Trip Report

Tip Top Arch was first visited in 1993, but the visitors (Steve Frederickson et al) only reached the alcove below the arch. On May 7, 2021, Dave Kennedy and I tried to reach the same spot, but we were foiled by the steep terrain (see <http://stanwagon.com/wagon/utah/mysteryarchandtiptoparch/mysteryarchandtiptoparch.html>). On Nov. 8, 2021, I returned with very skilled climbers Bill Briggs, Jim Illg, and Mark Cartwright and we made it to the cavern by a very direct route, and then found a route on steep terrain south of the arch that allowed us to reach its top. The arch sits atop giant Navajo sandstone slabs about 2.5 miles south of I-70. Coordinates are 38° N   110° W.

We started on an easy fifth-class slab (5.2-5.4) for a few pitches. At the top we rappelled into the halfway valley that Dave and I had reached by a class-3 route farther north. Then we ascended the route Dave and I had taken, but carried on for the last pitch (5.2) to reach the arch. After exploring a bit we went around via a slab to the south of it (5.4) climbing to the area behind the arch. We could then get to the top of the arch, and through it and below it. As we were scrambling to that area we found a new arch below us on the left, with a huge pothole of water below it. I call it Hidden Moonshine Arch (38° N   110° W. It seems likely that no one had ever seen that arch.

On descent we had planned to go down the route that Dave and I had used to ascend, but an easy gully beckoned so we tried that. It worked fine, except that a loose rock tripped me up and I hurt my knee, making for a painful last mile. Near one steep section near the end there was a ladder. Who placed it? When? Why did they leave it? No idea.