Red Chamonix Ridge, Sentinel, Zion TR

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Messages 1 - 16 of total 16 in this topic

NFB

Mountain climber

SLC UT

Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 21, 2008 - 01:34pm PT

Well, another great trip to the angry red planet!!!

This bad idea was seeded years ago when Calder, Nate, Scott, and I got way in over our heads on Rodeo Queen. We were up there freezing our butts off for spring break looking at the scenery and noticed this amazing gendarmed ridge feature on the sentinel. The Birdbeak spire is the most noticeable tower along the feature. A few years later, Boulos Ayad and Eric Draper did the second ascent of Tales of the scorpion and I think Boulos named the ridge "The Red Chamonix Ridge". The name stuck.

Sentinel, Zion. The ridge starts low left, and connects at upper right of summit. Kind of hard to see...

Joe French and I got psyched up to do it in 04 and tried. Our intent was to climb the ridge to the point of the Birdbeak, rap down to the established Middendorf route, climb that, and continue on the ridge to the summit. We made it to the beak spire in good time after 15 scary, runout, loose pitches. The weather was too hot and we realized that climbing Middendorf's route would be a mistake because we saw a birdbeak crack feature on the south side of the spire that would allow us to do less pitches and stay on the ridge.

It took a few years to let the memories of the choss fade. We enlisted Zack Lee (yes, related to Bruce) and took a more alpine approach. One leader, two packs, big rack of birdbeaks, no bivi gear, not enough water. Cast off!

Zack Lee

We started at 5:00 am from the car, Joe led the first block. Somewhere around pitch 5 or 6, Zack and I hear the dreaded rumble of BIG rockfall. I looked left to the fall line of the choss and saw a huge boulder mid air (probably 5X5X5 feet in size) no yelling... the rope kept going up... WTF??? Got up to Joe and he nonchalantly said that he had manteled on to the thing and had to jump off it when it unexpectedly started to go!

Joe on one of the runout cruxes

We moved along at a good clip for the first 15 pitches snaking over around and through the broken towers probably averaging 2.5 pitches per hour. The climbing stayed around 5.9 with some big runouts and loads choss and vertical talus.

Somewhere in towerland

another choss pitch

After pitch 17 we plopped on to a comfortable ledge at the base of the beaking pitch on the south side of the Birdbeak Tower and our full steam ahead came to a screeching halt. I grabbed the nailing tackle, two daisies, three alpine aiders, and the bolt kit and cast off on one of the hardest leads I've ever pulled off. 70 feet of beaks followed by a 10 hole ladder followed by another 60 feet of beaks over a second ledge uggh!

Beaks and ledges

I drilled a rap anchor while Joe and Zach jugged the pitch. Joe arrived and immediately cast off to explore our options at the top of the Beak formation. Do we tyrolean over to the beak???, Can we skirt it??? We skipped the last 60 foot pitch to the top of the Beak and skirted around to the gully. Another three loose pitches and we were near the summit cap of the Sentinel.

One pitch to go, totally dark, stop for cold tasty bites, bread, salame.

Zack rope guns the final 200 feet of white sandcakes and we all untie for the final 400 feet of 4th class. Of all things, we encounter an unpassable snowfield and have to kick steps in the snow to get to the very summit. Joe brough a summit register and we signed it at 11:00 at night. Now the real danger begins

Sleep deprivation and darkness eventually force an uncomfortable bivi when we finally admit that we are lost in space and need daylight to navigate the mountaineer's route descent.

Sentinel summit view from the descent

Alpinism desert style. Zion is like a photo negative of the alpine world. You get sand and cacti in place of snow and ice!

The route probably went at 5.9 R A4 in 22 or 23 pitches of sheer excitement. Could not have asked for a better vacation!

Buju

Trad climber

A Sandbar

Apr 21, 2008 - 01:45pm PT

freakin awesome!!!! amazing route in an amazing place

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Apr 21, 2008 - 01:46pm PT

TRs like this one add a lot of value to the taco stand.

climber

The Eye of the Snail

Apr 21, 2008 - 02:04pm PT

I'll go up all that schwag for that beak pitch.

Oh hell yeah. It's not even a question.

Thanks, Nate!

(That spire is such a sick feature, Deucey plucked a gem there. He should spray down in here too.)

More Air

Big Wall climber

S.L.C.

Apr 21, 2008 - 02:32pm PT

All right! Thanks for the TR. How was the descent?

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Apr 21, 2008 - 03:56pm PT

Sounds like you guys had a good time. Thanks for sharing it.

climber

The Eye of the Snail

Apr 21, 2008 - 04:06pm PT

Double D

climber

Apr 21, 2008 - 04:35pm PT

NFB: Great TR. Thanks for sharing. Nice pics too.

NFB

Mountain climber

SLC UT

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2008 - 05:27pm PT

Yo,

Sorry I missed you and Matt! Big up to Cedar City! I was only in town for 7 days, 3 without Kristeen. We've got to go up together sometime!

You and Matt would love this one. Loose free climbing, beaks, right up your alley, or out your doorstep...

I can't imagine drawing a topo for this, oh yeah, you guys don't need one anyway. Just start at the plumb south facing bottom of the ridge and go up!

Hey, trundle a rock at the "bowling alley" for me eh?

Nate

le_bruce

climber

Oakland: what's not to love?

Apr 21, 2008 - 07:28pm PT

Ledges: can't live with them, can't live without them.

Great writeup, thanks!

crackfiend

climber

Apr 22, 2008 - 02:42pm PT

BUMP FOR ZION

climber

The Eye of the Snail

Apr 22, 2008 - 03:34pm PT

Right on, Nate, I'll hit the Alley in your honor!

And grats on that wedding action. Maybe you should take your girl up the Streaky, make sure she's the one? hahaha

Cheers!