Who’s Your Daddy, 5.11, 3 Pitches

Overview/Approach

I suppose it took me moving from my home of 14 years at the entrance to Padre Canyon to finally get on Who’s Your Daddy.  I got lazy and bored as climbing and road trips became synonymous, making the assumption I had climbed everything local in Zion and St. George.  I knew there was one climb up Padre I had heard about but had yet to get to.  Over ten years ago I had developed half a dozen of my own routes up Padre and no doubt became disenfranchised with the attempted clean up of same (quality of sandstone). 

However, despite the first and third pitches of Who’s Your Daddy being your typical choss, the 2^nd pitch is so grand as to more than make up for it.  The gear call on Mountain Project would leave you to believe that this magnificent corner is tight hands, but in reality it is tips to fingers for a solid portion.  The flaring corner to an awkward roof pull at the end adds extra excitement to be sure.  This is a great hike with a rewarding trad pitch and a walk-off descent.

Hike up Padre Canyon, behind Tuacahn, as you normally would for the popular cirque hike through Snow Canyon State Park.  Near the pass where you would start to descend into the State Park, scramble up the broad hillside on your left heading for the wall set back to the west (photo).  The route (corner) is fairly obvious.  Approach from the northeast to skirt a lower cliffband.

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 100’-5.9/ Locate a bolt on the right side arete.  Traverse left through it on fragile rock up to a 2^nd bolt.  Continue straight up from there, with most all rock suspect, through an odd, but secure (2021) piton and into an inconsistent crack system with more varnish.  One of the varnished patches is a loose block.  Pick your way carefully using mostly small gear to a semi hanging belay in the base of the nice looking corner that is pitch 2.  Belay at a modern fixed anchor (2021).

2^nd Pitch- 115’-5.11/ Chimney up the flaring corner with tips in the back for small gear.  A left chicken wing was handy and the feet hold well in the steep corner.  Eventually get fingers.  This pitch is sustained with a few decent rests.  The crux is the exposed finish stem out from under a roof.  The roof protects with a #.75.  You will use mostly #.5 to #.75 on the second half of this pitch.   Another semi-hanging fixed anchor belay. This is one of the finer crack leads in the St. George area.

3^rd Pitch- 200’-5.8/ Climb up and right staying with an inconsistent hand crack through mossy and chossy rock.  Takes medium gear.  Eventually you have to run it out on sandy slab to the top.  Not an inspiring pitch. Belay off of a tree.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

Scramble down climber’s right, then cut back skiers right where it is obvious.

Essential Gear

The MP.com gear call mentions bringing 5 #1.5’s?  That makes no sense.  If you were to bring additional gear, bring extra #.75’s.  It also recommended bringing doubles to #3’s but we never placed a #3.  Doubles to #2’s with an extra #.75 seems to be the ticket.  Mix of shoulder length slings and draws.  A 70m will get you down from the top of pitch 2 if you have to bail.  Not a route one would recommend rapping however.  Route is east facing and bakes in the morning sun.  Haul up approach shoes for the descent.   Bring plenty of small wires and/or small cams.