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Moonlight Buttress Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Moonlight Buttress

L › R R › L A › Z

	Looney Tunes 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b A2+
	Lunar Ecstasy 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2+
	Moonlight Buttress (Clean Aid), The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c C1
	Moonlight Buttress (Free), The T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Moonshadow T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Sheer Lunacy T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2-
	Sheer Lunacy (Free) T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b

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Elevation:	4,473 ft	1,363 m
GPS:	37.27785, -112.94955 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	346,415 total · 1,249/month
Shared By:	Casey Bernal on Jun 5, 2002 · Updates
Admins:	Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures ***** RAIN AND WET ROCK ***** The sandstone in Zion is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN ZION during or after rain. A good rule of thumb is that if the ground near your climb is at all damp (and not powdery dry sand), then do not climb. There are many alternatives (limestone, granite, basalt, and plastic) nearby. Seasonal Raptor Closures Details

Closures in effect March 1
Check for current Raptor closure conditions at:

nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/…

Description

Moonlight Buttress is the obvious buttress on the left just after Angel's Landing. It resembles a huge pillar resting against the wall. The wall faces almost due east.

The most common route on the wall is the The Moonlight Buttress (Clean Aid) that takes a line straight up the middle (the Grand Dihedral is obvious from the road).

At the base, be careful as the 3rd class ledges are easy to climb on but a tumble down could be serious.

There is a ledge after P5 of the Lowe/Weiss route that makes a great bivy if you have a portaledge. The descent is a casual hike down a paved path. Once you top out, hike straight back and you cannot miss the path. The path is most exciting (yes, seriously) path I have ever been on. Try to save some daylight to enjoy the hike down. It would be worthy of hiking by itself. The descent is about 3 miles down.

—Casey Bernal

Getting There

You can take the shuttle to the Big Bend stop (same as Prodigal Sun), or if you have a cool driver they will drop you off right in front of the trailhead. From the shuttle stop, jog up the road about 100 yards to the trailhead. There are trail markers posted to follow. To cross the creek, look for a wide area with islands, and you can cross with only getting your ankles wet. The approach takes maybe 30 minutes.

Descent

The Angel's Landing trail.

7 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Moonlight Buttress

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c C1 305 ● The Moonlight Buttress (Clean Aid) Trad, Aid 10 pitches
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2- 45 ● Sheer Lunacy Trad, Aid
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2+ 86 ● Lunar Ecstasy Aid 9 pitches
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 12 ● Moonshadow Trad 11 pitches
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b 48 ● Sheer Lunacy (Free) Trad 8 pitches
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b 139 ● The Moonlight Buttress (Free) Trad 10 pitches