An hour’s hike past the better-known boulders of Laurel Falls sits a majestic stack of sandstone. Extending about 100 feet up into the sky, this route-called The Jackal-is one of the hardest open routes around, says local climber and founder of the Action Fund Tyler Willcutt.
The Jackal is off the beaten path and thus hasn’t been heavily trafficked in the past couple of decades. At the suggestion of fellow climber Jerry Roberts, who first bolted the route in the early 1990s, Willcutt set out to tackle the route for himself. The best part? Andrew Kornylak caught the whole thing on tape.
The Action Fund continues to replace rusted or worn-out fixed anchors in climbing routes, local and abroad. To donate to the project visit seclimbers.org. To learn more about the Action Fund, visit facebook.com/actionfundclimbing.
Here’s what Willcutt told us about the route:
Initial thoughts: “It’s probably the best in terms of sandstone,” he says. The sandstone is strong on The Jackal, meaning years of erosion haven’t worn it down. That also means natural holds aren’t as abundant. Willcutt says some sections of the route offer nothing bigger than a half a fingertip of space to grip.