Way out in Utah’s West Desert, nestled among the seemingly endless expanse of sage brush and dirt, lies a hidden treasure. This diamond in the rough, known as Ibex, is a behemoth figurehead of outdoor rock-climbing, and its prowess extends beyond just the Utah climbing scene. Ibex is a world-class location comprising upwards of 200 sport, top-rope, trad and bouldering routes that lure climbers from all over to brave the harsh Utah desert in hopes of conquering some of these monstrous climbs. Despite the climbing community’s love of Ibex, it isn’t known for its affability, and its inaccessible location scares a lot of people away. I was curious to see if the rumors of Ibex’s greatness were true, and whether or not it was worth the trouble. So, I loaded up my car and took a trip down to Central Utah. 

My Trip Out to Ibex

That’s how I ended up cruising down Highway 50 in the middle of the Utah desert with hopes of striking gold. Highway 50 is often called “The Loneliest Road in America,” and I’ll tell you right here, right now that it’s deserving of that title. After leaving the small town of Hinckley, the rest of the drive to Ibex went by without seeing any form of human civilization. The desert was almost completely desolate, with the only unnatural disturbances being a few fences and the road I was driving on. It took about an hour and a half to cover this vast stretch, but the time went by swiftly. Before I knew it, we had turned off of America’s loneliest highway and laid our eyes upon Ibex. The drive wasn’t as difficult or as rugged as it is made out to be. In fact, I would call it smooth sailing.

The cliffs themselves are a sight to behold, towering high above the hard earth below. As I rolled up to the main crag, I had to crane my neck to see all the way to the top. There was one other truckload of people already there, but Ibex allowed plenty of space for both parties to explore the area completely unhindered. My day of exploration began as soon as my feet hit the dusty ground. The first feeling I got when I stepped out of my car was a feeling of total isolation. Everything felt huge, and any sound I made was swallowed up by the blanket of silence. 

Time to Climb

We decided to start on a 5.10 route called “Ewe for Real,” located in a section called “Corral Crags.” This climb was fairly challenging, with the last few moves shifting to some pretty technical slab work. This wall (called the “Ewe for Real Wall”) has four other climbs available, all presenting their own unique challenges. This area is easily accessible by road and requires no hiking or sketchy scrambling to get to the face. It’s a great place to set up if you are looking for some fun climbs.

Eventually, we decided to shoot for a location with some lower-grade climbs and ended up in an area named the “Newlywed Area.” Although the names of these climbs weren’t necessarily all-age friendly, the climbs certainly were. We set up on a 5.7 route called “Should Have Used a Rubber” to begin with. The difficulty may not have been the most challenging for all levels of climbers, but it still presented some interesting problems to solve on your way up the wall. My nephew, who is seven years old, decided to take a stab at it. Although he may not have made it all the way up, “Should Have Used a Rubber” gave him the opportunity to dip his toe into the climbing experience. Luckily, his parents skillfully dodged having to explain the title of the climb to him.

In addition to the few climbs my group focused on, the whole area is absolutely littered with exciting routes for any style and level of climber. There are over 200 climbs available, with a lot of them being fairly accessible. The main wall is eastward-facing, meaning the first half of the day is spent in full-frontal sunlight, with the wall eventually falling into shadow and cooling down in the evening. It was fairly hot out there for mid-March, reaching mid to high 70s. I would recommend dressing for the heat and bringing sunscreen and plenty of water. My group found ourselves sparingly doling out sips before the day was up, and there were more than a few burnt necks and shoulders by the time we quit Ibex in favor of civilization.  

Beyond the Wall

Ibex may be primarily known for its rock climbing, but don’t be deceived in thinking that’s all there is to it; there is an endless expanse of backcountry to explore in whatever manner is most appealing. You can go for a hike in the desert mountains, hit some fun rock scrambles or take a walk out in the vast space available to you. 

The range of cliffs known as Ibex borders the Tule Valley Hardpan — a dried lakebed left behind by Lake Bonneville that has formed a near-perfect flat top of solidified clay. My group brought a few mountain bikes with us and took a ride out on the flat and the surrounding areas. When it rains a significant amount, a layer of water forms on top of the clay. Although it was mostly dry when we were out there, we came across a little section on our bike ride that hadn’t quite yet dried. It was its own desert oasis, right there on the hard top. 

In addition to functioning as a place to ramp up speed on a mountain bike, the Tule Valley Hardpan also serves as an airstrip for small planes. Backcountry pilots use this as a pitstop and also a location for special fly-in events that are sometimes held there. In the middle of the hard top, you can see a windsock on top of a hill to help inform pilots of the wind direction and speed as they come and go. 

Is Ibex Worth the Trouble?

So yes, the drive to Ibex is long and desolate, it’s hotter than blazes and there isn’t a place to fill up your water bottle … but don’t let that scare you away! For every ounce of energy spent overcoming obstacles to get out there, Ibex gives back to you in its own way. The rugged beauty of Ibex is, in my opinion, unmatched, and the space provides an experience that is hard to come by. Ibex is totally unique and allows encounters with nature that anybody who loves the outdoors can enjoy, from seasoned explorers to seven-year-old boys. The hardpan is such a cool phenomenon, the mountains are amazing and the climbing is out of this world! There is so much to explore that by the end of the day, I felt that we hadn’t even hit the tip of the iceberg of what Ibex has to offer. 

If you’re thinking about taking a trip to Ibex, don’t hesitate! Load up your car, grab some friends, fill up your canteen and take a road trip out to the West Desert. It’s really not as scary as it seems.