We were still a little beat when Sick and I awoke for our last day in Zion. Our sights were set on the 2nd pitch of Organasm. Organasm is originally a four pitch aid line at 5.8 C2, but the 2nd pitch features a large roof which goes free at 5.11. Since both of us wanted the lead, and neither of us is generous enough to give up on such a sweet line, we farkled for it. My superior rock-paper-scissor skills were vindicated, so Sick led the 1st pitch of awkward wideness, and I set off on the stellar 2nd pitch. Here’s a little video of yours truly on the onsight (the video is admittedly crappy, but until I get a proper editing platform that’s just the way it is):
We then rapped off, shed our harnesses, had a quick snack, and hit the road for Oklahoma; driving straight through the night for 18 hours. A perfect ending to a fantastic trip! Thanks to the Sicklers for putting up with me and giving me the chance to crank on some splitter desert sandstone!
After a rest day to rack up which included a run into Vegas for dinner, we roused ourselves early to get a jump on the day – which happened to be Sickler’s birthday. A quick breakfast, romp across the chilly Virgin River, short hike and we were at the base of Prodigal Sun (5.8 C2, 9 pitches, 900 feet). After a bit of debate and self doubt, we decided to gun for it in a day rather than slavishly haul a bunch of crap up the wall for a couple of days (like the party above us who had started a day earlier).
The morning of the 21st saw us sitting at the base of Monkeyfinger 5.12, staring at a slow moving party on the second pitch and weighing our options. After they still hadn’t begun the third – and crux – pitch in almost half an hour we decided to bail and go do Touchstone 5.9 C2 (not a bad consolation, considered by many to be one of the best aid/free climbs anywhere). This meant we had to run back by camp to pick up our aid gear, and of course by the time we go back to the base of Touchstone, another party was starting.
The Sicklers picked me up from the Albuquerque airport at 10:30 PM and we hit the road. We rolled into the Park at around noon the next day, pressing our faces to the windows as we tried simultaneously to take in the amazing rock and keep the truck on the road. For the uninitiated, Zion is a literal canyon that sits below ‘ground level,’ this is somewhat hard to believe when you’re down in it since it is so vast. The road that enters from the northeast travels through a mile long tunnel – with occasional glimpses out carved windows – before bursting into the brilliant canyon.
“It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.” -Psalm 48:2
