to steady my awkward walk-crawl.

I made my way through friction slab, hovering at a slightly less than 90 degree angle.

I persevered through crack climbing by jamming my feet uncomfortably into spaces between and inside the rock.

And finally, I tackled straight-up vertical climbing that was similar to the gym routes I was used to.

The higher I got, the better the views. The gear placement also got uncomfortably sparse or untrustworthy. Thanks to Brian, I was in a relatively safe place as I followed his lead.

The last pitch was wonderfully exposed and significantly more challenging than the rest of the climb. I had to pull from my rock climbing technique toolbox as well as my last reserves of strength.

And then: the summit.

I took a moment to appreciate the view before resting and noshing on some much-needed food. I could spot Arches National Park to the north and Canyonlands National Park to the west. It was quite magical.

The descent was rather eventful, with some long stories of caught rope, downclimbing, and anchor-management that are worth a whole other narrative.

Bounce Test, hats off to you and your entertaining recreation.