Moab Desert Adventures

10/14/2019

Amazing day at the office, shuffling papers as usual. Fine Jade is one of the all-time classic desert routes. Clean cracks, minimal groveling and choss navigation, with unparalleled views of Castle Valley. Come join us and see for yourself why this is considered one of the best climbs in the world!

10/09/2019

Troutman wants YOU to come learn the fine art of crack climbing with us at Indian Creek! Watching both he and dispatch 5.12 cracks with ease is always a pleasure and helps give me confidence to say without a doubt that we run the best crack climbing clinic in the world. Of course just climbing well doesn't make one the best guide so I'm delighted to know that our staff is deeply accomplished at coaching and communicating, and they just have the best damn personalities! They are elite-level guides that pair expert and flawless climbing technique with an unmatched approachability and ability to communicate these skills to our guests. Add in the storytelling and the decades-long resumé of hard cracks and you have the stuff of legend. I feel so fortunate to have these folks by my side to help keep MDA established as the best. We're a tight family and have a lot of love and respect for each other. We have all the fun, climb all the cracks, and cover an amazing array of topics. Indian Creek can teach us all so much about how to be accomplished, respectful, and humble yet confident climbers. Come join us and you'll see for yourself why I say what I do.

Here Troutman is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of on-sighting Slice and Dice with a classic pose that many OG will remember from the original Bloom guidebook.

10/02/2019

Thinking back to a photo shoot we did with last year at The Tombstone. Such a beautiful and peaceful place, with adventurous free climbing that is not for the faint at heart. Even repeating the easiest route on the tower to setup this rappel shot was a bit of struggle. One of our absolute favorite first ascents is out there as well. We put up Thin It To Win It back in 2015. For you lovers of finger cracks out there it's a slightly easier version of Learning To Fly. The info is online and it's still awaiting a second ascent as far as we know!

10/01/2019

The whole gang has always been supportive of the first ascent missions I concoct, and this season we’re getting ramped up again for more. The following photos are from the first ascents earlier this year of “IED”, a thin crack test-piece at the Hurt Locker Wall, “Bagheera”, the ABSOLUTE BEST finger crack at the Cat Wall, and “Sweetbread”, an amazing addition we put up at the 2nd Meat Wall with our great friend and fellow guide service operator from over at
These are only a few of the nearly dozen routes we’ve added just this year. From Wallstreet to Long Canyon, Arches to Canyonlands, and from Indian Creek to The Tombstone and back on up the hill to Mill Creek, you’ll find routes all over the region stamped with the MDA logo. All the info you need for these three routes is online so go on out and get yourself a 2nd ascent, and always feel free to reach out to us to find out more beta on other new routes we recommend!

As is likely evident from this post, in addition to our professional duties as guides here at MDA, we all enjoy the creative aspect and camaraderie of the first ascent process and are passionate about contributing our small part to the climbing history of the region. Come climb with us and you’ll see that we can offer the richest experience you’ll find in the Moab area. Unlike the cracks at Indian Creek, our knowledge of local history, geology, ecology, local climbing lore and general climbing history is unparalleled! We pride ourselves on the educational components of our job and aspire to impart as much wisdom as we can on our guests with the hopes of enriching their lives with the gift of knowledge.

@ Bears Ears National Monument

08/30/2019

The dog days of summer are winding down and we here at MDA are getting revved up and hopeful for a Fall season busy with guiding towers, cragging, canyons, The Creek, new routing and of course as always, the smiling faces of those we are fortunate enough to es**rt through the wonders of the desert. Come join our world-class guides for an unforgettable experience in some of the world’s most breathtaking terrain! We have a couple more spots available in our October 5-7 Splitter Camp as well so check out the link in our bio if you’re interested! @ Moab, Utah

05/16/2019

We've had a great run this season climbing a ton of towers with our amazing guests. From The Priest to Castleton to Jah Man on Sister Superior we've marathon runners, Brits, 12 year olds and more on some of the most amazing summits in the desert. Add in Ancient Art and the quotient goes through the roof. Shout out to and for a couple of the photos. Come join the most professional crew in the region for a tower climb that will open your eyes and expand your world view.

05/02/2019

Our incredible Spring season of Splitter Camps has unfortunately but inevitably come to a close. We had an amazing run of good weather, and three full camps of great people from all over the world. From the Pacific Northwest to Poland, Jersey to Japan, and from Frisco to France our guests came from far and wide to experience our blend of world-class crack climbing instruction, lessons in the soul and history of our pursuit, and of course the unrivaled desert camping that Indian Creek has to offer. We love to get people up there where the air is rarified, and it's always rewarding to see our model carry folks into the routes of their dreams. We saw many great leaps and milestones accomplished this season, with many more on the burner for the future. Join us every Spring and Fall for the best crack climbing clinics on the planet and see where our instruction can take you. Heck, we even climb harder routes after learning from ourselves!

03/01/2019

Keep an eye out for our local closures down in Creeklandia, and we'll see y'all this Spring!

Hi, Friends,
The Monticello Field Office and Bears Ears NM has issued temporary climbing closures (effective 3/1/2019) for climbing areas at Indian Creek.
This list is more extensive than previous years, so please familiarize oneself with the additional closure areas.
It should be noted that monitoring is on-going and if no active nests are found, climbing will be permitted to resume as early in the season as possible. "BLM biologists will begin surveying nesting areas in March to determine which historic nest sites are active. Typically, by late April or early May, biologists can determine which nest sites birds have chosen to use. Walls and climbing routes without active nests will be cleared for climbing at this time. The BLM requests that climbers avoid walls with active nests until the young birds have fledged, usually by late summer. Biologists will monitor nesting activity throughout the season and keep the climbing community and public informed of potential changes. Notices will also be posted at trailhead areas.
Beginning March 1, the public will be asked to avoid climbing the following walls in the Indian Creek area where birds are known to nest: The Wall, Far Side, Second Meat Wall, Disappointment Cliff, Fin Wall, Broken Tooth, Cat Wall, Slug Wall, and Reservoir Wall. The BLM is coordinating these raptor protection efforts with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, the administrator of the Disappointment Cliffs and portions of the Second Meat Wall climbing areas."
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/announcing-avoidance-areas-protect-raptors

02/21/2019

2019 WORK WEEK in the CREEK!

Come show your love for Indian Creek & Bears Ears National
Monument by giving up a day or two of climbing for stewardship at Scarface Wall!

March 21 - 24 (9am-2pm everyday)
Meet @ Scarface Parking

02/13/2019

Every year, as the Fall comes to a close in Moab, we hit a threshold for all things work-related, social media included. Packing 13 months of work into an 8-month season can be exhausting both physically and mentally. Now that we’ve had ample time over the Winter to recoup, and in between the busy work of preparing for the upcoming season, we’re coursing through photos again and reliving so many wonderful moments with guests, guides, friends and family.

Now is a time to reboot and start amping up for the approaching Spring, so here are some of the highlights from last year’s ending to psych us up for this year’s beginning. A logical start is Splitter Camps. Although we got hosed by a great rainy spell early in the month, we pulled off a couple of amazing clinics as October came to a close. We had folks return for their third or fourth time, and others came from as far off as Chile and Japan to climb with us. This Spring we have three clinics scheduled, all of which are full! Having essentially invented this type of clinic, we are super proud to have seen them grow, with more interest flooding in all the time. Educating climbers is one of our primary missions, and having the opportunity to do so in the Indian Creek environment is ultra special.

Another reason we’re so proud of the Splitter Camps is because of our long and storied history as Indian Creek climbers. We’ve climbed nearly all of the classics (and are constantly surprised by how many there are!), added a few of our own, and have just spent so much of our lives there that it’s become a part of our consciousness. If a guide service was to represent Indian Creek, it is undeniably us. In-house we have well over 100 years of combined Indian Creek climbing and guiding experience, and many a legend has worn the MDA logo. Come see us, whether you want to learn in one of our clinics or a private session, just need to stop in the shop for some much-coveted beta, or want to share an enthusiastic spray-down of your most recent experiences there. We love all things Indian Creek, and relish any opportunity that we may have to impress upon folks the special and sacred nature of our beloved desert climbing mecca.

09/21/2018

Some mornings at work are a little different. Beautiful sunrise shoot with the folks out at our own private Arches. The landscape never ceases to amaze.

09/12/2018

We are psyched to see this event return to Moab! Although we won't be coordinating the event as we were the past two years, we'll still be there in force to show our support for the club, and our guides will be helping to facilitate the awesome array of clinics. Whether it's self rescue, climbing splitters, taking your lead game to another level, or one of numerous other desert-specific clinics, our AMGA-certified guides will be there along with athletes and other local guides to help make this event amazing. Come out and help us celebrate a good cause, and have a little fun while you're at it. Sponsors are always coming through with fun games, amazing products, and of course the will be pouring the beer. We look forward to sharing the craft of climbing and the wonders of the desert with y'all!