Argon Tower is a pillar in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, Argon Tower is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 260 feet tall,Stewart M. Green, Rock Climbing Utah, Rowman & Littlefield, 2012, , p. 20. and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises vertically above the Park Avenue Trail in laterally. Precipitation runoff from Argon Tower drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene credits of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Climbing The first ascent of the summit was made January 17, 1964, by Layton Kor, Bob Bradley, and Charlie Kemp via the North Face.First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-06.Eric Bjørnstad, Desert Rock: Rock Climbs in the National Parks, Chockstone Press, 1996, . Layton Kor named this tower.Katy Cassidy, Canyon Country Climbs, Pruett Publishing Company, 1989, , p. 35.
Other rock-climbing routes on Argon Tower:
North Northeast Arête - North Northeast, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-06. West Face - class 5.11 - John Pease, Steve Cheyney - (1972)West Face, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-06.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification system, Argon Tower is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average and lows average . Summer temperatures often exceed . Winters are cold, with highs averaging , and lows averaging . 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.
Gallery
See also Geology of Utah
References
External links
Argon Tower Rock Climbing: Mountainproject.com Arches National Park: National Park Service