The Zipper  5.11d A0 PG13

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Type:  Trad, Sport, Aid, 3 pitches, 250 feet, Grade II Consensus:  5.11c/d A0 [details] FA:  Gary Zeigler and John Auld, 1965. FFA Rolofson and Britt, 1984 Season:  all Submitted By:  SAL on Jan 30, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: My kid painted the route for us. Pitch 2 and 3 sho...

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Seasonal falcon nesting closures MORE INFO >>> The East Face of North Gateway is closed to climbers every year from around Feb 1 until early August, depending on when the birds fledge. It's not posted out there, but since the closure has been in effect for 20+ years it is incumbent on climbers to know about closures by stopping in at the visitor center and asking. The falcons always nest in a big pothole above the traverse ledge and below the Kissing Camels arch. 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 

This is fun but sandy climbing on marginal pins and spinning quarter inch bolts. This route must go through many changes over the years. We felt like we were cleaning a new route. This does not see too much traffic. It is a good one to tick once the rest of the Garden is getting played out.

Pitch 1: Climb Unzipped to the two eye bolt belay at the base of the headwall. (One could climb Cowboy Boot Crack and then downclimb or lower to these anchors, but it would just add some more time.)

Pitch 2: The bizz. Climb up and right from the belay following old quarter inch bolts with no hangers. A fall here could be fun. Establish below the roof and clip the first pin. Pull the roof on sandy holds (5.10ish), then continue up the line of pins. The crux is the top two clips where the holds run out and the feet have been lost over time. Crux (5.11d??) Belay at a two drilled angle anchor with rap slings.

Pitch 3: Short and spicy. Climb up and right over loose rock to passed two pins to the summit.

Rap from here.

Descent Beta:

Rap off the east side of the spire off two drill angles into Tourist Gully. We beef'd up the anchor a bit with two new runners and put a locker on it. The Original is still in place with an old military cable thing and a single piece of shotty webbing. 1 60 meter rope will do the job for this route.

Location 

This is on Tweedledumbshire Spire on the Southwest side of North Gateway.

It is just above Cowboy Boot Crack.

Climbed Unzipped to get there.

Protection 

Old drilled pins and quarter inchers. Yeah!

12 draws or so. Maybe a few extra just in case you wanna clip some manky stuff.

Bob D's book lists bringing a #3, 3.5 and a 4. We did not bring any of these. Nor would I have wanted to place one in that rock :)

Photos of The Zipper Slideshow

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Topping out on the 3rd pitch.	My partner kicked this rock off while rapping. I w...	Richard leading the free variation of the Zipper, ...
Scott starting up the Zipper, circa 1986.