Asylum Routes

The Asylum is located in Jacks Canyon about 1 mile south of the Moenkopi area. The routes are very well bolted, (as in: the bolts are well-placed, the lines are well thought-out) in keeping with the Jacks tradition, and have been well-cleaned to provide a user-friendly, intense sport climbing experience.
The rock varies from wildly overhung to dead vertical. The routes are pretty hard; there are only a few routes 5.10 and under, making The Asylum indeed the “hardman/woman” area it is reputed to be.
The Asylum works best as a winter area, or would be good for a cold, windy and/or cloudy day during spring or fall. Generally speaking, the Asylum faces south, but the right end routes face southwest, and the left-most end (the Grotto) faces east. Within the Grotto, some routes actually face north. So, it’s possible to climb at the Asylum on a non-winter sunny day, if you plan your day smart. The main wall goes into the sun by mid to late-morning and will quickly feel like the inside of an oven in the direct sun.
This is a great area to bring your stick clip and use it, especially for the second tier routes.
Although the routes have been meticulously cleaned, the nature of the rock can be dusty and gritty in places. Conversely, some of the cleanest, hardest limestone can be found here, too.
For working or toproping the taller routes, it’s best to use a 60 meter rope.