Utah · Rock climbing · Bluff

Sandwalker Buttress

Sandwalker Buttress in Utah has 8 trad climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Sandwalker ButtressPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
8 routes
5.9 – 5.12-
Trad

Best time to visit Sandwalker Buttress

Best months: March–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    43° / 20°

    4 wet · 2 snow

  2. Feb

    51° / 25°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    63° / 32°

    4 wet

  4. Apr

    71° / 39°

    3 wet

  5. May

    81° / 48°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    92° / 56°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 64°

    4 wet

  8. Aug

    93° / 62°

    5 wet

  9. Sep

    84° / 52°

    4 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 38°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    55° / 27°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 20°

    4 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bluff, UT, 1.4 mi away at 4,319 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Sandwalker Buttress is a climbing area on State Trust Lands Bluff Bench Block in Utah, managed by the State Land Board. It sits about a mile from the town of Bluff, and the closest climbing area is Cottonwood Wash, half a mile away. The climbing here is all trad, with eight routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.12-. The median grade is 5.10, and the hardest is Haciendo Dedo at 5.12-. Among the named routes are Men at Work (5.9) and Haciendo Polvo (5.11), both with first ascents by Trevor Bowman and Emily Reinsel. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Bluff weather station show April highs around 71°F and October highs around 70°F, while July averages reach 96°F. Sand Island Recreation Area, about 4 miles away, offers camping. Bluff, roughly a mile off, is another climbing area. Comb Ridge is about 8 miles away, and the Split Level Ruin Trail is about 7 miles out.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Cottonwood WashPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cottonwood Wash

~1 min drive

Cottonwood Wash in Utah features 4 mixed and traditional climbing routes with 4 distinct difficulty grades.

BluffPhoto: AhwatukeeBauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bluff

~2 min drive

Bluff in Utah has 7 climbing routes ranging from sport to trad.

Valley of the GodsPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Valley of the Gods

~26 min drive

Valley of the Gods in Utah has 48 routes across 16 grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad climbing.

BlandingPhoto: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Blanding

~42 min drive

Blanding in Utah has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Pistol WhippedPhoto: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pistol Whipped

~1h 23m drive

Pistol Whipped in Utah has 50 traditional climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.

3DPhoto: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

3D

~1h 25m drive

3D is a Utah climbing crag with 8 routes across 6 grades.

New Sub-Area 1Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

New Sub-Area 1

~1h 25m drive

New Sub-Area 1 in Utah has 10 climbing routes across 7 grades.

Election WallPhoto: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Election Wall

~1h 25m drive

Election Wall in Utah has 14 traditional climbing routes across 7 grades.

Friction SlabPhoto: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Friction Slab

~1h 25m drive

Utah slab climbing area featuring sustained face routes and technical footwork.

Fringe WallsPhoto: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Fringe Walls

~1h 25m drive

19-route climbing area in Utah with sport and trad options.