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moonlight buttress without fly

Original Post
Jake wander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 195

hey guys,

im planning to climb moonlight buttress this spring, spending one night on the wall. i dont want to make this post about whether i should spend a night on the wall or not as ive already decided i want that part of the experience.

what i am wondering is, how bad of an idea would it be to not bring a fly for the ledge and just bring a bivvy. i wont be going if the weather doesnt look great, so this doesnt seem like a big risk, but i have limited aid experience and have only spent nights on a ledge in the winter in MN (no rain, just snow) so we didnt care about a fly then.

thanks

BigNobody · · all over, mostly Utah · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 10

If you must drag bags up the fragile sandstone walls, adding to the white streak then fine. But if you have two ropes you're literally 2 hours max from the ground at any point of any main canyon route. It's not that tall. IE. no fly no problem.

Matt Carroll · · Van · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 249

No need for a fly

Jake wander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 195

thanks guys

Andy Novak · · Bailey, CO · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 370
BigNobody wrote:If you must drag bags up the fragile sandstone walls, adding to the white streak then fine. But if you have two ropes you're literally 2 hours max from the ground at any point of any main canyon route. It's not that tall. IE. no fly no problem.
This. Its commonly done in 1 1/2 days. Fix the first 3, fire the next day. Clogging the route for free climbers is poor form these days.
Sean M · · Victor, MT · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 43

I brought a fly up there this past May but we didn't end up using it. Rain aside, Moonlight Buttress seemed a LOT less windy than Touchstone wall, which we did a few days later, and set up the fly just for the wind. I don't know if that was incidental, or something that always holds.

Also, climb it how you want to climb it. Don't pay attention to those who say its "poor form" to do it big wall style. Get out there and enjoy it!

MP · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 2
smurray47 wrote: Also, climb it how you want to climb it. Don't pay attention to those who say its "poor form" to do it big wall style. Get out there and enjoy it!
I disagree-it's not just about doing whatever you want-the preservation of a resource is important.
Sam Keller · · Mallorca, ES · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 30

I also support the fix and fire method.

Zion National Park is full of excellent beginner to intermediate aid climbing. There are many reasons not to bring a ledge on the butt, it's pretty arbitrary and kinda bad form.

DM me if you want any recomendations for routes that are WAY better than Moonlight and with great natural ledges.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Big Wall and Aid Climbing
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