BETA PHOTO: Voice from the Dust begins in the chimney to the r...
Description
Voice from the Dust is another of those obscure, yet good, long free lines in Zion. It seems that every other pitch on this thing is great. That also means that every other pitch is not so great. There is a good topo at the visitor center.
Here's a brief description:
P1 (5.8) Start in a short chimney with some large chockstones to the right of the large huecos. You can spot these huecos from the road. Climb the chimney then traverse left in the monstrous huecos. There is one bolt at the start of the traverse and one bolt next to a crack for the anchor (finger-size pieces for belay).
P2 (5.11a) This is a gem. Climb out the left side of the large hueco via a sweet splitter crack that eats red Camalots. Belay at two bolts in an awkward chimney.
P3 (5.11a) An initial hard section gives way to enjoyable hand jamming. The pitch ends with a somewhat awkward offidth before reaching a great belay ledge with two bolts.
P4 (5.11b/c) The crux pitch is mostly bolt-protected (they might have all been drilled angles; I can't remember). Climb the face, clipping bolts/angles and placing a couple of pieces to the huge Sanctuary ledge.
P5 (5.10a) Move your stuff to the base of the upper headwall. Climb a wide crack (bring an old #5 Camalot or a new #6) formed by a flake, traverse right with one bolt and then up a great hands to thin-hands crack. Stop and belay with gear at a small alcove where the crack splits into to two. This pitch is long, approximately 50 meters or more.
P6 (5.10b) This is one of the not-so-good pitches. Climb up left through a big chimney to a fragile ledge. From here you can belay at a tree with slings or it seems better to continue up and left to the loose gully where you can belay with gear.
P7 (5.8) This pitch is bad and then good. Climb carefully up the loose Book of the Dead on the left side of the gully. Then, climb the classic Book of Life, a splitter corner at about 60 degrees vertical. Belay from gear at the ledge.
P8 (5.7) Traverse right on easy terrain to the top of a ledge where you can see some rappel bolts down and to the right. Instead of going there, go up and left and belay on top of a loose block with a bolt and a fixed pin.
From there, third class a couple hundred feet to the top and enjoy the view.
Enjoy!
Protection
Standard desert rack with multiples in finger- to hand-size. Bring a big piece for the wide start on pitch 5; although manageable, it is unprotectable without it. See the topo for a detailed gear list.
Location
The route starts on a heavily huecoed face on the far south end of the east face. The first pitch starts in a short chimney to the right of some large huecos and roofs. See beta photo.
Descent
Rappel the route, skipping the belay at the top of pitch 5. You can rappel from the top of pitch two to the ground.
I'm not sure what to give it for stars. Just depends on what kind of desert, sand-in-your-eye routes you like. If people are giving Iron Messiah 3-1/2 stars then this probably deserves 3. I thought it was better than Equinox and the NE Buttress of Angels Landing if that says anything.
Dave Jones & Mark Austin climbed the first 3 pitches back in the late 80's.
"From here you can belay at a tree with slings or it seems better to continue up and left to the loose gully where you can belay with gear."
The gear belay would be better as the tree belay was kind of cramped. It would even be good to put a bolted rap station in there...we wanted to but it was getting dark. A 60m rap would just make to the big midway ledge.
Mt. Moroni
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