Zion National Park Climbing Routes

[tanya]

For the fifth consecutive year, Zion National Park will keep popular climbing routes on cliffs used by nesting peregrine falcons open one month longer than in the past.
As in the past few years, these areas will remain open to climbing through Feb. 28. They will close to climbing on March.

The closing date is based on analysis of information collected from 2001-2006 regarding the peregrines' arrival time to their nesting cliffs in the park.

For up-to-date information on the status and maps of the closed climbing cliffs and routes, please check the Zion National Park Web site at www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/climbing.htm.

[climbinghalfdome]

Anyone know about the current status of Angels Landing? Is it closed? Also does anyone know if one falcon is nesting on one route would they close just that route or would they close the whole wall?
Kevin
I saw Bo's summit register of Prodigal Son IV 5.9 C2 -A2 and he's inspired me to get after it this season.
Kevin

[climbinghalfdome]

My Bad sorry with a little more homework I've found the answer.
Looks like for the 6th year in a row we have just one more month.
Kevin

CURRENT CLIFF CLOSURES (Check often: list of closed cliffs updated regularly)

Cliff Closure News Release 2-21-08

Cliff Closures beginning MARCH 1, 2008
Mt. Kinesava
Streaked Wall
Sentinel
Mountain of the Sun
Great White Throne (beyond single and double pitched climbs)
Cable Mountain
Mt. Isaac (in Court of the Patriarchs)
North Twin Brother
Middle Fork of Taylor Creek
Angel's Landing (northeast buttress)
Tunnel West

[trackrunner]

Speaking of climbs in Zion at the beginning of February I found a ton of rope close to the Temple of the Sinawa parking lot. I'm not good at distances but I know it was over 600 ft maybe close to 900 ft (I read that the end of Telephone Canyon into the Virgin is 900 ft and it was a lot taller). I thought it was odd and drove on. After my hike I had to go back. It was still there. I hiked over to the rope and yelled to see if there was a climber none. I looked around for a dead body, none. I tried to climb up to the end of the rope to pull but it was exposed climbing on a snow covered cliff to get there so I stopped. I thought it was just strange.

I know someone that did the Angles Landing route a while back. When he summated he played a joke on the tourist at the summit. He turned around and said

[climbinghalfdome]

I did the same thing to a tourist after topping out on Half Dome in Yosemite. Some guy was taking a photo of me covered in big wall gear as I said 'There's got to be an easier way to get up here!"
"There is..." he replied energeticly and proceded to tell me where the cables route was.
On the way down we passed a scout group and one of them spied us lugging all the ropes and gear and said "YOU MEAN WERE GOING TO NEED ALL THAT STUFF! THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS JUST A HIKE!!!"

I've seen many fixed lines abandoned in Zion. Theres one just East of the tunnel past Ashtar Tower. I've wanted to retreave it and weve it into a floor mat. Climbing Rope Floor Mats sell pritty well on ebay.
Where exactly did you see it again?
Kevin

[trackrunner]

Where exactly did you see it again?
Kevin

I found a ton of rope close to the Temple of the Sinawa parking lot.

[CarpeyBiggs]

My favorite abandoned rope in Zion had to be the one last spring that was hanging out of lower echo over weeping rock. (Which is closed, for obvious reasons.) The crew must've just rapped and ran, I was thinking. It was up for two days when I got there, but was gone on the third day. I'm betting the park service didn't really like it hanging down in one of the most populated areas.

Must be tough leaving a rope though, those things ain't cheap.

[trackrunner]

My favorite abandoned rope in Zion had to be the one last spring that was hanging out of lower echo over weeping rock. (Which is closed, for obvious reasons.) The crew must've just rapped and ran, I was thinking. It was up for two days when I got there, but was gone on the third day. I'm betting the park service didn't really like it hanging down in one of the most populated areas.

Must be tough leaving a rope though, those things ain't cheap.

Several times I have seen ropes stuck on weaping rock.
Yea why would somone leave 900 ft of rope tied together on a cliff.
I would want my rope back

[climbinghalfdome]

ARE THE BUSSES RUNNING RIGHT NOW? I'm trying to get into the Angels Landing area and I'm looking at an early start. Can I drive into Angels Landing and park my car if its 5 am, or do I have to wait till the buses start running?
Kevin

[tanya]

ARE THE BUSSES RUNNING RIGHT NOW? I'm trying to get into the Angels Landing area and I'm looking at an early start. Can I drive into Angels Landing and park my car if its 5 am, or do I have to wait till the buses start running?
Kevin

Nope. Just drive right in and park at the Grotto. They will start again in March... depending on the traffic.. probably early this year and end about late October.

[trackrunner]

ARE THE BUSSES RUNNING RIGHT NOW? I'm trying to get into the Angels Landing area and I'm looking at an early start. Can I drive into Angels Landing and park my car if its 5 am, or do I have to wait till the buses start running?
Kevin

I saw this on a flier last time down there and now at ZNP website

The shuttle system will begin operations March 21, 2008 and runs through October 2008.

[Brian in SLC]

They will start again in March... depending on the traffic.. probably early this year and end about late October.

Since tomorrow is March...

From the NPS website:

"The shuttle system will begin operations March 21, 2008 and runs through October 2008."

Kevin, get a darn early start. That's a popular route. Once you find the very well worn trail to the base, you'll see that it starts with a bolt ladder to the left, or, a crack between some trees on the right (the original start). My bet is that the bolt ladder goes fast, even in the dark. High step and realize that the guy who put those bolts in isn't 8 feet tall...

You could even suss that rig out the night prior and fix that bolted pitch. Anything to get ahead of the "herd" of folks who gun for this route.

Good luck, and, we'll be wantin' a trip report!

-Brian in SLC

[tanya]

Already! I was still thinking winter

[climbinghalfdome]

Well a friend and I decided to try Touchstone wall as our first Zion Wall. I've spent days in Yosemite, yet one one day in Zion. Our goal was to do it in a day, yet we also were satisfied with what ever we could do.
We left Kanab early (4am) and started climbing at 5:30am. HOWEVER the guy who bolted the first pitch must have been over 7 feet tall. With me being 5 foot 4 it was all I could do to get up the thing in under 3 hours. I found the trick was to extend my FIFI hook down to my ankles and stand in the grabber loops above the top steps in my aiders, then if I press an oval against the wall with my finger tips I can open the gate with the eye of the pin. Needless to say I'm glad that the route setter saved an extra pin by making them so far apart. In the Photo you'll see Dave armes folded talking to the GriGri.
Just before the chains I got onto the real aid and was able to move faster. I saw the flared bottle necks and wanted to place a nut, but none were big enough. It wasn't till pitch two I discovered Metolius TCU's work perfectly in those pods.
After short fixing to the pins below the roof I realized Dave needed practice jumaring and cleaning. Dawn was nice, yet it ment I spent 2+ hours on a pitch and 1/2. He passed up the gear and I kept moving.
By then two kids from Snow College were cruzing the first pitch way fast. (The leader was over 6 feet tall) They asked if they could pass and we agreed. (BIG MISTAKE) As my partner and I hung on the intermediate belay in the middle of pitch 2 they took well over 3 hours getting their act together trying to pass us. (No exaderation we hung at that belay from 9:30am till 1:oo pm.) By that time we decided to bail because if we wanted to get to the chains on pitch 3 we would have to wait for them to get off of them, which means they would have to start cleaning pitch 3 which means 2 hours at least of waiting.
We bailed. As we touched the ground around 2:oo pm we noticed they were rigging the rappels too. The wind was picking up and their ropes were flying everywhere.
Lessons we learned.
#1 a stick clip will join me on every wall I do in Zion. This could have saved 2 hours of top step cussing. What if I would have slid a nut down on its wire and looped the wire over the top of the next pin? That 6 inches would have made all the difference! I could have yarded on it and been able to clip the eye of the pin.
#2 Don't leave gear every 5 feet for the follower the clean. If I back clean every other piece, maybe the follower will get to the anchor before I run out of rope while short fixing.
#3 If someone wants to pass, don't wait for them, let them pass while you climb. I'm sure we would have been freeing climbing pitch #4 or #5 as they were cliping #3's anchors.
#4 belay change overs need to be more efficient.
#5 a popular route like Touchstone needs to be done during the week and not on Saturday.
#6 It was still better than sitting on my couch wishing I was climbing.
All in all I'm not proud to say that we climbed 1 1/2 pitches in 8 hours.
Just you wait, I'll follow this post with a better more successful trip story.
Kevin

[tanya]

Very Nice!

[Brian in SLC]

HOWEVER the guy who bolted the first pitch must have been over 7 feet tall. With me being 5 foot 4 it was all I could do to get up the thing in under 3 hours.

Pretty funny. I think Ron is about your height...

You should check out the "Clean Walls" video. The FA guy leads the first pitch, doesn't use daisy chains, and hikes it in a few minutes. If you haven't read it, his article in the AAJ about the FA of the route is a good read. Available on the AAC website.

He "T stacks" in his aiders. And steps high. I use Russian aiders, which give me a ton of reach.

You think that bolt ladder was spaced out, try one drilled by Layton Kor...

A nice practise route is the Pulpet at the TOS. Goes pretty fast, and, the bolt ladder is a museum of strange stuff. Nice to have the system dialed to make the longer Zion classics go a bit more efficiently.

Good stuff.

-Brian in SLC

[climbinghalfdome]

My regular partner just bailed out on me.
The plan was (is) to lead then fix the first 3 pitches of Touchstone wall this Wednesday, then Thursday morning Jumar up the fixed lines, and finish the route. I can lead all the pitches, I just need a belayer.
I guess I could solo the first 3 aid pitches on Wednesday, but the free stuff on Thursday would go a lot faster if someone could join me.
I've soloed routes before, but I'd rather have someone to talk to and someone to clean the pitches I lead. Swapping leads is cool with me too.
email me off this list.
Kevin

kevin_likes_to_climb_much@hotmail.com

[climbinghalfdome]

My favorite abandoned rope in Zion had to be the one last spring that was hanging out of lower echo over weeping rock. (Which is closed, for obvious reasons.) The crew must've just rapped and ran, I was thinking. It was up for two days when I got there, but was gone on the third day. I'm betting the park service didn't really like it hanging down in one of the most populated areas.

Must be tough leaving a rope though, those things ain't cheap.

Several times I have seen ropes stuck on weaping rock.
Yea why would somone leave 900 ft of rope tied together on a cliff. :ne_nau:
I would want my rope back

I spent the day on Touchstone III Wall last Saturday and decided to go get that stuck rope that was wind blown off to the Left of the route. I rapped from P4's anchors and pengied over to the rope. I'm thinking of weaving it into a floor mat and selling it on EBAY. Think I'd get $0.50 for it? It's all white, crunchy, and stiff. YUM.
Kevin.

[denaliguide]

normally you just clip the one nut of the two that you've stacked. that being said you still want to clip the second nut with a little slack so if the placement blows you dont lose it.

don't know if you've seen it but theres a book written by john long (i think) on aid clinbing. great book and worth having in your library.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Climb-Big-..._sim_b_img_16r

if you like long reaches try the south face of washingtons column in yosemite. having to high step is an understatement. it's one of layton kors.

[climbinghalfdome]

Last weekend I Soloed Touchstone Wall again and I employed the continuous loop method. I LOVE IT! I only had to haul 3 times while on the wall. (Hauling takes the most time so the less I do it the better). Someone put bolt #6 back on P1 and this time added epoxey to the D.A. too! Sure was nice. They also added a pin to the traverse to get to the roof! Its so welcome to see the poxy on it too. However the broken pin above the lip of the roof is still there. Guess it adds flavor. I had enough gear to run Pitches 2,3,4 all together then haul at the top. It took so long to rap and clean I lost feeling in my legs.
Several times the Silent Partner turned into its own Cluster F. It would have been tonz better if I could have tied the Clove hitch upside down. So the tails of the lines exit the bottom of the device rather than the top. This would be significantly easier to feed the rope through on lead. What say ya'll. I noticed that the silent partner would short rope me a lot. Especially when I'm steping up into the top steps on small gear, or when I had to bust a free move once and a while.
Kevin