Solstice of Change  5.10+

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Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 320 feet Consensus:  5.10+ [details] FA:  Josh Ewing & Eric Roberts, June 21, 2009 New Route:  Yes Season:  Spring and Fall, possible on a freaky cool solstice Submitted By:  Josh Ewing on Jun 22, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Seasonal Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> The following cliffs will be closed to climbing beginning March 1, 2012: Angels Landing, Cable Mountain, The Great White Throne (beyond single- and double-pitched climbs), Isaac (in Court of the Patriarchs), The Sentinel, Mountain of the Sun, North Twin Brother, Tunnel Wall, The East Temple, Mount Spry, The Streaked Wall, Mount Kinesava, and the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. All other cliffs will remain open to climbing. See www.nps.gov/zion/parknews/2012-climbing-closures-announced.h>>> for more info This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

PITCH 1: Start up a gorgeous splitter crack in the middle of the slab. The crack starts with hand jams. When the crack narrows to blue TCUs traverse right about 20 feet (a little heady) to join another splitter crack, which again starts with hands. Belay here to reduce rope drag, or continue up this splitter which narrows to fingers. Again, make a crack switch left to a right facing corner about 5 feet left. Mantle onto a small ledge at the base of a slanting, low-angle offwidth. Continue up the OW till it narrows to thin hands. Place a high piece and traverse left to another splitter, which leads to a nice belay ledge with a bolt and pin anchor. (This is a full 65 meter pitch if led in one pitch.)

PITCH 2: Do not go straight up from the belay into the chimney, which eats ropes for lunch. Instead, step right and climb past some loose rock to a gorgeous splitter finger crack through a roof. Continue on Red-Rocks-esque patina rock with fun splitter fingers to the base of an OW with a bolt. Continue up the offwidth and mantle onto a ledge with two bolts.

You could continue several pitches of easy terrain to a false summit, but the climbing is not nearly as good, so we recommend rappelling. Do not rappel straight down the corner from the 2nd pitch belay. Instead, rappel back the way you climbed and friction back to the P1 belay ledge.

Location 

On the north side of the North Fork of Taylor Canyon, you'll find a long ridge that starts with a slab with a beautiful splitter crack. This is near the mouth of the North Fork up and left as you walk in. Approach from up canyon just past a lower cliff band. See photos for landmarks.

Protection 

Two 70-meter ropes. Nuts. Triples from blue TCU-3 Camalot. (1) #4 friend, (1) old 4 Camalot, (1) old 4.5 Camalot.

Photos of Solstice of Change Slideshow

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Making an involuntary ascent of the rope-eating-cr...	BETA PHOTO: View from the approach. Solstice starts on the fa...	BETA PHOTO: View of Solstice from approach.