Zig Zag Man  5.9

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Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.9+ [details] FA:  Submitted By:  Anthony Stout on Aug 15, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (7) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Early morning light finds George climbing on Zig Z...

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Some rocks in this area are on private property. Property owner requests signed waiver. MORE INFO >>> The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras. According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)" A new online Tres Piedras Route Guide from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note. From the guide: Access Notes: Tres Piedras climbers should sign the waiver found on this page because the popular South Rock is mostly on private land, as is some of the access to the area. The landowner, requests a waiver, NO fires, no chalk and "please close any gates". In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles. On August 19, 2009 the landowner stated: "Yes I still own the property, and yes I'd still like to have waivers on hand - even or perhaps especially from your organization. Only once in awhile do I have problems with climbers, mostly not picking up after themselves. My biggest gripe is that despite repeated requests, the climbers don't remove protection (edit: colored webbing, shiny hardware) from the climbing routes, which is both lazy and unattractive. Your organization could do me a big favor by doing a group climb and removing the crap that others have left on the various routes so that it is both a pristine part of the landscape, and so that each climber must figure out his own route without relying on the handiwork of others." 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 

An exciting lead for my first time at Tres Piedras! Though it felt a little run-out for my standards—perhaps not so bad for Tres Piedras standards. Not to mention I was just getting used to this type of climbing after not being on it for some time. Rope up at the base of a right facing dihedral that arches up and right. This is a bomber crack with readily available protection. Follow the crack up and right until it connects with another crack that goes straight up and over a roof. Once gaining the roof, step right and you will come upon another easily protected crack that will lead to a few easy moves. I had a little difficulty with route finding at this point in the route. At a second roof if you look right you will see a small finger crack, this is not the way! Or, at least it was not the way I went as it looked nothing like 5.9. Though you can protect the bottom of it, a fall from the slab above might leave you with a painful ankle should you hit the low angle slab at the base of the finger crack. I spent a good 10 minutes here contemplating it until I looked out to the left and eyeballed some easier slab climbing. So, climb to the left of the finger crack (which is in the left facing corner). You can protect in a horizontal seam. Continue up through some low grade and slightly run-out slab to underneath a small triangular roof. Here you will traverse right until a horizontal crack runs out. Place some gear at the end of the crack, and enjoy a spicy slab, run-out traverse to some giant chicken heads that will lead you to the near the summit of South Rock. We protected a short second pitch to gain the summit and south end rap anchors but the climbing was not difficult.

Descent: Rappel from summit anchors to the north or south end. The north anchors are at the top of Surface Tension (5.11-), which you can top rope after descending if you wish.

Location 

From the description in Taos Rock (Foley), we had some difficulty finding the route. Using the descriptions in both Taos Rock and Rock Climbing New Mexico (Jackson), we were able to find it more easily. The climb is on the Southwest end of South Rock. If your looking all the way on the west facing end of the formation, you have gone too far. Look at a large, right arching dihedral at the southwest end of the rock and follow it all the way down to the start of the climb. At the base of the climb is a pointed rock. The crack at the beginning of the climb is deep and accepts good pro, so if otherwise you are not at the right place.

Protection 

Double set of cams to #2 with one #3. Use abundant slings as the climb wanders (I used 10!). Slung some cordalette around a rock for an anchor.