Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
The layered sandstone is beautiful in the early morning sunlight.
April 8, 2012
The layered sandstone is beautiful in the early morning sunlight.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Andy and Josh cruise confidently up the colorful slickrock...
April 8, 2012
Andy and Josh cruise confidently up the colorful slickrock...
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
... until all of a sudden it seems a little steep and not-so-sticky anymore. Nervousness sets in. Welcome to Zion slabbing guys. Been there, done that. Not fun. Once out of this jam they fall in behind the master slickrock reader :)
April 8, 2012
... until all of a sudden it seems a little steep and not-so-sticky anymore. Nervousness sets in. Welcome to Zion slabbing guys. Been there, done that. Not fun. Once out of this jam they fall in behind the master slickrock reader :)
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Jeesh, Ant Hill is looking ferocious I must say!
April 8, 2012
Jeesh, Ant Hill is looking ferocious I must say!
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
We're supposed to climb up the left skyline. Are you kidding me?
April 8, 2012
We're supposed to climb up the left skyline. Are you kidding me?
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Josh and Andy carefully follow me up a steep section of 4th class slab. Yowsa. At least we could rappel this if need be on the descent.
April 8, 2012
Josh and Andy carefully follow me up a steep section of 4th class slab. Yowsa. At least we could rappel this if need be on the descent.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
We're headed for that tree on the top right. A low 5th class left to right ascending traverse on the bushy ramp is the path of least resistance. I carefully scramble up in my sticky Canyoneers and belay Andy and Josh. The moves aren't totally trivial but the exposure isn't too bad. A rappel anchor is in place around the large tree.
April 8, 2012
We're headed for that tree on the top right. A low 5th class left to right ascending traverse on the bushy ramp is the path of least resistance. I carefully scramble up in my sticky Canyoneers and belay Andy and Josh. The moves aren't totally trivial but the exposure isn't too bad. A rappel anchor is in place around the large tree.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Andy looks skeptical as we continue up the steepening south buttress. He and Josh are now in their rock shoes.
April 8, 2012
Andy looks skeptical as we continue up the steepening south buttress. He and Josh are now in their rock shoes.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Loose rock is abundant and great care must be taken. Exposure is real in places. I nearly pulled a table sized rock on top of me on the descent. YIKES!
April 8, 2012
Loose rock is abundant and great care must be taken. Exposure is real in places. I nearly pulled a table sized rock on top of me on the descent. YIKES!
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Josh working his way up exposed 3rd class slab.
April 8, 2012
Josh working his way up exposed 3rd class slab.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Time to tuck tail and make our retreat. The slab has steepened to the point where its isn't reasonable for Andy and Josh to continue scrambling unroped. The exposure is getting intense and consequences of a slip could be catastrophic. I scrambled up 100 feet of low 5th class slab hoping to give them a belay but there just weren't any solid enough anchors in range, only bushes. I think I could have reached a tree with a 60 meter rope. Alas, ours was down in the car. Downclimbing the slab was slow and somewhat nervewracking. We would have needed two 60 meter ropes to rappel this.
April 8, 2012
Time to tuck tail and make our retreat. The slab has steepened to the point where its isn't reasonable for Andy and Josh to continue scrambling unroped. The exposure is getting intense and consequences of a slip could be catastrophic. I scrambled up 100 feet of low 5th class slab hoping to give them a belay but there just weren't any solid enough anchors in range, only bushes. I think I could have reached a tree with a 60 meter rope. Alas, ours was down in the car. Downclimbing the slab was slow and somewhat nervewracking. We would have needed two 60 meter ropes to rappel this.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
Andy and Josh crabwalking after rapping from the tree.
April 8, 2012
Andy and Josh crabwalking after rapping from the tree.
Zion National Park
April 8, 2012
After what I put them through up high Josh and Andy are comfortable descending the initial 4th class slab unroped. Nice work guys. Lets go do something a little less SCARY now!
April 8, 2012
After what I put them through up high Josh and Andy are comfortable descending the initial 4th class slab unroped. Nice work guys. Lets go do something a little less SCARY now!
April 8, 2012
Josh & Andy start up Ant Hill's south buttress on their first hike in Zion National Park. Ant Hill is NOT a good introduction it turns out!