The Lion’s Back---King of Steep Slope

BASIC INFORMATION:

The Lion’s back is the nickname for a rocky ridge. It is located at the entrance of Arches National Park. It is the "king of steep slopes" in the hearts of countless off-road fans. Compared with the Rubicon Trail, it's just a “small hillside”. But you don’t underestimate the off-road place. It is a paradise for thousands of off-road fans. 

The Lion’s Back OVERVIEW:

The Lion's Back is a sandstone ridge in Moab, Utah that used to be popular among drivers of four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles. Why is it called the lion’s back? Because of its spectacular shape. The vertical distance from the top to the foot of the hill exceeds 200 meters. The hill slopes downward at an angle of 30° to 35° from the top. And the angle twists when the distance is 15 meters from the ground, and it touches the ground at a limit angle of 40° to 45°. The entire ridge is steep. It stands in the desert, looks like a lion king lying on the ground. 

The lion's back has also built a large off-road campground. Because off-road enthusiasts are very frequent. People set up tents and barbecue together. Watching off-road guys rush up the steep slope. This is an interesting experience. But the good times are not long. The attraction and campground are now private property and no longer accessible to vehicles. But it does not prevent us from sharing the joy of the lion’s back with you. 

From the picture, we can see that the off-road route of the lion’s back is very steep. The uphill route became clear under the "develop" of countless off-road enthusiasts. But the smooth road will also cause a lot of troubles for vehicles and drivers. The uphill route's wide about 8 to 10 meters. At the foot of the hill are the wall on the right and the cliff on the left. As we approached the top of the hill, hundreds of meters of cliffs on both sides of the roads. The steepest climbing angle is even close to 70°. Here one of the most important rules is cautious. Otherwise, you are likely to fall down the hill with serious consequences. 

After Challengers carefully arrived at the top of the hill, this off-road trip of the lion’s back was only 60% completed. Challengers need to 9 o'clock direction from the top 5 o'clock direction turn back. You can hardly see the way down the hill in the car. So before going down the hill, people usually get off cars to guide forward. However, experienced off-road enthusiasts trust themselves discretion. 

The road downhill looks easy. It is a severe test of the vehicle braking system, driver's ability to judge. Manual gear models can be put into first gear, using engine traction to control the speed. Avoid situations where the brakes need to keep on the brakes as in automatic transmission models, which may cause thermal attenuation of the brake pads or brake failure. 

A few years ago, The hill was the site of an accident in which a Chevrolet Blazer 4x4 lost its brakes and rolled uncontrollably down the hill, plunging 30 feet to the ground. The accident was caught on home video and has been featured on TV. The accident makes people more in awe of the lion’s back. 

To be honest, Any car with a four-wheel-drive system can conquer the lion’s back. So why it is regarded as the Holy Land by thousands of off-road fans? The lion’s back challenges the tacit understanding between the driver and the vehicle and the driver's patience and care. This steep slope is only a few hundred meters in length. It only takes 3.5-5 minutes for experienced drivers with excellent driving skills to reach the top of the hill. For off-road rookies, conquering every stone can take you half a day.

Do you think it's easy to step on the lion’s back? Don't be stupid!

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