Little Nightmare Music, 5.8, Island in the Sky, Snow Canyon State Park, January, 2007
Lat/Lon: 37.1933°N, 113.6425°W Click for Google Map “Little Nightmare Music” is a recommended trad gem to the far left of Stepping Out on the upper tier of Island in the Sky in Snow Canyon State Park. It is the last route on the left side of the second tier across from the “Sand Dunes” area. Tim (Goss) calls it a hand crack, but there is not much stemming to it. I did hear some nightmarish music coming out of that huge loose block in the middle if of the corner as he references in his guidebook, "Rock Climbs of Southwest Utah". Turning the small roof problem towards the top of this 60’ pitch is the crux. “Full Metal Jockstrap”, 5.9 R, continues on for three more pitches from the top of Little Nightmare Music. The Sand Dunes area is lined up such that you can go up and down the 2nd tier, which is of course directly across from the sand dunes in Snow Canyon State Park, and climb both sport and trad single pitches if you do not want to commit to a multi pitch route. Several of these routes are sport and several are trad. This Island in the Sky is not to be confused with a feature of the same name in Canyonlands National Park north of Moab.
Snow Canyon State Park is a state park of 7100 acres just north of St. George, Utah. Island in the Sky has a minimum of 64 published routes from 5.5 to 5.12b. It is a significant piece of rock (small mountain) situated at the south end of the park that is broken down into eight different climbing sections along its west wall. In the winter it keeps one busy when many of the other spots don’t look so inviting. The Sand Dunes area is one of the warmer climbing options during the winter months being slightly angled to the southwest.
Little Nightmare Music is just one of 20 published climbing routes that make up the “Sand Dunes” area towards the south end of Island in the Sky. Combined with Full Metal Jockstrap, in can be one of the longer Sand Dunes routes. Park at the West Canyon day use parking lot. Walk south on paved road for about 100 yards and head east across the wash to an obvious scree slope for access to the second tier. There is some light scrambling required and even an aid chain to assist in bypassing Twist and Shout to the north, a popular 5.7 route on the lower level. Once above that hand chain, head straight up for a significant corner with a small roof on it. This is Little Nightmare Music.
You will not see the chains from below and there are no pins.
Route Description 1st Pitch- (60’) 5.8/ Start in the corner and place medium to large gear in the crack as you protect textured moves. Once you get past the large loose block stuck in the crack, move out right on unprotected ground to the right edge of the roof and protect in the crack above as you mantle your way up to a textured wall. Traverse back left onto a comfortable ledge with old pin anchors. Use long runners/draws if you are going to top rope the route to get your rope off of the edge. Traverse left via pins if you are going to continue on for Full Metal Jockstrap.
Essential Gear 50 m rope will suffice. Need several pieces of medium to large gear. 6-8 draws. Red chalk only please!
Notes: Fun trad crack and nice distraction from the pinned routes. We were doing single pitch that day, will have to go back and do the combination.
