Third times the charm. After 2 failed attempts at the so-called Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup or (WURL) I finally completed the journey. For pictures from the second 1/2 of the successfull WURL click here. My camera didn’t work for the first 1/2.
I estimate it to be ~34 miles with ~21,000 ft of vertical gain and ~21,000 ft of vertical loss, on everything from good trail up to 5.7 with most of the terrain being roughly class 3 boulder hopping. On August 7th, 2004, I started at 2:00 AM and finished that night at 11:30 PM for a total time of ~21.5 hrs. Despite the relatively large amount of time I’ve spent in Bells Canyon, I still got lost trying to short cut across the upper Bells Canyon Valley and ended up doing about 1.5 hrs of the most heinous bush-whacking/stream-hiking of my life. Note that my course in the map below (easier to see in the large version) shows that I was just barely off-course. If you are going to attempt the WURL, make sure you have the last part dialed. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me for other info.
Click here for information from my second attempt.
Jared Campbell's Blog 
Made a portion of this trip in July of 1975. Hiking to the top of Mt. Superior, and then west to Salt Lake Twins. Unfortunately got a late start, and ended up sleeping under a tree somewhere in Ferguson Canyon in a light drizzle. Beautiful trip in spite of the rough night.
Liam Fitzgerald
By: Liam Fitzgerald on May 6, 2020
at 10:04 am
[…] I didn’t consider going for the record as a part of my first attempt. But, Jared Campbell’s account of his FKT (Fastest Known Time) made it all too tantalizing. He was generous enough to share a peak-by-peak […]
By: The Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup – Adam Loomis on September 23, 2018
at 1:22 pm
Hey,
I am planning on attempting the WURL this summer and hoping to be able to do it without any support. After looking at the route I think I will be able to drop down to lake Catherine for water and stop at the restaurant on Hidden Peak to get food/water.
I am mainly looking for a little feedback from you since you have completed the course a few times. Are there any other places on or near the course for water? Have you ever had any success running the course without support?
Thanks
By: Sky on May 3, 2016
at 1:54 pm
Hi Sky, Great to hear of your plans. The first time I did it I left caches at Monte Cristo, and the Pfeifferhorn. Then, this past June I left food/water at Superior and my friend Ryan met me at Pfeifferhorn and went to the end with me. In September ’15 I had support at Cardiff Pass, Hidden Peak, and the Pfeifferhoen. Its is very doable by breaking it up in this way whether with caches or people to support. With the new Hidden Peak building, I suppose that add’s an additional option as well. Good luck! Jared
By: runuphill on May 3, 2016
at 11:20 pm
Hey, I am 17 years old, just recently came to UTAH with some friends and we did hikes like pfeiferhorn, twin peaks( American forks), sugarloaf and stuff like that, so I have some expirience wth class 2-3 terrain and little bits of 4. I plan to do the WURL next summer. I am an endurance athlete and avidly climb. Could you tell me where the Crux’s are and an honest opinion about them, because I found the most reviews make routes seem scarier than they are. Also do you have a plan you went buy?
By: Armand La Douceur on July 7, 2022
at 9:37 pm
[…] 8/7/2004 – Jared Campbell – 21hrs 30 min – story […]
By: Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup (WURL) | Jared Campbell's Blog on August 23, 2015
at 8:40 pm
What’s up friends, its impressive paragraph concerning cultureand fully defined, keep it up all the time.
By: art-aska.com on August 7, 2015
at 4:20 am
Would love if you could email me at alexis.crellin1@gmail.com….I’m sure I’ll have more questions!!:)thanks
Alexis
By: alexis Crellin on July 19, 2015
at 8:37 pm
Jared! Hey I am just looking for some good Beta on the Lone Peak Bells Exit. A girlfriend and I want to attempt the WURL in a few weeks and are going to attempt that section tomorrow. Do you traverse across to the Upper reservoir and then down?Is there a specific landmark to look for off the top of Lone peak to exit from?
Alexis C
By: alexis Crellin on July 19, 2015
at 8:33 pm
Hi Jared,
I am linking this thing together, it’s incredible. Did you summit Box Elder Peak? Just wondering cause that changes things and truly is ultimate. I think I have a shot at completing the WURL in under 24 hours.
Also, I used to work in the compound.
Thanks,
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at 12:08 am
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By: top toaster ovens in 2015 on May 8, 2015
at 1:21 pm
awesome write up. I have a few questions about the wurl that I would like to ask you, if you don’t mind emailing me back. abentz27@gmail.com
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at 9:31 pm
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at 1:18 am
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By: Candace on March 6, 2015
at 10:18 am
[…] especially among the trail running crew, his line and name for the route stuck. Jason Dorais and Noah Howell completed the WURL last fall, and I’ve been biting at the bit to get out there and repeat the […]
By: what a wonderful WURLD | The Mountainist on December 27, 2014
at 3:00 pm
Hey Jared,
I just had one quick question about the wurl. I’ve got most everything dialed in but have a quick question. When heading up Ferguson’s when do you access the ridge? I’ve noticed you could either access it before you get to the base of storm and you would have to climb over a little ridge that “peaks” then descends a little before ascending up storm. Or your could access right at the base of the mountain which would save some time. Your thoughts if any of that makes sense?
Thanks!
-Madison
By: Madison on September 21, 2014
at 7:28 pm
Hey Jared,
My friend Bo and I are trying out the “WURL” next weekend. We are trying it backwards starting at Cherry Canyon ending in Ferguson. Claiming it! I will write up a trip report afterword.
Wish us luck! Thanks for all the good Beta its been pretty helpful.
By: Neil Crowson on September 14, 2014
at 11:46 am
Hi Jared, My name is Anna Freudenberg, a local here in Park City and a fellow lover of the Wasatch range, and i just did my first attempt (with success!) on the WURL. Thanks for being the vision behind such a beautiful and challenging endeavor right here in our own backyard. I just wanted to say thank you.
By: Anna Freudenberg on September 4, 2014
at 10:46 am
Hi Jared,
My friends and I attempted the WURL yesterday and got turned back by the high winds and consistent rain once we hit the ridge line. This weekend was in the works for a while so even though the weather looked nasty we decided to give it a try. We had actually planned a 3 day/2 night adventure to take advantage of more photographic opportunities. I feel like we made a bad turn in the upper meadows of Ferguson and was wondering if you took Storm Mtn to the peak and over to access the Broad Fork Twins? We decided to access the ridge slightly to the south and west of Storm. We went up some scree fields. When we gained ridge access we were left with a lot of up and down scrambling just to get back to the bottom of the south facing aspect of Storm. This did not seem right but became a moot point when the rain continued. This is clearly not an adventure to try on a cloudy/rainy weekend! Slabs were super slick and without approach shoes were challenging enough just to get across. We bailed when we still had easy access back into Ferguson’s.
We will try again but probably not until next summer. Thanks for putting the beta out on this great route and for completing it.
By: Jay Dash on August 24, 2013
at 8:07 am
How is it from pfeiferhorn to lone peak.
By: Chris Lanham on June 18, 2013
at 12:18 am
Hi Chris,
It’s great, just tons of granite boulder hopping. Getting over Bells Peak can be “interesting” (a bit technical) if you stick true to the ridge. It’s easily avoided if you drop off to the north.
Cheers,
Jared
By: runuphill on June 18, 2013
at 1:53 am
Thanks for the info. I can’t wait to get up there in the next couple weeks.
By: Chris Lanham on June 18, 2013
at 8:05 am
[…] ~4,500′ in 2.0 miles to the ridge, which can then be used to access Broads Fork Twins and the WURL Traverse. The upper head-wall is incredible with a bullet-proof slab of quartzite. If you’re up […]
By: Stairs Gulch « Jared Campbell's Blog on August 12, 2012
at 10:28 pm
I’ve got the WURL planned for mid-July. I’ve been up a few times to scout our landmarks but are there any more specific directions I should be looking for? Do I just follow the ridge and then hope for the best through Bell’s? Looks like an awesome time.
Thanks,
Austin
By: Austin Baird on June 28, 2011
at 1:58 pm
My friend peter read your blog and told me about the WURL or we called it the Horseshoe traverse but whatever. I trained a bit this summer and did the thing on Sep. 7th. My time was 17:48 min. I had a great time thank you for establishing such a great ridge travers.
By: Nik Berry on September 15, 2009
at 10:37 pm
Hi Tristin,
On Upper Bells peak there is some nice steep granite that I downclimbed. There were some old pitons. I think you could easily avoid it though….
Jared
By: Jared Campbell on July 17, 2009
at 4:14 pm
Where is the 5.7 on the traverse?
By: Tristan Higbee on July 17, 2009
at 12:32 pm
[…] Wasatch has got my ridge-hiking synapses firing again. Several years ago I did what I called the WURL(Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup), an incredible circumnavigation of Little Cottonwood. Well, I […]
By: Dreaming…. « Jared Campbell’s Blog on January 25, 2009
at 11:02 pm
Hi Spencer,
Thanks for the kind words! I enjoy hearing people talk about the WURL and even more, when they get psyched and try it. I love the wasatch and feel that the WURL is really one of the most classic linkups in the range. I hope you and your buddy are able to give it another go and hopefully push through to the end. It took me 3 attempts before I finished it, so don’t give up.
You’d be the second person(s) to complete it as far as I am aware. If you have a write-up or pictures you’d like to share from your recent attempt, I’d love to see them.
Thanks,
Jared
By: Jared on October 7, 2008
at 5:23 pm
Jared: Your crazy runs/climbs/etc. inspired my friend and me to attempt the WURL a couple weeks back. Needless to say it kicked our trash. We made it to Devil’s Castle and called it quits. You are the man. Just the first half of the ridge was killer, let alone the next half. We did it in 12 hours. I’m always checking your blog to see what I can aspire to next.
By: Spencer Weiler on October 7, 2008
at 3:39 pm
[…] Update: I returned on August 7, 2004 and completed the journey, story here. […]
By: WURL - Attempt # 2 « Jared Campbell’s Blog on June 29, 2008
at 4:51 pm