- Edit (TBD)
Description
Considered
Ba. The Rostrum
of Zion. I think it's close, but not quite. Does have the same grade, a bit shorter, but has a nice wide pitch to it to boot.
After scrambling to the base, the first pitch starts up an obvious left-facing corner with a wide pod at the start.
P1
(5.11+) Climb the wide pod to the long section of sustained 1-1.5" crack. Ledge halfway up with anchors on the left, but you can continue to the ledge, about 160' up. The last 20' of the pitch are classic Zion funky climbing, hard 5.11.
Belay on ledge with fixed nut and bolt with rap slings.
P2
(5.9 or 5.10) Two options: Climb a groove/chimney/funky thing for 60' to another ledge at 5.9 or step right to a drilled pin and climb the nice 5.10 finger and thin hands crack to the same ledge.
I prefer the second option.
P3
(5.10++) Get yer offwidth skills and groveling gloves on for this one, and leave your helmet behind so you don't get it stuck. Chimney up the obvious corner until it starts to pinch down—don't clip the bolt in the bowels, instead place a #4 Camalot (old) up above your head and try and figure out how to slide out to the outside of the bombay and switch to stacks and fist jams. After this the pitch gets way easier: sustained hands and big hands.
Three belay options: short pitch on drilled pin anchors on right; longer pitch on hanging stance with bolts on left (150') or simul-climb the last 30 feet of easier chimney to chockstone belay off of bolts (215') at top of chimney where the sort-of tower meets the main cliff.
P4
(5.11-) Clip a bolt up and left of anchor and continue face climbing up and left on positive holds to obvious bolted belay near arete. 40' long—not much gear after bolt, but way easier to anchor.
P5
(5.11+) One of the best pitches anywhere! Downclimb from anchor about 10' then step left around arete and span out to the finger crack on the face. Backclean your gear for about 15 feet; not too hard, mostly fingers with some feet. Crank up the steepening finger to big finger to tight hands crack through the roof, with the occasional face hold. Go for another 50' over the roof to an alcove with a bolt and add a #1 or #2 camalot for the anchor. About 100' long.
P6
(5.9) Handcracks and face holds forever on this left-trending, 165' pitch. Watch out for bad rock; climb carefully. Belay off of as many small scrub oaks and manzanitas as you can tie off, and sit off the edge, belaying off your harness.
Location
Red Arch Mountain. Park at the grotto, walk up the drainage and then go up to the right to the north facing side of the mountain.
Protection
Big desert rack. Sizes in aliens and camalots.
1 blue, 2 green, 3 yellow, 2 red aliens
2 purple, 3 green, 3 red, 3 yellow, 3 blue, 1 3.5, 1 4 camalot
Set of nuts-I love and always use HB offsets-they come in handy in the weird Zion cracks