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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 1, 2012 - 10:33pm PT
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An interesting early account of Dave Ganci and Rick Tidrick's first ascent of Zoroaster Temple in the Grand Canyon. Real desert adventure from the January 1959 issue of Summit!
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SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
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Earl Wiggins and I did a route in the Garden of the gods called Tidricks. Was this put up by the same guy ?
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Tidrick was living in the Springs in 1996 when i spoke to him.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 2, 2012 - 10:23am PT
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Somebody tell the man that he's famous again and maybe he'll join in!
I would love to hear more from these guys as I bet this wasn't their only Grand Canyon adventure!
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Saw Ganci in 2008 when the Kachinas had a reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Pinnacle Peak.
That Zoro's nice!
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Zander
climber
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Zoroaster Bump!!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2012 - 11:02am PT
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Nice addition Greg!
Now we have a great Grand Canyon history thread in the making...
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Thanks for posting this. Excellent story of a grand adventure.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Cool stuff. Getting around in the GC is burly. Carrying all that gear in 100 degree temps must have been brutal!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2012 - 10:09pm PT
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Bumps with long approaches...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2013 - 04:35pm PT
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Bump for islands in the sky...
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Mar 16, 2013 - 08:18pm PT
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Thanks for the bump Steve.
I was just telling someone how much I want to climb one of the temples.
Bucket list sh#t.
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franky
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 16, 2013 - 10:59pm PT
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Zoroaster is AWESOME!
In my opinion, one of the middle pitches is the new crux after some rock fall. You either climb a very, very sandy vertical hand crack or do some weird face moves to the right of it. The top pitch is actually really good crack climbing and very secure!
We walked down to phantom ranch from the south rim starting after sun down one evening. The next day we hoped to hike up to the saddle between zoroaster and brahma temple to camp, but stopped early. The following day we did the last technical section of the approach and then climbed zoroaster. after the climb we bivied at the saddle and then the next morning i woke up and did brahma temple before the walk back down to phantom ranch. The approach is super gnarly with tricky route finding and some fairly serious scrambling.
Brahma is a totally worthy 4th class scramble if anyone is curious about that, it also has magnificent views!
Another party of two with us did a traverse, they tagged zoroaster, then brahma, then deva, then down to phantom ranch in a day from the saddle. It sounded like an adventure.
I'm not sure about the best way to do it, it is really fun to camp up there, but packs get heavy quick with all the water one needs. All of our packs were about 70lbs when we left phantom ranch, mostly due to water. it might be better just to do the climb in one long day, phantom to phantom, or you could try car to car, which has been done but sounded epic.
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bob
climber
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Mar 16, 2013 - 11:36pm PT
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The Temples. Those things are a must at least once. To be in the middle of the Grand Canyon like that. Crazy!
I agree franky that middle pitch is now the crux on Zoro's N. Face route. I've climbed it both ways and also before the old pitch fell off. I think I've been up there 5 times now. Brahma maybe 3 or 4.
I tried to do Zoro in a day car to car in 95 and made it out worked in 26 hours. I went back 8 or so years ago and did Zoro and Brahma with some hilarious buddies in 22 hrs car to car. We even napped a bit. I had it dialed and we had the fitness. (barely) Good combo
Those are the only two I have done. Seems a shame since I lived in AZ for years. Many years to come....
Cool read! Thanks
Go Grand Canyon!
Bob J
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Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)
Social climber
CO
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Mar 21, 2013 - 12:36am PT
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Earl Wiggins and I did a route in the Garden of the gods called Tidricks. Was this put up by the same guy ?
Yes, same guy.
BTW: Anthill Direct [in Eldo] has been for years accorded the wrong date according to Rick. Here are my footnotes regarding that for a book I'll likely never finish because of lawyers who unfortunately don't understand publishing and reporting.
"Source: Rick Tidrick interview, May 29, 2010. Tidrick also noted that in 1959 he and Layton climbed Anthill Direct, another climb that has been recorded with various dates (because by 1960 he had left Colorado and was studying law in Arizona—“Definitely not ’61”).
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Mar 21, 2013 - 02:05am PT
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Cam: Are you saying that you'll probably never finish the Kor book? Or is that some other project than Layton's?
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 22, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
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Sometime back in the mid-60s, I think, Dave Ganci sat in the middle of my livingroom floor with sketches and photos, trying to coax me into accompanying him on another Zoraster Temple ascent. I didn't know Dave at all. I had only met him once before. Right now I have no idea why he chose me as a potential climbing partner. Memories fade.
In retrospect and in light of what I've just tead, I'm glad I didn't take him up on his offer.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 22, 2013 - 07:02pm PT
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Fun....you know how to dig deep Steve. Why, there are people on this forum who weren't even out of grade school when when Zoraster got climbed.
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