Organasm is an excellent intro into Zion aid climbing. At just 4 pitches, it's half the commitment of nearby neighbors Touchstone Wall and Spaceshot. Furthermore, pitches 1 and 4 may be free climbed at a modest 5.8 and 5.7, respectively.
P1 (5.8) Free climb 5.8 crack up pillar, past a single bolt, and continue through awkward wide section to gain a decent stance at a sling belay.
P2 (C1) Aid through a stellar roof through a splitter crack with bomber C1 placements. The crux of the route is probably cleaning this pitch, so be sure to read up on cleaning roofs BEFORE attempting (better yet, get some practice at your local area)! Continue past roof to a bolted anchor.
P3 (C2) A fairly long (150'?) pitch. Aid through second (smaller) roof and out onto arête. Straightforward nutting and good cam placements up this vertical crack, which ends on a nice ledge with bolted anchors.
The use of cam hooks should be avoided for soft rock areas such as Zion due to potential to damage the rock.
Descent
Descend to climbers' right via bushwack through gully to the north. Although fairly straightforward by daylight, just finding the descent gully would be difficult in the dark. Come prepared: bring a headlamp (and don't forget to check your batteries).
If pressed for time, retreat is possible from the top of pitch 2 via one double-rope rap.
i know for a fact that the 2nd pitch(the big roof) goes free at wild 5.11ish hand jams. and ive heard the 3rd pitch goes free at hard 5.11 or 5.12.
pitch 1 and 2 can be linked with a 60m rope(or less) but can cause quite the rope drag.
also, you can rap off the top of the roof pitch(the 2nd pitch) with one 60m rope(just barely).
By Dustin Wildermuth From: Flagstaff, AZ Mar 24, 2006 rating: 5.8 C1+
The gear beta posted here said bring cam hooks. DO NOT BRING THEM! You will not need them and you will destroy the route for future climbers.
By Gaar From: Springdale / Zion UT Dec 12, 2007 rating: 5.12b C0
This whole thing goes free at 12b....the roof is an easy 5.11.. NO HAMMERS!!!!!!!!!! Be Carfull of your rope getting stuck turning the lip, either free or aid... Recommend Building a hanging anchor right after the roof, and breaking pitch 2 up.
Fantastic route! Eventhough the descent sucks (wallowing down gullies filled with loose sand and stout bushes), I recommend topping out. P3 is great.
I brought some of the typical aid toys (offset micro stoppers, tricams, lowe balls, etc) and didn't use any of them. There were a few marginal placements, but they were all on normal gear (black alien was helpful). P3 ate up medium to large stoppers.
It is possible to rap from the top of P3. There is a fixed anchor on the ledge. I don't remember the specifics, but 2 bolts come to mind. It could use some new webbing. You could probably also rap from the top, but it could be ugly. You'd be rapping off a tree with the potential for snagged ropes or loose rock as you pull your rope.
P3 is long, so if you are rapping, you'll likely need two ropes.
As for avoiding problems at the lip, it is easy to keep your rope out of the main crack. There is a second smaller crack (visible in some of the images here) for much of the roof. At the lip, we clipped dirctly into a cam (0.5 Camalot?) in this crack which kept the rope out of the larger crack.
ON ALL the climbing websites and to everyone I talk to, when asked what my favorite route is, I state it loud and clear - ORGANASM! - I've only climbed the first two pitches, we only free them, but it is the way to do it. First pitch is awkward and I'd say is 5.8+. Second pitch is clean and fun, you have a really good rest before the roof that will take as many 2's and 3's as you'd like to put in it. The crux is pulling out of the roof but with a perfect .75 placement in an adjacent crack to lookers right that keeps the rope out of the main crack. Followed by tight hands to the chains, it goes free and is super fun route.
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