V C2
ZION NATIONAL PARK
April 2010
This an account of my attempt to solo a big wall in Zion. I had already done Space Shot and Moonlight Buttress
and was looking for something off the beaten path. The Gatekeeper Crack behind the Watchman Tower seemed just right.
It was first done in 2006 and involves a 2 hour approach. It was unlikely that many other parties if any had been
on the wall.
The first 2 pitches climb behind a tremendous 200 ft tower leaning against the Gatekeeper Wall.
The rack involved double cams from 00 TCU's and Lowe Balls to double #5 Camalots with quadruples of the mid sizes,
a handful of pins, nuts, and hooks. The rack weighed about 45 pounds, with water, food, porta-ledge, 2 ropes etc...
The weight was well over 100 pounds!On my first day I ferried 50 lb loads up to the base of the route and then re-treated
to Springdale to wait out the rain and snow.
DAY 1
The next morning the skies began to clear and a thin coating of snow lined all the peaks. I waited until 11 am and hiked the remaining gear
to the base and lead the awkward first C1 pitch which involved some free-climbing over very loose talus. This short pitch was surprisingly demanding.
I short hauled the bags into the chimney and then ferried them to the base of pitch 2, a long steep C1 pitch.
This pitch involved a little bit of everything from 0 TCU's, offset aliens to the biggest cams. I spent about
2.5 hours leading this and despite working hard it was still cool with temps in the 30's.
Although only rated
C1 rock edges were snapping and there were numerous places that required placements behind expanding and shifting
blocks.
The view from mid-pitch.
I hauled the bags, rapped, and cleaned the pitch.
You can see the overhanging 3rd C1/C2 pitch lurking above.
I decided to set up the ledge for the night. As soon as I stopped climbing I started getting very cold
It was now 6pm and I realized I hadn't eaten anything since 9am and had only drunk .5L of water! Solo
climbing is so demanding, there is always work to be done!
Great views across the canyon.
The rack was a mess, but I needed to eat so I fired up the hanging stove for some
Pad Thai and Campbell's Soup.
DAY 2
More organized the next morning at the top of the 3rd pitch. This pitch also took about 2.5 hours
to lead and was wildly steep. About halfway up I encountered a wide crack with a tower of stacked blocks
I was so scared that the rope would knock the tower down that I dissembled it throwing small microwave
blocks to the ground. Some of the blocks were so loud upon impact they echoed across the canyon.
I had to lower the bags out (with camera so I missed a great photo!) about
20 feet from the belay. Then I lowered myself out to jug it.
If you look at the rope you can see how much the prior pitch overhangs.
The next pitch was 165 feet following an ever thinning crack that splits an otherwise featureless
vertical wall. It was one of the best aid pitches I have ever done. It started with cruiser .5 camalot
leap frogging with solid rock. I couldn't believe how easy it felt to be on what I consider to be true
C1. As the crack narrowed I began placing micro nuts and small aliens. By the last 50 feet the gear had
become all micro nuts and offset brassies. The Lowe Ball I placed fell out after I unweighted it.
It had been almost 3 hours and I could see the anchor but one move remained and there only a knifeblade crack
but the KB's were in the haulbag 160 feet below! The rock was very soft and with the nut tool I was able to farm
a slightly wider crack. I tried desperately to get the #0 offset brass nut to stick but it just kept popping under
half my weight. Finally on the 5th try it held and I was able to gingerly stand up and free climb to the anchor.
A #1 brass nut.
This picture was taken after cutting the bags loose and jugging back up the lead line.
The last two pitches that I didn't climb. I spent the night at "Spy in the Sky Ledge". I had had enough and decided that
in the morning I would head down. This was a good decision as the next night the winds were gusting to 50 mph!
What a great place to be!
DAY 3
Rapping with the bags. Not long after this picture was taken my prussik back-up became firmly set due to some tape I had
used as a middle mark. It required rapping the lines below my ATC to leg press upward and get the weight of the bags and
myself off the prussik. After a few tries I loosened it enough to peel back the tape, Whew! In all the twisting my Leatherman
plummeted 300 feet to the ground. I never found it.
Looking back up with my high point indicated by the arrow.
Hiking out was tough. I just did not want to do it twice so with about 100 lbs of gear I descended the sandy slopes
at times lowering the bag down over boulders and short cliffs.
Back to Vegas
I would like to thank Chuck D and KD for the generous loan of gear I needed on this route! Thanks guys!