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Prodigal Sun - Zion - topo please


fern

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it may be possible with a partner. it may be a longshot without one. I am just looking to accumulate beta here so I can make some decisions. Feel free to spew it without any assumptions of what I may or may not be capable of wave.gif

 

The Desert Pearl Inn is highly recommended for your bivy. Very nice without being all snobby-feeling, tastefully appointed rooms, lovely porches, pool, hot tub, movie rentals, good coffee in the gift shop, etc. You definitely won't regret it.

 

As for the climbing in Zion, it turns out most of it's trad climbing, or even aid routes, most of them multi-pitch affairs with hideous bushwhack approaches plagued by cactus and scrub oak, with hateful slogging descents.hellno3d.gif Better to head to the north part of the park and hit up the epic sport routes!

 

Oh, and there's super bomb breakfast and Illy coffee at Oscar's (try the breakfast burrito! Yummers!).

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A few things.

 

I don't remember no f'in tree at the base of Prodigal, methinks homer above was referring to Touchstone, which starts right next to a rather stout one. Touchstone is probably the best cold weather option of the easy walls.

 

First two pitches of Prodigal link w/ a 60m. OK line, stays crowded in season. Descent is one of the easiest you'll ever do after a wall route.

 

Between Touchstone, Moonlight, Prodigal, and Spaceshot, the easiest to make time on are Spaceshot and Touchstone and I thought Moonlight was easier to climb quickly than Prodigal.

 

You can do Touchstone in 5 pitches. Climb past the first bolted anchor and over the roof with the fixed RURP to belay just above it. That's about 180' to the deck. Stretch the rope on the next 3 pitches for almost full 60m passing mid anchors on each. Last pitch is bolted face to easy runout to the top. It goes free at .11- after the first 2 1/2 and has some cool free climbing on it. P 2 (when done this way) is a really cool hard fingercrack. I worked on it for half a day and got my ass handed to me. The crux is pretty much right off the belay, but it keeps coming on that pitch.

I thought Touchstone was the easiest and fastest of the four.

 

Moonlight goes fast if you are willing to crack jumar. Take at least triples or quads of mid sized aliens, you will be happy to have them. Don't get suckered into the false first pitch, it's much harder and sketchier than the real start (which is well to the left of there).

 

If you are going to be bivying on a route, and/or plan to go slow Spaceshot is probably the best option unless you want to haul a bag and ledge. Fix the bottom few easy free pitches, or climb those and fix a couple of pitches above, bivy on the ground and the next day either make it the top, or if you get slowed down bivy on earth orbit (or if you just want to bivy on the wall). That is a really relaxed way to do one. There is also tons of free climbing on it at mid .10 and under, so it's very doable in a day without being a speed demon.

 

Moonlight and Spaceshot are incredible for position. Of all of them, I enjoyed Touchstone the most but thought Moonlight was the best all around.

 

Other key tips: Take beer and/or liquor or hahaha.gif with you. 3.2% stout is a waste of barley and hops.

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I agree, as usual, with Strickland.. . except touchstone was my least favorite. The lower pitches were fun but higher up I didn't like the sandy gritty rock. I think Spaceshot and moonlight are the best by far.

 

Fern, I didn't know you were going to climb solo. In that case, scratch the in-a-push style.

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When I topped out on Prodigal the edge was fairly clear of blocks right on the edge. If I remember correctly the top out was a large slopeing ledge that had a ton of snand and blocks piled up toward the back. I think it would just keep sliding down toward the edge with time. We ended up halling the bag to the edge and leaving it there. We fixed the final 200 feet to the trail. This "pitch" was mostly class 3 with some 4th/easy 5th spots. Paper, rock scisers for who gets to carry/jug the pig to the top. Don't even think about halling this last bit. There is more loose rock and crap that will end up going for a ride not to mention that your bags would get stuck a lot. As for other routes, I would highly recomend Moonlight! Much better than prodigal.

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