Leading the crux pitch, somewhere near the pod, Ap...
Description
The Moonlight Buttress, as it is most commonly referred to, is one of the most popular aid climbs in Zion, and, as a free climb, is perhaps the most spectacular, and arguably longest and hardest, sandstone climb in the world. This stunning route tackles the namesake feature, a proud prow of rock that juts out from the wall behind it, via a singular, peerless crack that extends for 1200 feet from base to summit and never widens to more than an inch or two... the Moonlight Buttress is a feature of unparalleled perfection.
Ed. Note: It should be noted that the route already exists in the Mountain Project database here, described at a 5.8 C1 climb, but due to a lot of requests for free climbing beta, I'm submitting this description of the route as well.
First freed in 1992 by Peter Croft & Johnny Woodward, the route was originally rated 5.13b. That rating has since settled to 5.12d, but even this reflects the overall effort of the climb and not the single hardest moves on the route. This has been evidenced by a number of onsights over the past few years, and most recently, Alex Honnold's free solo of the route in an astonishing 1 hour and 23 minutes.
The Moonlight Buttress is a sustained journey up nearly flawless rock for it's entire length. It has pitch after pitch of difficult Indian Creek style splitters and corners, a few enjoyable face climbing sections, fantastic exposure, and great belay ledges. What follows is a detailed description of my experience on the route that may provide more beta than you're after. If this is the case, refer to the free SuperTopo description that is floating around on the web, or one of many guidebook descriptions.
Approach: Drive into Zion to a bend in the road and park in the lot on the left (Angel’s Landing parking lot), or, continue on for 500’ to a paved pullout on the right. The Moonlight Buttress is obvious. Continue on foot up the road, drop down to the river, and cross near a huge boulder on the far side. Pick up a great climber’s trail to the base of the route. Begin the route well to the left by scrambling up a 4th class passage to the first belay. The approach takes about 30 minutes.
P1: 5.8, 130’. Gear: Mostly full rack, slings & draws. Climb a long, sandy left-facing, right-leaning corner. Near the top move right and ascend a hand crack to an obvious tree on the belay ledge. Yuck, this route sucks, just rap off now.
P2: 5.10+, 100’. Gear: 3 of each cam, slings & draws. Runout, easy climbing up ledgey terrain to the right. Pull a roof (10+) on the right (use long slings), and continue up an awkward lieback crack (10-) to the belay.
P3: 5.11c, 50’. Gear: 4 draws & a #1 Camalot. Traverse right and slightly down. The hardest moves, a step-down/stand-up sequence, are early on the pitch. The bolts on this pitch could use updating. Continue to a bolted belay on a ledge.
P4: 5.10-, 90’. Gear: 3 of each cam, slings & draws. Head up and right on a thin flake, then traverse back left below a roof to a corner. A difficult move here (easier if you're tall) leads to a stance below a bolt. Above the bolt, step left to easy terrain (straight up is 10+). Runner gear well on this pitch as it wanders significantly. A bolted belay is above on terraced ledges and the Rocker Block.
P5: 5.12, 100’. Gear: Full rack less the 0.75 Camalot. Slings & draws. This is perhaps the single hardest move on the climb: A 12b boulder problem off the Rocker Block. My solution was to hang draws on the first bolt or two and carry only one extra draw on my harness, do the moves, then lower a loop of rope to bring up the rest of the rack. In any case, leap sideways off the Rocker Block for the obvious hold up and right. Match, and throw right to a good hold, clip, toe in on the lower handhold, and mantle up to a decent stance. One more hard move leads to a good rest at the base of the long, left-facing corner. Lieback like mad to the anchor – a single bolt out right at a stance, some tat, and good cam placements. A second bolt here would allow for rapping the entire route with a single 70m cord, not that I'm advocating another bolt or anything.
P6: 5.12+, 100’. Gear: Full rack less the #1 Camalot. At least one sling. The enduro pitch. The crux of the route is absolutely hanging around placing gear on this sucker. Lieback a long ways to a handcrack pod. Place high and continue to lieback through a very thin section to a flare out left. Some jessery may be possible here, but inevitably, jam upwards, clipping the aid anchor out left (do not stop), switch cracks to a system on the right and continue to lieback on easier ground up to the roof and a bolted anchor out right. The semi-hanging belay here under the chimney is the only uncomfortable one on the route.
P7: 5.12-, 100’. Gear: Green Alien w/ draw, draw for the bolt, 0.75 Camalot, all 0.5 & 0.4 Camalots. No wires. This is a great, wild pitch. It is also much harder than the rating would indicate. Place a Green Alien to protect getting into the chimney, and then pull into it and continue up left side in past a bolt. Moving up reminded me of the moves getting into the Harding Slot, more sustained albeit much easier. Eventually the chimney begins to open up into a right angle corner and the knee bars start feeling less and less bomber. A 0.75 Camalot in a pod here protects a strenuous move switching from a knee bar into a jam and then into a lieback. Once liebacking, one can motor up a long 0.5 Camalot section. 0.4’s can be placed higher. Rack on the left side. Climb to the Bivy Ledge and a bolted belay. Crazy exposure!
P8: 5.12-, 80’. Gear: 0.3 Camalots and up, no small pieces or wires. Splitter rattley fingers. The tough stuff is only about 15'. Bolted belay on a ledge.
P9: 5.12b/c, 110’. Gear: Full rack (including wires) less the #1 Camalot and two of the smallest cams. One or two draws. Splitter rattley fingers to sit-down rest. The tough stuff is only about 20'. After the rest, a thin crack & pin scars (cool move switching cracks) lead to a bolted belay on a narrow ledge out right.
P10: 5.12a, 190’. Gear: Full rack (including wires). The Nutting Pitch. Tricky face climbing up the zig-zagging cracks past wedged blocks leads to sandy locks to a no-hands knee bar rest. This whole pitch is pretty awesome, and after all the pure jamming/liebacking, the 5.12 face climbing almost feels easy. Almost. Skip the anchor and continue through a sandy 5.10+ roof and on up cracks and knobs to lower angle top out.
Descent: Walk off via the Angel’s Landing trail. This is 2 miles of paved trail to the Grotto Picnic Area which is 1.5 miles down the road from Angel’s Landing. Alternatively, rap (see below). Walking off is much faster.
Miscellaneous notes: The route gets sun at around 9 AM and goes into the shade late in the afternoon. The route can be rapped entirely with a 70m rope except for around the crux pitch (P6). This could be rapped with the addition of a bolt to the anchor atop P5 (or a very large stopper and some webbing/rings). The last few raps are straight down (not following the route).
Protection
4 each 0.2 Camalots (equivalent to 0 TCU's or blue Aliens) 3 each Green Aliens (nice to have as they are slightly smaller than the 0.3 Camalots) 3 each 0.3 Camalots 6 each 0.4 Camalots 6 each 0.5 Camalots 1 each 0.75 Camalot and #1 Camalot (crucial for the 5.11 traverse) A half set of medium wires 3 draws and 3 slings 70m rope (if rapping at all)
Thanks for the Free-beta. Very informative. Just wondering if having a belay seat is a good idea? Or any other random convienience items you would recomend?
By Brian in SLC From: Salt Lake City, UT Apr 9, 2008
"The semi-hanging belay here under the chimney is the only uncomfortable one on the route."
Really depends on your tolerance for hanging in your harness on this anchor. Rest of it seems to be nice.
In my opinion, he is missing a bit of gear on the rack beta...definitely want at least 2 .75 camalots, and at least (1) 2 camalot. I can't remember if you want a 3, but it would only be on the last 5.10 pitch, and you just styled so many 5.12 pitches, so be the hardman/woman that you just became and run it out - but that pitch feels hard at the end of the day! It is easy to stop the nutting pitch after 90' and belay at the bolted anchor and do a short half rope length top out pitch if you are tired...then you can carry less gear on the nutting pitch! He has listed 6 sets of finger gear, which is good, but you could probably do it with 5. The crux pitch is no harder than 12c, and I have huge fingers - which makes the rest of the route easier.
I would say the 5.10 variation straight up from where over nighters position their haul is much better then the 5.8 to the left. It is more straight forward and takes much better gear then the sandy traditional start. Would be much easier to aid through as well since it actually takes gear the whole way. Cheers
The 5.10 variation is where the overnighters will haul for Sheer Lunacy and Lunar Ecstasy. It's better for Moonlight Buttress overnighters to haul in two pitches to the Rocker Block. There is a midway belay station on the face below the Rocker Block. Most will find this a preferable option than hauling the first three diagonal pitches of Moonlight.
Also, the 5.10 variation is a good free climbing option.
By Beached Nuts From: Bermuda bitches Oct 13, 2008
I brought 1 blue alien and can't remember if I needed more. 4 seems very excessive though.
By bheller From: SLC Utah Nov 10, 2008 rating: 5.12c
On 11-9-08, we fixed a nut and some webbing to the free climbing belay stance, making it possible to rap the route with a 70 meter rope. The rap ring is a little lower than the stance, put a cam in the crack above the fixed nut and belay from the cam and the single bolt- it is more comfortable this way. We also had a 3 camalot walk and fix itself above the bolt in the flared chimney on pitch 7. It seemed to be really welded, so it will probably stay put. Fixed gear! Yeah!
Fixed nut is no longer there, you Can NOT rap the route with a 70m rope now. Leaving behind a fixed nut like that on an aid climb won't last long, and didn't...this is 2 weeks later!
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