Climbing in Castle Valley, Utah

Castleton Tower (tower at center) and the Rectory (in left-hand background).

AAI guide Scott Schumann recently had a productive two days in Utah's Castle Valley. He and his friend, Nate, climbed two classic routes: Fine Jade (5.11a) on the Rectary, and the North Face of Castleton (5.11a) on the iconic Castleton Tower. Here are some really beautiful pictures from their two days of climbing:

Fine Jade from the North Face of Castleton.

The beautiful route, Fine Jade.

Nate on Fine Jade's airy traverse on pitch 3.

Rapping off the Rectary with the next day's objective,
the North Face of Castleton, in the background.

The North Face of Castleton Tower at sunset.

All smiles after cleaning the crux first pitch
of the North Face of Castleton. The crux moves
over a verglass-thickness coating of calcite
for 20 feet or so. It was amazing.