Tower of Babel (Utah)

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Tower of Babel
Scenic Drive Arches National Park UT 20220407 132711022.jpg
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation 4,655 ft (1,419 m) [1] [2]
Prominence 435 ft (133 m) [2]
Parent peak The Organ (4,735 ft) [2]
Isolation 0.34 mi (0.55 km) [2]
Coordinates 38°38′24″N109°36′10″W / 38.6399429°N 109.6028277°W / 38.6399429; -109.6028277 [3]
Geography
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Tower of Babel
Location in Utah
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Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State Utah
County Grand
Protected area Arches National Park
Parent range Colorado Plateau [1]
Topo map USGS The Windows Section
Geology
Rock age Jurassic
Mountain type Butte [4]
Rock type Entrada Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent 1986
Easiest route class 5.4 climbing [2]

Tower of Babel is a 4,655-foot-elevation (1,419-meter) summit in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, it is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 500 feet tall, [4] and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 500 feet (152 meters) vertically above the main park road in approximately 200 feet (61 meters) laterally. Precipitation runoff from Tower of Babel drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. [3] This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .

Contents

Climbing

The first ascent of the summit was made October 17, 1986, by Charlie Fowler, Eric Bjornstad, and Lin Ottinger via the class 5.4 Zenyatta Entrada route. [5] [6] Some consider this the most beautiful climbing route in the park. [7] Another feature on Tower of Babel is The Three Gargoyles, a class 5.11 rock-climbing route first climbed by Jimmie Dunn and Joe Slansky. [8]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Tower of Babel is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. [9] Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average 60 to 80 °F (15 to 25 °C) and lows average 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C). Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F (40 °C). Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C), and lows averaging 0 to 20 °F (−20 to −5 °C). As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Tower of Babel, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Babel, Tower of - 4,655' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Tower of Babel". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Stewart M. Green, Rock Climbing Utah, Rowman & Littlefield, 2012, ISBN   9780762792849, p. 14.
  5. ↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  6. ↑ Eric Bjørnstad, Desert Rock: Rock Climbs in the National Parks, Chockstone Press, 1996, ISBN   9781575400105.
  7. ↑ Katy Cassidy, Canyon Country Climbs, Pruett Publishing Company, 1989, ISBN   9780871087669, p. 39.
  8. ↑ The Three Gargoyles, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  9. ↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . ISSN   1027-5606. S2CID   9654551.
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