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Heather Lords drives a Bitchin' Widget |
How To Get There
From Hwy. 26 turn south onto the Ririe Reservoir Road. Continue past the dam. After a few miles of gravel the road splits. The right hand fork drops down into Meadow Creek while the left road continues along the top of the canyon. Park in the large parking area where the road forks. Walk southeast (upstream away from the Reservoir) along the rim of the canyon until you reach a cairn. From this point drop over the rim and down the hill side where you will find a climbers trail. Follow this to the left, staying above the Meadow Creek Road. Look for the anchors of
Get Jiggy Widget after a hundred yards.
Once you drop below the rim of the canyon, please walk cautiously. Any rocks you trundle will roll down the hill and onto the road below. Serious property damage could occur if you hit someone’s car.
Be cautious of Rattlesnakes.
Some Helpful Tips
I don’t have any suggestions on how difficult the routes are, so just go climbing! Keep in mind the routes are short and running it out may lead to ground falls. Protect appropriately for what it is... short routes with suspect rock. The climbing isn’t hard but it is basalt and things break off.
The routes are approx. 30 feet high with the exception of the Crack-a-Lackin' Zone where they average 45 feet. Although short, Midget Widget offers Eastern Idaho climbers a nearby place to go crack climbing. Enjoy!
Bitchin' Widget
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Bitchin' Widget Sector |
- Get Jiggy Widget – The first route you will encounter. Inside corner crack to overhanging hands splitter. Bring small gear (Yellow or Blue TCU) to protect the finger crack getting to the anchors. Gear: Yellow, Orange, Red TCU’s – Green, Blue, Purple (Metolius)
- Bitchin’ Widget – Finger crack on nice face to the right and around the corner from Get Jiggy Widget. Ringlocks/fingerstacks, pockets, or lay it back to a boulder crux with no gear. Finish in a good tight hands splitter. Don’t reach over the top; clip the anchors from the jam crack. Gear: Blue, Yellow, Orange TCU’s – Green (Metolius)
- Heavy Metal Widget - (project) About 30 yards to the right of Bitchin' Widget before dropping down and around the corner of the cliff. Mud stone start to a nice inside corner finger crack on bomber stone.
Oz
From
Bitchin' Widget, walk southeast along the cliff for about 75 yards; dropping down and around a corner. Once around the corner and just uphill is
Got Widgets.
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Oz Sector |
- Got Widgets? – To the right and around the corner from Bitchin’ Widget. A single bolt protects the loose mud-stone start. A nice inside corner crack and good pockets to a small roof; then step right and up steep hand crack to a small ledge. Two bolts protect the face moves to the anchors. Gear: Yellow, Red TCU’s – Blue (Metlolius)
- Widgets are for Kids – Crack to the right of Got Widgets? A roof crack to wide pod to hand and fist splitter. Shares finish and anchors with Got Widgets. Gear: Black, Green, Blue, Purple (Metolius)
- Little Widgets – To the right of Widgets are for Kids is a nice face with deep pockets. Protect the climbing with the thin crack on the left side of the face. Gear: Blue, Yellow, Orange TCU’s
- Three Piece Chicken Widget Meal – Another short walk from Little Widgets. Likely the easiest route. Climb a slab to a hand size corner crack with a roof. Finish is a wide left leaning splitter. Gear: Green, Blue, Purple (Metolius)
- Wicked Widget of the West – Just right of Three Piece Chicken Widget Meal. Climbs the inside corner. A fun inside corner. Stem, pull on pockets, layback, and jam up the steep corner. Gear: Blue, Yellow, Orange TCU’s – Blue (Metlolius)
- The Widget of Oz – Around the corner to the right of Wicked Widget is an obvious overhanging splitter. The area test piece. A total classic!! Hands to cupping hands splitter. Break left along the rail and into a wide crack. Overhung and powerful the whole way! Gear: Black, Green, Blue (Metolius) #4 Camelot or equivalent size.
- T- Rad - This route is located to the right of Widget of Oz on the north facing wall and is marked by a single bolt at the start. A nice finger crack through a bulging corner! This one requires a bit of effort.
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Making the first ascent of The Widget of Oz |
Crack-a-Lackin'
From the
Oz Sector, continue southeast along the cliff and around the corner into the next cove. The
Crack-a-Lackin Sector is across the cove on the obvious pocketed west facing wall. Or from the upper trail, continue walking easy terrain along the rim of the canyon then descend via a low section of cliff and boulders at the back of the cove.
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Crack-a-Lackin' Sector |
- Desert Rats be Damned - A short fun pocketed face protected by a hand-sized crack. Excellent stone!
- Sport Route (project)
- Sport Route (project)
- Damn the Man - Some face climbing protected by cracks to reach a thin seam. Protect the upper section well so you don't fall and hit the ledge.
- Crack-a-Lackin' - One of the best lines at Midget Widget! A thin inside corner crack leads to an overhanging unprotected face. Pull on some good pockets to regain the crack above.
- Sport Route (project)
- Trad Route (project)
World Wide Widget
Follow Meadow Creek Road down past the first parking area for about a mile. World Wide Widget will be on your left. Park on the two-track road just past the cliffs and hike up the hill side. Some scrambling required to reach the highest section of cliff where these routes are located. The rock is less quality than that of the main area but still worthy of a visit.
No top anchors on these routes (yet) but you can easily walk off the top.
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Heather Lords surfing the World Wide Widget |
- Trad Route
- World Wide Widget - An excellent hands to fist sized crack with a widening finish!
- Trad Route
Diablo's Tower
To the right of World Wide Widget is another set of cliffs with a tower-like formation. This tower has two columnar-esque routes that are worth doing.