Trip Report
Zoroaster Temple Trip Report, 10/2/07
Sunday October 14, 2007 2:56pm
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Zoroaster Temple Trip Report, 10/2/07
There’s some kind of magic in the Canyon. Especially, if you get below the rim and start wandering around. You’ve got to come back. Hermit Creek, Horseshoe Mesa, Osiris Temple, Whotan’s Throne. The names of the features are from some fantasy novel. Looking out from the south rim one summit stands out. Zoroaster Temple. With huge Brahma Temple always lurking behind like a body guard.
Wendy and I took a backpack to Clear Creek one year. On the way down the South Kaibab Trail we met a man coming up with a climbing rope on his pack. He’d climber Zoroaster. When I asked him about the various pitches his reply was, “Forget all that. When you get to the base of the climb you’ve already done the crux”. I smelled adventure! When I got back from that trip, half my photos were of Zoroaster, which we’d seen from three sides. About that time I bought the Grand Canyon Summit Select guidebook. On the cover is one of the Tomasi brothers sitting on the “pitch four horn”. He’s having the time of his life and it looks incredibly exposed. I wanted to be there.
I asked Bob if he wanted to go and of course he did. We wanted a third for safety. It’s a long way out there if something goes wrong you need the options another person provides. I asked my friend Scott if he wanted to go. Scott’s not a climber but he’s hiked both sides of the canyon below the rim. Thirty years and over thirty trips. He was the one who got us started backpacking there when he called with an extra permit for a family of four to Monument Creek. Many trips followed with kids and without. He’s a fine athelete too. With the motivation of getting to the top of Zoroaster before him I figured he’d work extra hard to learn how to follow 5.9 in the four months until the trip. He accepted the invitation right away. The training at the gym and on real rock went well. The mysteries of the 5.8 hand jamb proved difficult but were sufficiently overcome at last. Never the less, it was clear he would be in for a huge adventure.
The plan was to hike down the South Kaibab Trail and camp at Bight Angel Campground at the river on day one. 7.5 miles or so. Day two we would do the climb and return to camp. 11 miles and 4,600 feet of gain and then loss. Day three we would hike out the Bright Angle Trail. 9.5 miles or so. Other TRs seemed to either do the climb in a day from the rim or establish a base camp somewhere above the Redwall. I knew I couldn’t do it from the rim in a day. My canyon experience carrying heavy packs with gallons of water and gear over third and fourth class, which would be required to get above the Redwall, made this option seem like just to much hard work. No, we would start in the dark with daypacks and probably finish in the dark as well.
Here’s a picture of us at the trailhead.
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Of course a steady, at times pounding, rain had started on the shuttle ride to the trailhead.

In the rain the trail at times it felt like we were in China or Tibet.
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Traversing along the ridge toward O’Neil Butte it felt like we would be blown off by the howling wind.
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By the look of the trees this may be common. I saw no skeletons at the bottom of the ridge though. After a few hours the rain turned into a drizzle and we got our first views of Zoroaster.
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The changing weather made for strange cloud jewelry on the peaks and buttes.
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Scott with Zoroaster
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Just before the rain stopped and we got a rainbow.
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Here’s a picture of our camp. I’m airing out my feet and hoping and pretending that my one pair of socks will dry out.
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The next morning we left camp at 4:30. The first couple of miles are on a good trail and were easy to do in the dark. We climbed through the first cliff bands and were on the Tonto platform as dawn started.

Dawn with Cowboy Hat
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After leaving the trail and starting to move up Sumner Wash towards the Redwall break, Scott had to turn back. He had tweaked his hip on the hike down the day before. It had gotten worse over night and then really bad as soon as we began scrambling up the wash. It was hard accepting this news. I think for all of us. Scott really wanted this summit. It was going to be such a great addition to his Grand Canyon adventures. Bob and I didn’t want it to be either. We kept thinking there’s got to be something to do. Split the weight of his pack between us maybe? Eventually, we bowed to reality.

Here’s a picture Scott took of us moving up the wash towards the Redwall break.
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Right after this Bob told me to turn around and I took this picture. Beautiful.
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We soon reached the most dangerous few feet of the trip for me. The topos say you bypass the first steep point by climbing to the right, fourth class. We got sucked in too far by the presence of a fixed rope. We should have climbed out right earlier. Bob went one way and then said don’t come this way. I ended up on a steep face looking at a thirty footer. The rope was close but I had no idea how it was anchored. Fortunately, Bob got to the top and the anchor point was good. I tied a small loop for a hand hold belay and traversed off to the left. All was well again.

Here’s Bob getting out a snack above the Redwall.
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The rest of the way to the climb is classic canyon climbing. Short steep chimneys followed by long traverses on ridges or below cliff bands, looking for the next break.
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The final fourth class bands to the base of Zoro have fixed ropes in the tricky sections.

Soon we were looking up at the climb. It was 10:30.
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Rick Booth let me use this photo when mine didn't turn out well.
The route goes from the fresh rock scar at the bottom, up either side, to the chimney/ramp for three short pitches, then a long chimney/corner pitch, followed by a traverse and then a final corner crack to the top of the roped climbing. We decided I would link the first two pitches, which would give Bob the crux sandy face on the third pitch.
Here’s a picture looking down from halfway up P2.
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I was on a good ledge and starting to set up a belay when Bob yelled up, asking if I was at the bolts. I moved up farther looking for these bolts, which are on the topo. Pretty soon I was well into the third pitch! Bob had to simul some third class to get me the rope I needed. This crux is rated somewhere between 5.7 and 5.9 depending on the Topo you read. I moved up and down about three times trying to string together the sequence. Eventually, with three good pieces in, I went for it. Fortunately, the “secret” handhold appeared and I was through. As usual, with it now behind me I started to wonder what all the fuss had been about. This 10 or 15 feet is the crux of the climb. I think there are no bolts.

Here is Bob on the fourth pitch
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This pitch is cool old school climbing. I faced the wrong way in one chimney and had a few fun moments. Here’s a picture looking down from somewhere on the pitch.
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When I got to the top there was Bob on the “pitch four horn”! One of the belay bolts still has it’s hanger. The other is still set well but needs to be slung with a stopper. The next pitch traverses on an easy ledge with exposure to a funky bolt with one of those crappy bent flat bar hangers. Right after the bolt you step into an exposed bomb bay chimney with a super cool but wild move. You move up the chimney and belly flop, I mean mantle, onto a big ledge.
Here’s a picture looking back from this ledge at Bob on the pitch four horn.
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I looked up at the last pitch and yelled over to Bob, “We’re Yosemite climbers. We’ve got this one in the bag”! Overconfidence? No way! I’m experienced student of the Ed and Gary school of offwidth climbing. First they have you loose skin on the Sunol wood OW. Then they take you to flail and then fail on Secret Storm, Left Side Of The Cookie and Doggie Do. Finally finishing your training with the sharp crystals of Vedauwoo. I cruised this pitch.
Here’s Bob on the lead.
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The roped climbing is over but the summit block awaits.
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Summit shot with Wotan’s Throne behind us and Angel’s Gate to the right.
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Here’s a picture of the rack.
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Note the plastic pro ordered from Australia just for this climb. Sweet. We used twin 8.1 ropes.

Here’s a picture of the first rappell.
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We got to the bottom and I looked at my watch, “Hey, it’s only 2:20”. Bob, “look again”. Damn, it was 4:10.

Here’s a picture looking back at the Big Guy.
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Dusk with Cowboy
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I stumbled to the trail just as the final light faded. We did make it to the canteen at Phantom Ranch by 8:30. Just in time for a beer. Nice.

The next day I took this picture on the hike out.
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Until next time, Canyon, until next time.
Zander

  Trip Report Views: 6,743
Zander
About the Author
Zander is a trad climber from Berkeley.

Comments
goatboy smellz

climber
Gulf Breeze
  Oct 14, 2007 - 03:39pm PT
Way to go Zander.

I see you brought the big Hexes.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 14, 2007 - 03:53pm PT
Zander to Zoro, a truely excellent adventure, thanks!
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
  Oct 14, 2007 - 03:55pm PT
You guys should try something with a bit more approach,...

(If you left any of those dinosaur eggs on the summit they might hatch. Now THAT would be cool!)

berg heil, nice TR
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
  Oct 14, 2007 - 04:08pm PT
Best TR here in a while! Must have been a great day, and with all those pictures it was surely a fun read.
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Oct 14, 2007 - 08:21pm PT
Howdy Goatboy,
The plastic gear is good. When you hold it in your hand you can tell it'll work. The guy I ordered it from said more people buy the stoppers than the hexes. The stoppers were pretty bomber. There is a lot of surface area and they fit pretty well. At least on this climb. The red hex was used a few times. The the two big ones were not. I didn't know it but Bob does not like to set any kind of hexes the long way. I had got the big hex to be the second big piece for the last pitch but it wasn't needed. One could take three more medium cams on this climb instead of all the plastic and you'd be OK. One #4 Friend is all you'll need.
Hey Piton,
The mathematics of climbing is such that ones max climb equals the approach times the rating of the climb. Since I can only climb 5.9 all my approaches have to be long ones. If I could just climb 5.11 I could shorten my approaches considerably. Ed can show us the actual calculations but I think it's Mc=aL*5.(x)/we with we as the weather function.
See ya,
Zander
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
  Oct 14, 2007 - 08:43pm PT
Darn’d nice round-trip to chew on there Zanderoso!
Chicken Skinner

Trad climber
Yosemite
  Oct 14, 2007 - 08:49pm PT
Cool TR Zander. I would love to go on one of those adventures with you sometime. It would be completely different than anything I have done.

Ken
Standing Strong

Trad climber
snowshoe thompson history trail
  Oct 14, 2007 - 09:39pm PT
that is SO f*cking cool! i didn't realize people actually could climb in the canyon. i mean yea some of the layers are harder rock but it didn't click that people could get up to those layers to climb them, or that even if they did that there were enough established routes that there might actually be a guide... the temples are so f*cking rad! when i was there i took so many photos of the moon rising over them. visually, they're totally f*cking fascinating. good on you! i would love to climb there too. it's like you think the grand canyon is like the stereotypical great american road trip, and not a big deal, but you get there and it's so awe inspiring that you practically fall in, especially at sunset, and you almost toss your camera in the canyon cuz there's so much to take in that it's almost just too ridiculous to stop gazing for even a second while you pull out the camera.
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Oct 14, 2007 - 10:16pm PT
Most excellent! Thanks for writing it up, and great photos. Looks like 5-star adventure to this spectator.

I've climbed on those plastic hexes from Oz, didn't feel too good about it myself.
Duke-

Trad climber
SF, aka: Dirkastan
  Oct 14, 2007 - 10:34pm PT
Sweet!

-Dirka
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 14, 2007 - 10:37pm PT
Oh yeah, strong it goes,
the view from the north on our 24 hr from the north rim attempt -ended up about 28hrs

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
  Oct 14, 2007 - 10:45pm PT
Rim schmimm!
Go out to Toroweap. Splash a little Jim Beam on Rif's grave (but be careful not to get any on his wife's), and the god's will smile upon you for the rest of your days.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 14, 2007 - 10:54pm PT
Much as i'd like to think of it as a smile sometimes I get the feeling the gods are just teasing...
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Oct 14, 2007 - 11:01pm PT
Ron,
Toroweap is absolutely astounding. We went out there with the kids. Fifty plus miles of dirt road. It was the middle of the tourist season and no one was there. We camped 100 feet from the edge, which at that location drops a mile almost straight down. What a place.
Jaybro,
I love that rim shot. We so much wanted to climb Brahma but we were too slow. Deva looks cool as well. Did you guys get to the top of all three?
See ya,
Zander
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Oct 14, 2007 - 11:08pm PT
Standing Strong,
There are more climbs out there then anyone will ever know!

Ken,
I met your boy at the Faacelift Sushifest. We did our first backpack into the canyon when our boys were about that age. Go for it. If you really want to go with the old farts on a trip sometime send me an e-mail. There are no plans right now but there will be.

Take care,
Zander
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 14, 2007 - 11:09pm PT
Nah, 'just' zoro. But the half full view is that I have two more reasons to go back! It'd take no time at all in a Tundra with a plumber's rack!
Chicken Skinner

Trad climber
Yosemite
  Oct 14, 2007 - 11:14pm PT
Zander, I am an old fart too. I will email you.

Ken
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
  Oct 15, 2007 - 12:30am PT
If anyone accuses me of hating park rangers the ultimate denial is my love of John.

Toroweap just wouldn't be what it is without his presence. That the NPS permitted him and later his wife to be buried there (after incredible paperwork that would preclude any further family members' internments) is to their credit, though after spending half his 70 years at that incredible place an alternate arrangement seems absurd.
I used to watch everything from skunks to deer walk up to him and eat out of his hand. He was simply the good samaritan of a remote and beautiful place.
We used to dangle our feet over the edge of that awesome abyss while passing back and forth the Beam, and when I took the occasional toke he would tell me of his days in the service, and how those black boys used to "dig" the reefer.

I first was drawn out there chasing a beautiful ornithologist with remarkable oral skills who was conducting a bird count out on the strip.




What?
She could recite poetry. What did I say?



Anyway, she and her friend Helen were staying out at Tuweap while making the count, and I rode out there on my dirt bike the first time and ole Rif was more than happy to refill my tank at Uncle Sam's expense.
Sometimes a local bush pilot would fly out tourists, and while the girls were there the pilot would tell the tourists (after pointing out Colorado City) that ole Rif was a plyg, and they'd land to find one old guy and woman along with these two women in their twenties greeting them, and if they had daughters they couldn't wait to GTF outta there!
Too phuckin' funny. John loved it.


I'll leave the "rims" to the tourists. For me, the canyon IS Toroweap.
I'm not the only one either.
Some guy named Kurt Diemberger used to go out there. He returned and gave John an inscribed copy of Summits And Secrets, the very one that I read with my feet dangling over the edge.



Ten years later I met Diemberger for the first time in Boulder. He didn't know that John had died.
He said he'd be back to pay his respects.

I told him not to forget the Jim Beam.


Its what John used to call, "Something for men over 50 and women of ANY age."
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Oct 15, 2007 - 12:39am PT
cool tr. I liked it
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Oct 15, 2007 - 01:12am PT
Great TR Zander, thanks for posting it...
...and great that you and Bob got in such a wonderful climb in a most remarkable landscape.

Today was the opening day of "wide cragging" in the Valley for the old guys... lots of fun with Mr. Smooth in wiseman mode:

"make sure to get fully rested on your rests"

"if you have to puke, don't puke on your footholds"

he did a great job on Chingando... and we took spyork on a cruise up Remnant Right while scoping Left for later in the season... that will be full value. As well as Reed's Left.

It's going to be fun!
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Oct 15, 2007 - 09:55am PT
Ron,
Thanks for your story. I didn't know any of the history of the place just how beautiful it is. Anybody got pictures?

Ed,
Glad you guys had a good time. I found some Metolious hangers and oval screw links on sale so I'm about ready to do the bolt replacement on Secret Storm. See you soon.
Zander
Floridaputz

Trad climber
Oakland Park Florida
  Oct 15, 2007 - 11:03am PT
Nice trip report, the best I've seen. These photo's are from a climb of zoro in aug 1982. You can climb the east Face of O'niel Butte on the way down the Kiabab.



We spent the night at Phantom Ranch, then another night at the base.


after the climb


My rope got stuck on the rap through the red wall on the way back. I had to solo back up and rap again. we had no water left and we in a "race" to get to phantom creek.


Thanks for the memories
Gary Carpenter

climber
SF Bay Area
  Oct 15, 2007 - 11:14am PT
Great TR Zander! Gotta put that climb on my"List".

Gary
Prod

Trad climber
  Oct 15, 2007 - 11:17am PT
Holy approaches....

Great TR

Prod.
handsome B

Gym climber
SL,UT
  Oct 15, 2007 - 12:56pm PT
thanks for the TR, you sure do like to suffer
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Oct 15, 2007 - 08:27pm PT
Hi Floridaputz,
Nice pics. We had wanted to try O'Neill Butte but the weather didn't cooperate. Looks cool.
Zander
girasol

Trad climber
Colorado Springs, CO
  Oct 15, 2007 - 08:34pm PT
Wow, dem's some nice pics! Thanks for sharing, Zander!
Crimpergirl

Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
  Oct 15, 2007 - 08:49pm PT
Really fantastic.
Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
sawatch choss
  Oct 15, 2007 - 09:39pm PT
Bump for adventure choss!

I gotta go visit the flag gang one a these days...that looks so cool. Good job gettin er done there Zander!
Handsandwich

climber
  Nov 12, 2007 - 07:51pm PT
Hey Zander,

Awesome TR! Congrats on a job well done ... that trip is a beast! I was in the area to climb Brahma and found a piece of gear at the base of the Redwall chimney and thought it might belong to you. If you can describe it, I suppose I could return it, and not too begrudgingly (hey, it's a nice piece ... been lookin' for one of those).

Justin
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Nov 12, 2007 - 09:18pm PT
Hey Floridaguy, what route did you do?
Is that the south face?

When we did Zoro, we bivied in the wash below the Redwall. The next morning, we got up, boogied up the Redwall and then up to Zoro to climb. Was an excellent adventure.

I take it the sandstone wasn't too wet after the rain?

Sometime after we climbed the route, the Needles Eye took the dive into the void. Thinking back when I was leading that pitch and had one boot on the main wall and one stemming off the edge of the Eye gives me the willies.

Long shot of Zoro:

Approach map I did with a little help from Google Earth:


rwedgee

Ice climber
CA
  Nov 12, 2007 - 10:01pm PT
Thanks, nice TR!! Appreciate the effort.
spyork

Trad climber
Tunneling out of prison
  Nov 12, 2007 - 10:50pm PT
Bump for the awesome trip report! I didnt see this when it came by the first time. The good stuff sinks off the first page too soon!
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Nov 12, 2007 - 11:09pm PT
Hey Handsandwich,
I actually didn't loose any gear on this trip. (unlike some others where I've sacrificed or lost a quarter of my rack). Besides it's finders keepers. I hope it's good stuff. How was Brahma? I've got to go back for that rascal. I'd like to explore Diva too. There is reputed to be a hidden spring there, which would change everything.
Steelmnky,
Nice google shot. Bivying in the wash would have been great for us had we known. The wash had many big pools from the last rain. It would have saved us many hours. Of course it would have added many hours to the trip out so I'm cool with what we did.
Take care y'all.
Zander
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Nov 12, 2007 - 11:16pm PT
Steelmonk, Coolshii, any chance you could do one of those overhead overviews for the route from the north rim?
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Nov 12, 2007 - 11:24pm PT
Since this thread has re-surfaced I'll add a few photos. Bob bought a throwaway
camera just as we headed in. I finally figured out how to load the pics onto my computer.

Here's a pic of me about to step around into the bombay chimney on P5.

Here is the first rappel off the top.

Anybody else have a few more pics?
Zander
Jello

Social climber
No Ut
  Nov 12, 2007 - 11:58pm PT
Wonderful TR Zander, and great stories, Ron.

-JelloAsterTemple
Handsandwich

climber
  Nov 13, 2007 - 01:15am PT
Hey Zander,

Just tryin' to do the "right thing" for some canyon karma (really need it sometimes). Brahma was a blast. The Zoro/Brahma saddle is one of my favorite spots on earth. Probably try to hit Cheops/Isis on one of the next trips, though Diva looks fun. I'd really love to get on Angel's Gate! I'll try to add some shots when I have time and figure out how.

J
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Nov 13, 2007 - 08:33am PT
Hoofing up Sumner Wash to the Redwall...

First pitch...

Chimney, third pitch...

Fifth pitch...
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Nov 13, 2007 - 11:12am PT
Steelmnky,
Thanks for the additional pics. Whenever I see pics of a climb I've done, My pics or others, it brings it all back.

Handsandwich,
It's funny, wherever you are in the canyon you're always looking over at something else to climb. When I was on Wotan's I looked over at Angels Gate and really wanted to be over there. I'd like to do Isis too. It seems like you could establish a camp back in there and then over a few days do Cheops, Isis, Budda, Manu, Shiva and a few others. Good times to be had.
Zander
Floridaputz

Trad climber
Oakland Park Florida
  Nov 14, 2007 - 12:16pm PT
Zander & Steelmonkey, I thought you guys might find these Original Topo's from the S Rim back country office interesting. I used these on my trip in 1982. Notice the rack suggestions of 1 set of "Hexes" with X-tra 9,10,11.




It kinda makes you appreciate the Super Topo's
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Nov 14, 2007 - 08:44pm PT
Floridaputz,
That topo is great! I guess the "new" crux is where the needles eye fell off. It seems like the next pitch might have been diferent as well.
I like that the last pitch used to be 5.7. I guess climbers are wimpier now.
Thanks for posting.
Zander
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Nov 14, 2007 - 09:50pm PT
Here's the topo I drew after we did the route. The way we went was our best interpretation of the old topo we had at the time (very similar to the one above). Seemed to work out pretty well. Obviously, no more Needles Eye now.

Festus

Social climber
Enron by the Sea
  Nov 14, 2007 - 09:58pm PT
Okay, now I feel like a lazy ass. A few days after you hiked out, we hiked in here...and did nothing but lay on the beach, fish, and swill river-chilled beers. Great TR!
Zander

climber
Author's Reply  Nov 15, 2007 - 12:15am PT
Hey Festus,
"beach, fish, and swill river-chilled beers".
That sounds like apretty good trip report to me.
Hey Steel,
I love your topos. I heard that with a three year subscription to Hot Belayer Magazine you get a full set, signed.

I put the way we went in red onto your topo. The last picture I posted shows me just about to step around into the chimney.
The new pitch four belay is at the horn which is so cool. The last pitch seems to be slowly being downgraded to 5.8. I think that's right. Burly still, though.
Hope to meet you in some offwidth someday.
Zander
Owlman

Trad climber
Ardipithicus
  Nov 15, 2007 - 01:47am PT
FYI the "way steep headwall" part of the first rappell is an alternate route that starts around left of the NE arete and follows beautiful cracks to a ridge that leads to the base of the steep headwall. You crank up the headwall via splitter hands to fingers past a block (5.11) then fists to the rim. It's and awesome pitch in a wild setting! Carl Tobin was involved with the first ascent...called it the "sky crack", or something like that. He and I did the second ascent in 27 hrs round trip from the S. Kaibab trailhead in like AUG '96 or '97. He went back the next week and did it in 23 hrs? Three ascents in 3 weeks.

Typical Carl.
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
  Nov 15, 2007 - 08:43am PT
Thanks for the compliment and the updates Zander. That topo is (oh my god!) 11 years old already, so it needs some work (still haven't removed the Needles Eye). I haven't been back since all that fell off. I think a lot of folks climb up the way you did . The topo that was in Rock and Ice a few years back indicated that was the way to go.

The partner I climbed Zoro with was down there a couple of years ago and did an 18 hour round trip climb of the Temple from the South Rim. That's movin' pretty quick. I think the record is like 15 hours and change or better. Anyone know?

Owlman - thanks for the info. Sounds pretty cool. That's a big pile of work to head down there three times in such a short span.

Incidentally, anyone who hasn't climbed Mount Hayden off the North Rim should give that a go. Incredible summit in an incredible location. Sort of a pain to get to, but worth it. A good late summer target.

From Point Imperial...

Buddy on the summit...


Hey Floridaputz - what route is that in your picture? Southwest Face? Inquiring minds want to know. The crack system in that one picture looks like a lotta fun.
Floridaputz

Trad climber
Oakland Park Florida
  Nov 15, 2007 - 11:58am PT
SteelMonkey, I think you are asking about pic #1 in my first post. That is the East Face of O'neill Butte. This is on the Kiabab trail. a one pitch climb. I called it 5.8 back then (25 years ago) but who knows. That was before sticky rubber climbing shoes. I lived on S Rim in 82' so what to do but climb choss ! That topo of Zoro is fantastic. Brother you have some talent.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  Nov 22, 2007 - 12:24pm PT
Greg:

"Chaz Langelier and I head to the Grand Canyon to do a 1 day push on Zoroaster Temple. Inspired by Buzz Burrel, Bill Wright and other, we set out to see how fast we could pull it off car-car. With minimal gear (although still plenty for a completely safe climb) we left the S. Rim of the GC heading down the Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch. Then, climbed back up nearly 4300 feet and started the 5 pitch climb (we ran 1-2 and 3-4 together for a total of 3 pitches) and tagged the summit in 6 hours and 41 minutes. Then, nearly out of water, we took off back to the ranch and back out the Kaibab. The adventured covered some 30 miles, 10kft of gain, and 10 kft of loss. Our total time was just over 14 hours."

From Jared's website: www.door5.com.

-Brian in SLC
gomer-pyle

Big Wall climber
I am everywhere
  May 4, 2008 - 10:08pm PT
sweet bump...
bob

climber
  May 4, 2008 - 10:43pm PT
Tooting the horn, but we were real psyched to never have to do this again: Brahma/Zoroaster from Kaibab car to car with a three hour nap = just under 22 hrs. NEVER AGAIN like that.

Bob J.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  May 5, 2008 - 09:18am PT
What a cool TR.
You guys must have had a ball....
pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
  May 6, 2008 - 11:41am PT
Fixed ropes on the approaches ?
Wow, seems somewhat contrary to the whole Cnyn experience.
They certainly didn't use to be there. And from my memory,
I can see absolutely no reason for leaving strands of perlon on the approach to Zoro. OK, so you might have to walk a bit further to make the breaks or climb something harder....

Other recommended summits:

Zoro - South Face, can't say how it compares to the North Face but it has one rather wild pitch and a really cool first pitch that's very intimidating but goes rather easy.

That rappel route of Tobin's looks awesome !

Buddha - 2 or 3 great options and lots of amazing looking new route potential. SW corner can probably be 3rd classed without too much trouble. Tricky boulder problem to start, not much after that, although we did do a pitch of 9/10 hand crack but the same pitch was easily walked around by half our party. We just wanted to use the damn rack we hauled all the way in there.
Approach is comprable to Zoro but probably a bit longer. But the Redwall break is just a scree trudge.

Hayden - awesome summit. Pegasus (NFace) is an awesome climb if you're comfortable in the 10+/11 range on Coconino...

Vishnu - technical climbing pretty minimal (one or two pitches, one rappel, depending on side you approach from). George Bain has solo'd it in a day from the river via the E Face. Another spectacular summit. Has all the normal issues with North Rim approaches (bush thrushing...)

Actually, have to say I haven't met a GC summit I didn't like. Many of them have amazing "walk ups" that appear at the last minute. Some of them you just trudge up but the views more than make up for it. Some of them you scare the piss out of yourself either 3rd classing when you shouldn't or 3rd classing because you have to.



noshoesnoshirt

climber
Arkansas, I suppose
  May 28, 2009 - 09:52pm PT
unbelievably beautiful
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  May 28, 2009 - 09:55pm PT
Canyon choss is cool. Great trip, guys.
Lynne Leichtfuss

Trad climber
Will know soon
  May 28, 2009 - 10:08pm PT
Gezzzzzz. Incredible TR! One of the best along with Mike Grahams' of Tahquitz. Youza ! Was the approach actually 6 hours ? lynnie
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Oct 17, 2011 - 10:13pm PT
Grand Canyon Bump
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Apr 21, 2013 - 02:18pm PT
bump this up
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