The Mule Hollow Wall in Big Cottonwood Canyon is an excellent place for the beginner and intermediate traditional rock-climber who is looking for some multi-pitch experience. The wall itself is huge, rising 500 feet above the pine trees in Mule Hollow Gulch. High-quality quartzite and near-vertical relief is the name of the game here, but generous holds and cracks make the climbing a breeze while still giving a taste of big-wall flavor.
Left of Center Route is one of the more well-known climbs on the wall. As the name implies, it is just about in the center of the cliff. A series of cracks and giant bucket-holds on left-leaning ledges make up most of the climb. There are three long pitches to get to the top and each one is rated an easy 5.5 R.
The “R” means that the climb is run out, which implies that it can be hard to place protection, so a lead climber often has to go far beyond the last piece of gear before locating another appropriate place to put a cam or nut. Left of Center Route does present this challenge as the cracks are shallow and flaring, while other rock features don’t swallow gear as well as a beginning leader would be comfortable with. But the saving grace of the climb is that it is so easy, the likelihood of falling is small.
Route finding is another issue with the climb, and it is easy to wander since so many good holds are everywhere. Generally staying left of the vegetation and maintaining a straight line from the base will keep you on route.
After completing the climb, the descent is another fun adventure. To get down, walk south along the top of the wall to the second gully where slings with rap rings mark the first rappel. There is also an option to walk off, but two rappels down the gully get you back to the base pretty quick, just watch out for rock fall.
To get to Mule Hollow, drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon. .2 miles up from the Storm Mountain Picnic Area, park at a large pullout just after crossing the creek. Hike north into a gully following a good trail for ¾ of a mile while keeping an eye out for a side trail that goes left. A fallen tree that is shaped like a candy cane marks the turnoff. Continue up this very steep trail to the base of the wall. The approach takes 45 minutes to an hour but the lack of crowds makes the hike worth the effort.