Anchors: Draper Red Rock

During the week of October 12, 2026, the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA) replaced 106 fixed anchors at the Draper Red Rock climbing area, upgrading lead bolts, top anchors, and anchors used to access the tops of climbs.

Located minutes from Draper neighborhoods, Red Rock is an accessible, family-friendly climbing resource with easier routes and opportunities to set up top ropes from above—a feature uncommon in the Wasatch. With many families and beginner climbers visiting the area, the crew paid particular attention to anchor placement, access, and ease of use.

The project grew out of a conversation with Greg Hilbig in early January about establishing a stewardship partnership with the City of Draper. Greg helped move the project forward by securing the necessary city approvals, including review by the city attorney. This collaboration provided an opportunity to care for a well-used climbing resource close to home.

Whenever possible, the crew used a “hole-for-hole” replacement approach: extracting the existing bolt, enlarging the original hole, and installing a new bolt in the same location. This approach reuses existing placements and limits the number of new holes in the rock.

Some bolts required relocation because the surrounding rock was hollow or otherwise unsuitable, or because the placement created a safety concern when a carabiner was clipped into the hanger. Other holes could not be reused because bolts broke during extraction, preventing removal.

Although much of the existing hardware showed little visible rust, extraction revealed substantial corrosion inside the rock. Some components broke apart during removal, underscoring the limitations of assessing a bolt’s condition by its outward appearance alone.

All lead bolts and bolts used for top access were replaced with stainless steel Team-Tough glue-in bolts installed with DeWalt AC100 adhesive. Top climbing anchors were replaced with Climb Taiwan U-bolts installed with the same adhesive and equipped with stainless steel quick links, chains, and rappel rings for lowering and rappelling.

The U-bolts capture the chain to help deter theft, while the modular setup allow worn components, particularly rappel rings, to be replaced without replacing the entire anchor. Top anchor placement also prioritized access from above, making top-rope setup more straightforward and reducing awkward positioning near the cliff edge.

Thank you to Greg Hilbig and the City of Draper for helping make this project possible. Partnerships like this support the ongoing care of local climbing areas and help sustain places where families and new climbers can develop their skills.