Apollyon

Apollyon is a free climbing route (with 3 bolts of A0) that ascends the south face of Angel’s Landing. There is an all free variation that goes at 5.10+ R. The first half of the route boasts good rock and is sustained in the 5.10 range. Notable features include a 50m hand to wide fist crack, a steep pumpy hand sized splitter, and a moderate roof crack that is over a body length long. Due to it’s proximity to the West Rim Trail, this route is not for those with stage fright.  

This climb was established ground up. Every hole drilled on lead and all glue ins were installed after completion of the route. Thanks to Erin McMahon and Matthew Eckelberg for their help in equipping the rap route.

P1
The monster enduro opening pitch. Scramble up a ledge with a stubby pillar on the left side. A0 your way past 3 bolts and into the base of the wide, left leaning crack. Battle it all the way to a ledge. Continue up a left facing corner for another 15ft to a large ledge. You'll need most the rack for this one. Conserve gear and save a couple big pieces for up high. Even with a bit of A0 this pitch is a quality battle of free climbing not to be missed.  (5.10+ A0, 60m, 2 bolt anchor) 

Alt P1-1.5 (all free variation)
30ft left of the leaning crack is a clean corning system that turns into a seam about 50ft up. Before the crack closes do a spooky unprotected face traverse left around an arete and into another crack system. Follow it straight up until hitting the final rap anchor. This was the original first pitch. (5.10+ R, 40m, 2 bolt anchor) From the anchor traverse right across the stance to a great flake. Follow the flake to the ledge and the standard pitch 1 anchors. This was the original second pitch. (5.10-, 18m, 2 bolt anchor) 

P2
Walk across the tenuous ledge to a hand crack that splits the leaning pillar. Follow the crack for about 15ft before it disappears at a stance. Climb an easy slabby offwidth with no pro to a small ledge that is the top of the pillar (rap anchor out left). Then, climb a splitter offwidith to hand crack until reaching a pedestal inside the large chimney. This is the last pitch that requires anything larger than #3. Doubles .5 - #3, single #5 and #6. (5.10, 30m, gear anchor takes finger sizes and large nut) 

P3
Inside the chimney an easy .75 splitter (5.8) leads to a good rest below the ominous roof. Be careful of loose chockstones in the back of the chimney. Very tight hands and stemming through the roof lead to a few strenuous moves over the lip. A fixed nut and hex at the lip of the roof are there to keep the rope out of the crack. Doubles .4 - 2, save a .75 for the lip of the roof. (5.10, 15m, 2 bolt anchor) 

P4
Long awesome off fingers layback crack right off the belay. Toward the top of the dihedral, pull into a large pod that is difficult to protect. From here cast out left onto the face toward a glue in bolt. From the bolt, decode the technical face crux up to a large ledge. Doubles in micro - #2. (5.10+, 30m, 2 bolt anchor) 

P5
Either extend or move the belay left across the ledge under a double crack system. Climb the double before committing to the right crack through awesome steep thin hands. Reach a ledge and climb slabby splitter offwidth (hand size gear in the back) to a small fun roof. Doubles in fingers - #3. (5.10+, 30m, 2 bolt anchor) 

**Pitch 5 is the last pitch with a bolted anchor. Decide whether to rap or summit from here** 

P6
This pitch marks the waning of both difficulty and quality of the rock. Work your way up and left through manzanita and sandy rock. Belay 20ft short of a mega ledge. (5.8, 30m, gear anchor) 

P7
Traverse a narrow stance straight left for 25ft and climb the fun chimney straight up to some face climbing and belay in a small alcove. (5.9, 25m, gear anchor) 

P8
Tough start over a steep, leaning thin crack that is a pain to protect. Many sloping mantles and manzanita. Belay in a large crack. (5.9, 60m, gear anchor takes #3 - #6) 

P9
Classic Zion adventure climbing. Plain and simple. Belay at large tree. (5.8, 60m, tree anchor)
 
P10
Loose summit slog. Watch for rope drag, loose rocks, and tourist trash. Belay at final set of chains/posts on the Angel’s Landing Trail. (5.0 R, 60m, post anchor) 
 

 

South Face of Angel's Landing. From the Grotto shuttle stop, follow the West Rim Trail for 0.6 miles. Here the paved trail makes a 90° left turn. At this turn leave the pavement and cut right down a wash aiming for a faint trail. Follow this for roughly 0.1 miles and reach the creek. Cross the creek and follow it upstream for another rough 0.1 miles. You should see a 4ft tall wall that has flowing water in the spring time. Before reaching it, look for a cairn on your right and follow it straight up the slope. Follow more cairns up to the base of the route. If the steep slope feels insanely hard, yer off route. If it feels like standard rough desert hiking, yer doing good.