Beta for Lunar Ecstasy, Zion
TOPO
Cross river at southern tip of small island just north of MLB. Walk a diagonal
route towards Angels Landing. If water is too deep or too fast you can always
hike in from the Grotto Bridge (2 hrs.)
200' ropes recommended.
Pitch 1: 5.8+, 120' of climbing, 200' hauling. Start way left, casual third
class up ledges, past bushes. Traverse over to a friction slab in a corner.
The crux is 15-20 feet of slab/corner moves from your last #2 Camalot to
some tiny nuts and more iffy moves to a traverse. Then crank up a nice set
of double cracks to anchor. Pull up haul line and rethrow around bushes.
Best to get pig as high as possible (takes 2 up 4th class ledges). Option
number 2 is to take the haulbag with you to the start of the 5.8+ corner
and lower it out. Option 3 is a direct variation to the first pitch that
heads straight up from the "Clandestine Bivy" and it's pretty
stout 5.10. Option 4 is to actually climb the original first two pitches,
but those are VERY loose 5.10 and no one goes that way or even recommends
considering it. This first pitch has been a buzz kill for a lot of parties.
Have the Second use tagline to help pig over ledge system if using Options
1 and 3. Awkward haul, rig over edge. New 3/8" Bolts. Bomber big nut
placement.
Pitch 2: C1, 120'. Don't take the crack out of the belay. Traverse right
on ledges for 25' to right facing corner with a roof 10' off the ledge.
You need a #2-#3 Lowe Ball or Leeper Cam hook to get past roof. Easy aid
and a few 5.7 free moves to good ledge. Lots of small stuff, Aliens, offsets,
nuts. New 3/8" bolts at anchor. Big ledge. Ok haul but a better option
is to haul pitches 2 and 3 as one after moving the pig 25' right of the
first belay.
Pitch 3: C1, 5.7, 50', but don't go thinking you can link it with anything
else. Grovel up awkward chimney, similar to the one on Moonlight.
A hook will get you out of the chimney briefly. Might want a Pika Toucan
(or brown tricam) for a weird blownout placement near the top. New 3/8"
bolts at belay. Haul pitches 2 and 3 as one as explained above.
Pitch 4: 5.9, C1+, 185'. "The Half-Moon Traverse". Easy, well
protected free to an awkward mantle on a slopey shelf (P4). Lengthen your
slings here to avoid rope-drag. Then offsets and nuts to bomber 3/8"
bolts. The hangers have been replaced as of 2001. Awkward mantle on a scary
loose big block (P5). Farewell Ledge is a good bivy for one. Easy haul.
Pitch 5: C2, 145'. Used to be the crux. Lots of offsets, Aliens, big offsets,
up to #3 Camalot. Looks thin from the bottom, but it's all there. Bad first
rivet with a tied-off baby angle driven on top, be prepared for it not to
be there. Hanging belay. Good hanging bivy for 2 portaledges. Easy haul.
Pitch 6: C2, 120'. Yellow Aliens, yellow Aliens, yellow Aliens. A couple-three
greens, a couple of blues, a couple of .5 Camalots. Even with five sets,
you'll still end up running it out 20-30' in a couple of places. Thankfully
the gear is bomber. Hanging belay. Easy haul.
Pitch 7: C2+, 5.7 (mandatory), 150'. Possibly ties the top pitch for the
crux now. Big loose block set to kill your belayer if you were to be so
stupid as to cam behind it. Lots of offsets and aliens (green). Bathook
hole hiding 40' above "The Amoeba." Using the hole defangs this
pitch a bit. Gear to #3 Camalot. Mandatory free moves at the end. Semi-stance
belay. Easy haul.
Pitch 8: 5.6 (mandatory), C1, 100'. Offsets, a couple of aliens. The bolts
on the left go to the Jarrett Finish (see below for beta). Go right at the
top for the Original Finish. You can see two drilled angles from below.
If you're wishing to do the Original Finish, don't be suckered by the shiny
new bolts to the left. Stance belay. Big ledge, good bivy. Hard getting
the bags over the lip of the ledge. Lots of loose rocks on the ledge!
Pitch 9 "Original Finish": 5.6, C2+, 150'. The crux. Free moves
to C1 in less-than-stellar rock with a bad landing. Mid-section free moves
are 5.6 only if you sling a chicken-head and traverse right to easier moves
and a bomber bolt. Continue up corner (green/blue aliens) to a ledge. Easy
to get lost here. If you aren't standing on the arete of a giant flake trying
to get gear in a thin crack above a tiny roof while looking at a fall onto
a ledge, you're off route. Climb technical, crappy rock through the small
roof/overlap with bad landing for 20', past a drilled angle to the summit.
Some offsets and many aliens, and offset aliens would be nice. Gear to #4
Camalot. Rig the haul over the edge or you will hate life. Careful! Big
loose rocks on the summit!
Pitch 9 "Jarrett Finish" Variation: C1, 120', on poor rock (worst
quality on the whole route), but, some of the best exposure. Gear up to
#3 or #4 Camalot, with lots of leapfrogging of #.75 Camalots. The edge of
the roof is SHARP. Don't kill your partner now p; pad the rope! The
last bolt at the top of the pitch is very loose. Belay bolts below the lip.
Easy haul, but you'll have to climb a little further and anchor to a pine
tree to bring the bags all the way up. Careful! Big loose rocks on the summit!
Easy walk off...follow trail to the right until you reach a paved trail.
Go left to saddle junction where Angel's landing trail gets technical. Turn
right and follow trail for 45 minutes to an hour to the ground.
Comments: Stellar route, very nice, same quality as Moonlight, and about
one notch of difficulty harder. Very little fixed gear on the route.
RACK (updated 2/02)
3-5 ea blue, green, yellow Aliens or same size TCUs. (A mix is nice.
Hybrids rule)
2-3 ea #0.5, 0.75 Camalots
2 ea #1,2 Camalots
1 ea #3,4 Camalots
3-4 sets brass HB offsets.
2 sets of aluminum HB offsets
1 set of nuts
1 ea. #3, 4 Lowe Ball
1 BD Talon
1 Pika Toucan
HB Offsets and CCH Aliens rule! You will think this climb is much harder
without them.
Small "Zion Tapper" hammer useful for cleaning nuts, BUT DON'T
NAIL!
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