Zion - One or two pitch C1 practice suggestions

OK, in light of the previous "don't come to Zion" thread.... resist the urge to flame!

My wife are I are heading down to Zion later this week or next week to climb Moonlight Buttress. We are planning on doing it in two days just for the fun and experience of it.

We've done some aid before including Kingfisher, Phantom Sprint, etc... so we have the aid movement down and are reasonably fast and proficient. We've been free climbing 20 years and can grovel with the best of 'em in a chimney.

What we haven't done is hauled, etc.... we have practiced a little at the gym, but logistics prevent us from doing more there.

So... bottom line... can someone recommend one or two pitches (with a rap descent) that we can just dial the hauling systems on prior to going to MB. Again, we've got the movement down... just the hauling and ledge stuff to perfect.

I realize we could do P1 of Touchstone, but figure we'd just be in the way.

Andy

why not just haul the first 3 pitches off moonlight to rocker blocker??

That would get the shit hauling out of the way for the rest of the route for you. with 2 ropes you can fix back to the ground. this would allow you to get thru any kinks on day one and still be makikng progress on your chosen route. casual day from rocker blocker to party ledge. then off. The hauling really does suck on the first 3 pitches.
FWIW. it is possible to climb to rocker blocker sans bags and then fix and haul from rocker blocker. adds some logistics but the haul is much cleaner.
pitch 1 stinks especially. I would do the 5.10 variation or at least haul that line.

Otherwise there a few cracks left of touchstone you could free and then practice hauling on.

I'd say check out one of the walls up by the tunnel. Plenty of routes that would work for you and there's unlikely to be anyone there. There's info in the guide book or the visitor center books. Much of the area sees a lot of shade though.

First, enjoy Zion!! I was there last weekend and it's frickin beautiful and perfect. As you've probably figured out by now, either first or second hand, hauling bags is a hassle. Because of this, my recommendation would be to just go get on Moonlight and not worry about practicing hauling. Might as well practice on your route and make progress up the wall while doing it. When I've hauled MB, I've done the "fix first 3 then haul the rap route" option that has been mentioned, which is likely the smoothest rig especially for your first few hauls.

I know you didn't ask, but if you're interested, here are a few things I think greatly help with the hauling of pigs...

1. keep a simple system - ya just need one compound pulley (try to avoid 3:1, etc).

2. set up the pulley HIGH. i've been just hauling off one bolt usually to achieve this. requires discretion.

3. if you have a ledge, body haul (sit down, stand up). if you're hanging, use an aider and leg pump.

4. make sure you have figured out your method for unweighting the pulley once the bag is up. this should NOT involve yarding on the pig! that's hard work.

5. have a good tethering system for the bag too, which is releasable under tension. i'm into using a 15 or so foot rope piece with a munter-mule-overhand. other things work.

6. setting up the ledge in space is also a hassle, and won't get easier with just doing it once. you'll just better appreciate what a hassle it is. just make sure it's always clipped to something and remember, those things are durable!

7. one more...possibly most important in some ways, hardest to describe in writing, and harder to truly pick up through writing, but here goes. try to visualize where things are going to go upon reaching the anchor. where will you fix the rope (equalized master point), where will you be attached (equalized master point...long and shorter somewhere with daisy), where will you haul (high!), where will you then dock the bag (not on top of pulley or a person's stuff!), what sort of haul you'll be using, where the ropes will go. this is the true "complexity" of hauling although the hauling itself doesn't necessarily affect this organization.

Well, I hope that helps, hope you love your zion trip, and I look forward to hearing about it! Sorry for not answering your question, but I hope I answered your question. Santa Barbara and grad school are both fantastic, by the way...still 75 and sunny every day, plenty busy with work and climbing trips. ---joe

Andy,

A good practice c1 with great exposure is the Organasm roof. The second will probably want to back aid the roof, or toprope it. It is an amazing upside down handcrack probably not harder that straight up 5.11.

the whole route can be clean aided but is also a fine free climb.

Another good practice aid route would be any of the routes at cerberus... Fathedral, fails of power... also all fine free climbs... If hauling practice is what you are after, maybe just free the routes and haul them...

andy,

if you are just worried about hauling, go to your nearest crag (trad, sport, whatever) and do it there. you can take turns leading a pitch, hauling, lowering. looking at the stuff you guys have done, you could probably do MLB in a day pretty easy.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Very useful! Although we probably could do it in a looooong day, we're looking for the "wall experience"...hence why we want to drag all our shit up there.

On a different subject... what's everyone's favorite stoveless wall food? And what are some must have items that aren't obvious?

Andy

canned ravioli and fruit is all ya ever need. some jerky and trail mix. done.

It takes a bit more prep time, but dang it's worth it...I prefer leftovers for stoveless dinners (bfast and lunch are pretty easy, yeah?). Get some nice nalgene screw-top containers, cook up your favorite whatever at the cove, and then it's cooking all day in the sun in the pig and might even be warmer than room temperature when the sun sets! Pasta, burritos, stir-fry...etc, etc, etc.

Tasty Bites make for some great wall food. Its Indian food in a slim aluminum-ish packet. Really good warm or cold. You can get them in the pricey market just outside the Park Entrance. Sooo good with a tortilla!

Andy,

Do organisam if you want a two pitch warm up.

Favourite cold wall food, vegemite sandwiches and salt and vinegar pringles.

Have fun.

Cheers

John

remind me to never do a wall with mcnamee.... uggghhh...

Skyeler Congdon wrote:Tasty Bites make for some great wall food. Its Indian food in a slim aluminum-ish packet. Really good warm or cold. You can get them in the pricey market just outside the Park Entrance. Sooo good with a tortilla!

Since you want hauling practice, all you really need is a good anchor. What about a free climb?

Cave route?

You could aid up that short pinnacle at the temple of sinawava, too, but you might appear in many tourist videos...

You could also do the original first pitch of Touchstone which would keep you out of the herd's way.

-Brian in SLC

I think we're opting for climbing the first three pitches. And fixing two ropes down... and then hauling the rap route up to rocker blocker and continuing up. We're not in any rush, and figure might as well take plenty of time and enjoy ourselves.

I assume those hauls are pretty clean and that the two ropes will be sufficient.

And our fallback, should MB be a junkshow (that we'll just contribute to ;) will be Sheer Lunacy.

Thanks for all the info,
Andy

2 ropes are perfecto for the MB challenge you seek.

SHeer lunacy has that dumb ass traverse haul once you break left of Lunar x. not sure if you were aware of that logistic. thought i'd point it out just incase as it could be tough to figure out that haul over an up and down.
have fun.

Andy,

Stick to Moonlight and wait a day if you have too. If you don't climb during the weekend you're be fine.

Have fun.

John