The Definitive Guidebook to Zion Climbing Z i o n C l i m b i n g : F r e e a n d C l e a n Climbing Zion Free and Clean is the most comprehensive climber’s guide to Zion National Park, arguably one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. Inside you will find up-to-date information on more than 250 free climbs and 25 of Zion’s best clean aid climbs, plus pictures and directions to the park’s most popular bouldering areas. Detailed coverage ranges from 10-foot boulder problems to 2000-foot epic free climbs, making this compilation of stories, maps, and history the best guide available to all that Zion has to offer. ! 250 of the most classic free climbs, from Ashtar Command to Shune’s Buttress. B ! 100 never-before published free climbs. r y ! 25 of the best clean big walls, including Moonlight Buttress and Space Shot. a n ! Most accurate and complete beta ever for Zion. B i ! First ascent history—much of it previously unpublished. rd ! Loaded with full-page photos of color climbing action and rock formations. ISBN 978-0976523550 90000 > 9 780976 523550 Contents Introduction 9 The Beehives 48 Zion Climbing Gear 10 -Mary Lou Crag Leave No Trace 11 -Hello Mary Lou Getting to Zion Distances 12 When to Climb 13 Map- Court of the Patriarchs to the Grotto Staying in Zion 13 52 Overview Map 15 History 16 Isaac 53 Geology 22 Historical Essay- Tricks of the Trade Ratings 26 -Freeloader Key to Maps 27 -Tricks of the Trade Map- Lower Canyon 28 -Iron Like A Lion In Zion Kinesava 29 Moroni 59 -Tatoween -Road To Comorah -Jolly Green Jam Crack -Voice From the Dust -Lhasa -Plan B -Plumb Line -Molecules of Emotion -Cowboy Ridge -Crack In The Cosmic Egg -The Groper West Temple 36 -Southwest Ridge Lady Mountain 68 -The Big Lebowski -Chimney Sweep -Gettin’ Western The Spearhead 70 Three Marys 44 -Iron Messiah -Left Mary- Gentleman’s Agreement -Up -Middle Mary- C.T. Chimney, More Cathedral Mountain 72 Than A Woman -Coke Explosion -Right Mary- Immaculate Conception, -Voodoo Rooves Theatre Goddess 2 ZION CLIMBING: SUPERTOPOS Map- Angels Landing, Cerberus Cerberus Gendarme 120 Gendarme, Touchstone Wall, and -West Face Routes- George The Animal Weeping Rock 75 Steel, Cynthia’s Handjob, Mean High Tide -South Face Cragging routes- Cave Crack, Angels Landing 76 Fails of Power, Cherry Crack etc. -Northeast Buttress -Touchstone Wall The Organ 79 Weeping Rock Area 128 -Cheyenne Social Club -The Great Beyond -The Oxbow Incident -Weeping Rock Chimneys -The Organasm -Organ Grinder The Great White Throne 130 -Essay- First Ascent of The Great White Angels Landing 82 Throne Historical Essay- Angel Hair -Northwest Face -The Lowe Route -Southwest Face -Angel Hair -Prodigal Sun Map- The Great White Throne and Red -Ball and Chain Arch Mountain 138 The Minotaur Tower 90 Red Arch Mountain 140 -The Megamahedral -Rites of Passage -Shune’s Buttress Moonlight Buttress Area 92 -Wigs In Space Historical Essay- Moonlight Buttress -Bits and Pieces -Sheer Lunacy -Lunar Ecstasy Carbuncle Buttress 144 -Moonlight Buttress -Made to Be Broken -Swoop Gimp Or Be Dust -Riddler’s Delight -Risk Management Map- Moonlight, Temple of Sinawava, Mountain of The Sun 148 and Leaning Wall 100 -Northwest Ridge, Golden Spur -Practice Cliffs Temple of Sinawava 101 -Freak Show Twin Brothers 151 -Toilet Cracks -South Face -The Silverback Map- East Temple, Mt. Spry, and The -Monkeyfinger Tunnel Wall Areas 153 -The Monkey’s Always Send Dude Mt. Spry 154 The Leaning Wall 108 -Sandblaster Historical Essay- Space Shot -Central Pillar -Equinox -Holy Roller -Cosmic Trauma -Dances With Zully -Space Shot -Swamp Donkey Desert Shield Area 116 -S. Ridge -Desert Shield -Disco Inferno 3 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.SUPERTOPO.COM Contents INTRODUCTION East Temple 158 -Cradle to Grave -Lovelace -Strikes and Gutters -The Fang Spire -Hue and Cry -Wisdom Tooth -Negative Ghostrider -Cowboy Bob Goes To Zion Mt. Allgood 212 -Uncertain Fates -Final Seconds -Schnaggle Tooth -The Greer -Birthday Bash -Freezer Burn Johnson Mountain 214 -10th Division -Mojo Risin -Old Man of The Mountain -Mojina -Force Boyle Tunnel Wall Areas 158 -Tree House of Horror -Cragmont -The Headache Area Eagle Crags 218 -Ataxia Tower Area -Tooele Tower -Kung Fu Theatre East Zion Sub Peak of Bridge Mountain 189 -Aries Butte -North Ridge -Checkerboard Mesa -The Confluence Area Bouldering 222 -West Face Routes- Golden Gate, Take Back The Rainbow, Smash Mouth Appendix Bridge Mountain 197 Index 226 -Sand Teton Climbs by Difficulty 229 G1 198 -Unholy Matrimony -The Reach Around -Slow and Delirious Gatekeeper Wall 202 -Locksmith Dihedral -Gatekeeper Crack The Watchman 204 -Chastity Crack -Mythical Kings and Iguanas -North Ridge -The Vigil -Uklaw and Actack -Pie For Dinner -Central Pillar, Watchman Direct -The Hernia -S and M -Ivory Coast -The Silmaril 4 ZION CLIMBING: SUPERTOPOS Contents INTRODUCTION Book Credits About the Author Written by Bryan Bird. Bryan Edward Bird was born in Inglewood Aid climbing topos by Chris McNamara. California in 1977 and lived in southeast Photos by Eric Draper and Bryan Bird Los Angeles until his world was turned (unless otherwise noted). upside down at the early age of 13 when his Edited by Steve McNamara and Chris father moved the family to Beaver, Utah. McNamara Bryan realized all too quickly that Beaver Layout by Chris McNamara was not the place for him and found his Overview maps and topos by Joseph way to Zion Canyon at the age of 19 not Puryear and Chris McNamara long after a summer of learning how to top Cover Photo: Matt Wilder on Moonlight rope in the Tetons. Zion Canyon taught him Buttress. Photo by Eric Draper everything he knows about rock climbing Back Cover Photo: Joe French on Disco and has become his home. He was fortunate Inferno. Photo by Eric Draper enough to move to Zion at a time when the Cover Design by David Safanda Design canyon was ripe for climbing and making Solutions. www.safanda.com friends. These motivated individuals helped Watercolors by Renan Ozturk: Zion shape his future and help him become the Ultrabright. Mixed Media on WaterColor active member of the climbing community Paper Mosiac 8ft X 3ft that he continues to be to this day. Bryan is now 31 years old, lives in Virgin, Utah with his wife and dog, and is still in love with this little corner of the desert. 5 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.SUPERTOPO.COM INTRODUCTION Warning. Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport in which severe injuries or death may occur. Relying on the information in this book may increase the danger. When climbing you can only rely on your skill, training, experience, and conditioning. If you have any doubts as to your ability to safely climb any route in this guide, do not try it. This book is neither a professional climbing instructor nor a substitute for one. It is not an instructional book. Do not use it as one. It contains information that is nothing more than a compilation of opinions about climbing in Zion. These opinions are neither facts nor promises. Treat the information as opinions and nothing more. Do not substitute these opinions for your own common sense and experience. Assumption of Risk There may be errors in this book resulting from the mistake of the authors and/or the people with whom they consulted. The information was gathered from a variety of sources, which may not have been independently verified. Those who provided the information may have made mistakes in their descriptions. The authors may have made mistakes in their conveyance of the information in this book. The authors cannot, therefore, guarantee the correctness of any of the information contained in this book. The topographical maps, photo-diagrams, difficulty ratings, protection ratings, approach and/or descent information, suggestions about equipment, and other matters may be incorrect or misleading. Fixed protection may be absent, unreliable, or misplaced. You must keep in mind that the information in this book may be erroneous, so use your own judgement when choosing, approaching, climbing, or descending from a route described in this book. DO NOT USE THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU [AND YOUR ESTATE] PROMISE NEVER TO TRY TO SUE US IF YOU GET HURT OR KILLED. Disclaimer of Warranties THE AUTHORS AND PUBLISHER WARN THAT THIS BOOK CONTAINS ONLY THE AUTHORS OPINIONS ON THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED. THEY MAKE NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE, AND IN ANY EVENT, THEIR LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR CONTRACT WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT OF THIS BOOK IS LIMITED TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE BOOK. THEY FURTHER LIMIT TO SUCH PURCHASE PRICE THEIR LIABILITY ON ACCOUNT OF ANY KIND OF NEGLIGENT BEHAVIOR WHATSOEVER ON THEIR PART WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK. 6 ZION CLIMBING: SUPERTOPOS INTRODUCTION Acknowledgements This project has been years in the making individuals (in no particular order) deserve and obviously I couldn’t have done it alone. our gratitude and recognition for their Thank you to everyone who has helped me efforts in helping to make it so much fun to along the way, especially my wife Charlie. climb in Zion National Park: Fred Beckey, Her support and technical advice has been Galen Rowell, Pat Callis, George Lowe, invaluable throughout the project. My most Jeff Lowe, Cactus Bryan, Mike Weis, Ron sincere gratitude goes to John “Floyd” Dixon Olevsky, Dave Jones, Glen Rink, Mark Pey, for having the patience to teach me how to Mike Strassman, Bill March, Bill Forest, properly scare the hell out of myself and Brian Smoot, Scott Fischer, Jim Dunn, for planting a seed in me that continues to Jim Beyer, John Tainio, Barry Ward, Alan grow to this day. Special thanks to my main Humphreys, John Middendorf, Brad Quinn, climbing partners, Joe French, Eric Draper, Bill Hatcher, Kyle Copeland, Daren Cope, and Brody Greer. Our adventures together Mugs Stump, John Allen, Lynn Wheeler, are priceless to me and have had a huge Billy Westbay, Conrad Anker, Cameron impact on my life. Jeremy Werlin provided Tague, Jeff Hollenbaugh, Craig Luebben, encouragement and technical counseling Doug Hall, Calvin Hebert, Doug Byerly, early on in the project. Brian Smoot, Dave Randy Aton, Brad Barlage, Drew Bedford, Jones, Doug Heinrich, Jersey Dave, Joe Seth Shaw, Doug Heinrich, Stacey Alison, French, Dow Williams, Brian McCray, David Mark Austin, Joe French, Eric Draper, Nate Bloom, and Mike Anderson (among others) Brown, Brody Greer, Dave Littman, Jared freely provided topos and information. Greer, Mark Folkerson, John Varco, Klaus Without them this book wouldn’t have Schock, Dean Woods, Travis Tomlinson, been nearly as cool. Mike Tea and Renan Scott Morley, Andy Carson, Rob Sears, Rob Ozturk provided the cool artwork. Thanks Sears Jr., Karl Dunn, Dave Smith, Mike to Brian Cabe for the grammar lesson. John Anderson, Mark Anderson, Rob Pizem, Wes Middendorf and Mike Anderson graciously Krause, Randy Cerf, Kaleb Padgett, Gaar provided the history of Zion climbing. I Lausman, Zack Lee, John Saylove, John would like to thank Nate Brown for his Sedone, Dan Snyder, Robbie Colbert, Bill encouragement, advice, information, and Ohran, Troy Anderson, Tyler Phillips, Carl contributions. Extra special thanks to Oswald, Dave Anderson, Drew Spalding, Joe French for spending countless hours Ty Hydrusko, Kevin Jaramillo, Ammon “researching” routes, and for his dedication McNeely, Brian McCray, James Martin, to the enjoyment of filling his ears with Paul Turecki, Larry Derby, Cameron Burns, sand. I would like to thank Chris McNamara James Garrett, Geoff Scherer, Ron Ramonde, at SuperTopo for helping to bring this Dan Stih, Les Ellison, Boulos Ayad, Renan project to fruition. It needed that final Ozturk, Cedar Wright… and everyone push. Thanks to anyone I have ever tied else who has contributed to the climbing into a rope with. Thanks to everybody who community. participated in the editing and feedback -Bryan Bird process. Thanks to everyone who put up a route in Zion. We are all fortunate to be able to rap from your bolts. I would like to thank Ron Olevsky for having a vision for creating clean climbs. Huge thank you to every person who has helped to develop the climbing in Zion. All of the early Zion pioneers had the vision and skill to create incredible adventures for the rest of us to go out and test ourselves on. The following 7 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.SUPERTOPO.COM INTRODUCTION Authors Note Before I even get started I want to talk The following information is an attempt at about the difference between this guide doing just that. and other SuperTopo books. Thanks Collecting information pertaining in large part to the World Wide Web, to climbing in Zion started out as just a many of you have become accustomed to hobby that has led to an obsession. With extra-super-duper accurate and detailed so much rock to look at, I wanted to know information found in many modern day just what had been climbed. So I set out guidebooks. This book is going to leave to compile as much info as possible. Over some folks scratching their heads and the years my three-ring binder of topos, maybe even a little bit upset by the vague descriptions, maps, and stories has swollen and non-detailed nature of some of the beyond capacity. This book is my attempt at information. Many of the routes in Zion putting these pieces of information together National Park have only been climbed in an organized and comprehensible once or twice. That fact means that there manner. I have done my best to compile isn’t a consensus opinion on how hard or the information accurately, but with a good something might be. In places like project this size, there is much room for Yosemite the climbs have been done so error. I have also tried to climb as many many times that you have an overwhelming of the routes contained here as possible, amount of input or feedback on what a but I have not done them all. Many of the climb may be like. Here in Zion it’s just not route descriptions are second-hand at best. the case. My favorite part of the activity A good approach to the climbing in Zion of rock climbing is ADVENTURE, (i.e. would be an attitude that adventure is the not knowing the outcome of the day) and main goal, not so much about the numbers. because of that I have tried to leave it up Climbers who adventure around Zion to you, the guidebook user, to do some of should expect to encounter poor and soft the figuring out on your own. Many of the rock, inadequate anchors, vegetation, and folks who have drilled the bolts, cleaned of course sand. A pair of binoculars and the cracks, built the trails, and drawn the some good judgment can go a long way. My maps are, or have been, prolific in the friends and I have done much adventuring canyon. That means they enjoy the choss, here and are accustomed to the nature of weirdness, wideness, etc. and also that they the area. Our views on what’s good, bad, are good at dealing with it. This is not your hard, or easy may or may not reflect your average climbing area. Zion is a very alpine views. So… basically I’m trying to tell you climbing arena. Besides that, climbing isn’t to take this information with a grain of supposed to be easy. If it were, every jock sand, be careful, and most importantly, have and his girlfriend would crowd every one fun! of our cliffs across the country. Thank god that isn’t the case. Please use your own judgment. It has been my intention to leave my opinions out of the equation. I have spent most of my climbing career in and around Zion National Park. Over the years friends and acquaintances asked me to put my collection of information together into book form so that other people could enjoy what’s available in Zion. 8 ZION CLIMBING: SUPERTOPOS INTRODUCTION Introduction than Yosemite Valley. However, while By Bryan Bird and Chris McNamara Yosemite has just a dozen vertical big walls with a lot of low angle terrain and forest in between, almost the ENTIRE Zion Canyon is bordered by big walls ranging between 800 to 2500 feet in height. There are hundreds and hundreds of tall rock climbs and nearly endless cragging possibilities. OOften called the sandstone Yosemite, Zion SuperTopo.com - stop on by! National Park encompasses some of the There are three reasons to visit www. world’s largest and steepest sandstone supertopo.com before you trip: walls. In the main canyon. The Virgin River 1) All the info in this introduction will be has carved through 2,000 feet of Navajo more up-to-date and have links directly to sandstone laid down as dunes about 170 what you are interested in. million years ago. The is arguably the 2) You can get route beta on all the climbs in country’s most beautiful big wall and this book in the Route Beta section. long free climbing destination. There are 3) You can post questions to the Climbers hundreds of aid and free climbs in the 800- Forum and ask for advice for your trip. 1500-foot tall range and more than a few taller than 2000 feet. Some climbs are “sport Zion Climbing Skills wall climbs.” meaning there is almost no This ain’t Yosemite! Zion climbing is intense approach and you can bail at any point on and adventurous. Prepare to get a little chain anchors. Other climbs involve intense scared. A lot of experienced granite climbers bushwhacking through cactus-covered are terrified when they first climb here. It’s slopes followed by massive commitment hard to know exactly how strong the rock on a week-long climb followed by a nasty is so even bomber-looking placements are descent. And, of course, there are a lot of sometimes suspect. It’s not that the rock is climbs between these two extremes. terrible (it’s usually just a little lower quality What stands out about Zion is just how than Indian Creek) it just takes a little many dead-vertical 1000 plus foot walls Bridge Mountain at sunset. Photo by Bryan Bird there are. Zion Canyon is a little smaller INTRODUCTION getting used to. You place more gear than you can climb after a day or two. Wait at you would in solid Yosemite granite and least a week in winter and early spring you must develop a sense when the rock is and when there is high humidity, cold strong and when it’s crap. temperature and already moist conditions. Watch for loose blocks in cracks and Zion Climbing Gear on ledges. Face holds may be rounded or sandy and take some getting used to. Solid Sandstone cracks are mostly parallel-sided, crack climbing skills are necessary. The which means they accept cams and often cracks are generally vertical, have poor reject nuts and hexes. That said, a lot of rests, and few face holds. The leader needs Zion aid routes follow lines of piton scars so extra endurance to hang out in strenuous having 2 to 3 sets of small offset nuts is key. positions in order to place gear at least On some routes like Desert Shield, it’s nice every six feet. Most climbers use athletic to have 4 to 5 sets! Protection pulls, even tape to protect their hands from abrasion. from textbook placements. Be conservative, and borrow or buy a lot of gear. Two 50m Climbing After Rain or Snow or two 60m ropes are standard for rappels. When sandstone is wet, it loses much Always back up every anchor, including of its strength. If this were just a safety bolted anchors. While most of the classic issue, you could climb after a storm and Zion climbs have good bolts, there is no maybe you would blow a piece or two. You such thing as an absolutely bomber bolt or probably wouldn’t die. Wet rock, however, cam in sandstone. Be cautious. Leave your is an environmental and aesthetic issue. cam hooks at home, they are destructive to Climbing (especially aid and face climbing) Zion rock. A standard Zion free climbing on wet rock eats the cracks up and key free rack consists of a minimum of two sets climbing holds blow off. You could destroy of cams ranging from 0.4-4” with one set the route. There are several face climbing of 4.5-6”, one set of nuts (again offsets are routes such as the aptly named Made To Be preferable) and long runners. Climbers who Broken that could be completely erased by are unfamiliar with sandstone climbing a careless individual unwilling to wait long will undoubtedly want more cams on their enough to allow the rock to dry out. So how rack specific to a particular route (i.e. more long should you wait after a storm? When finger to hand-sized pieces). Cordelettes the days after a rain consist of 100-degree are handy for building anchors as well as heat, and the rock started out hot and dry, backing up fixed anchors for descents. 10 ZION CLIMBING: SUPERTOPOS