The Moonlight Buttress, as it is most commonly referred to, is one of the most popular aid climbs in Zion, and, as a free climb, is perhaps the most spectacular, and arguably longest and hardest, sandstone climb in the world. This stunning route tackles the namesake feature, a proud prow of rock that juts out from the wall behind it, via a singular, peerless crack that extends for 1000 feet from base to summit and never widens to more than an inch or two... the Moonlight Buttress is a feature of unparalleled, parallel perfection.

Ed. Note: It should be noted that the route already exists in the Mountain Project database

here

, described at a 5.8 C1 climb, but due to a lot of requests for free climbing beta, I'm submitting this description of the route as well.

First freed in 1992 by Peter Croft & Johnny Woodward, the route was originally rated 5.13b. That rating has since settled to 5.12d, but even this reflects the overall effort of the climb and not the single hardest moves on the route. This has been evidenced by a number of onsights over the past few years, and most recently, Alex Honnold's free solo of the route in an astonishing 1 hour and 23 minutes.

The Moonlight Buttress is a sustained journey up nearly flawless rock for it's entire length. It has pitch after pitch of difficult Indian Creek style splitters and corners, a few enjoyable face climbing sections, fantastic exposure, and great belay ledges. What follows is a detailed description of my experience on the route that may provide more beta than you're after. If this is the case, refer to the free SuperTopo description that is floating around on the web, or one of many guidebook descriptions.

Approach: Drive into Zion to a bend in the road and park in the lot on the left (Big Bend parking lot), or, continue on for 500 to a paved pullout on the right. The Moonlight Buttress is obvious. Continue on foot up the road, drop down to the river, and cross near a huge boulder on the far side. Pick up a great climbers trail to the base of the route. Begin the route well to the left by scrambling up a 4th class passage to the first belay. The approach takes about 30 minutes.

P1: 5.8, 130. Gear: Mostly full rack, slings & draws.

Climb a long, sandy left-facing, right-leaning corner. Near the top move right and ascend a hand crack to an obvious tree on the belay ledge.

P2: 5.10+, 100. Gear: 3 of each cam, slings & draws.

Runout, easy climbing up ledgey terrain to the right. Pull a roof (10+) on the right, and continue up an awkward lieback crack (10-) to the belay.

P3: 5.11c, 50. Gear: 4 draws & a #1 Camalot.

Traverse right and slightly down. The hardest moves, a step-down/stand-up sequence, come quickly on the pitch. A bit frightening for the second. Continue to a bolted belay on a ledge.

P4: 5.10-, 90. Gear: 3 of each cam, slings & draws.

Head up and right on a thin flake, then traverse back left below a roof to a corner. A difficult move here leads to a stance below a bolt. Above the bolt, step left to easy terrain (straight up is 10+). Runner gear well on this pitch as it wanders significantly. A bolted belay is above on terraced ledges and the Rocker Block.

P5: 5.12, 100. Gear: Full rack less the 0.75 Camalot. Slings & draws.

This is perhaps the single hardest move on the climb: A 12b boulder problem off the Rocker Block. Lean or leap sideways off the Rocker Block for the obvious hold up and right. Several hard moves lead to a good rest at the base of the long, left-facing corner. Lieback like mad to the anchor out right at a stance.

P6: 5.12+, 100. Gear: Full rack less the #1 Camalot. At least one sling.

The enduro pitch. The crux of the route is absolutely hanging around placing gear on this sucker. Lieback to a handcrack pod. Continue to lieback through a very thin section to a flare. Jam upwards, clipping the aid anchor out left along the way (or not), switch cracks to a system on the right and continue to lieback on easier ground up to the roof to a semi-hanging bolted anchor out right - the only uncomfortable one on the route.

P7: 5.12-, 100. Gear: Green Alien w/ draw, draw for the bolt, 0.75 Camalot, all 0.5 & 0.4 Camalots. No wires.

This is a great, wild pitch. It is also much harder than the rating would indicate. Pull into the chimney and continue up left side in past a bolt. Fun chimney climbing becomes concerning as the chimney begins to open up into a right angle corner. A strenuous move will get you from knee bar mode to jam/lieback mode. Motor up a long, gradually thinning finger crack. Climb to the Bivy Ledge and a bolted belay. Crazy exposure!

P8: 5.12-, 80. Gear: 0.3 Camalots and up, no small pieces or wires.

Splitter rattley fingers. The tough stuff is only about 15'. Bolted belay on a ledge.

P9: 5.12b/c, 110. Gear: Full rack (including wires) less the #1 Camalot and two of the smallest cams. One or two draws.

Splitter rattley fingers to sit-down rest. The tough stuff is only about 20'. After the rest, a thin crack & pin scars & crack switch lead to a bolted belay on a narrow ledge out right.

P10: 5.12a, 190. Gear: Full rack (including wires).

The Nutting Pitch. Tricky face climbing up the zig-zagging cracks past wedged blocks leads to cruxy, sandy locks to a no-hands knee bar rest. This whole pitch is pretty awesome, and after all the pure jamming/liebacking, the 5.12 face climbing almost feels easy. Skip the anchor and continue through a sandy 5.10+ roof and on up cracks and knobs to lower angle top out.

Descent: Walk off via the Angels Landing trail. This is 2 miles of paved trail to the Grotto Picnic Area which is 1.5 miles down the road from Angels Landing. Alternatively, rap (see below). Walking off is much faster.

Miscellaneous notes: The route gets sun at around 9 AM and goes into the shade late in the afternoon. The route can be rapped entirely with a 70m rope except for the second-to-last rappel directly down the face (not following the route). Some creativity here might allow rappel with a 70m rope. Regarding ASCA work: Most of the anchors on this route have been replaced/updated. The route currently needs: the Rocker Block to be re-secured, and for the second-to-last rap station on the face to be relocated downwards by 30 feet or so (to allow rappel with a single 70m cord).

The Moonlight Buttress (Free)

Moonshadow

Sheer Lunacy

Looney Tunes

The Moonlight Buttress (Clean Aid)

Lunar Ecstasy

Sheer Lunacy (Free)

This is a great clean aid line to the left of the

Moonlight Buttress

route. A beautiful, straight-up line with lots of good nutting and tricky clean aid. The original first two pitches are loose and not recommended. Pitches 1 and 2 follow

Moonlight Buttress

. Leave bags below the anchors of pitch 1 where the 5.10 variation goes.

P1

(5.8) Start way left and scramble up 3rd class ledges and toss rope around bushes. Belayer needs to go up a few ledges (about 20 feet) so that 60 meter rope will reach anchors.

P2

(5.10 or C1) Traverse right and throw overhang with small gear. Follow crack to anchors below large, closed-book corner. Don't haul on pitch 2, just drag haul line up P2 and P3 then easy haul from anchors on top of P3.

P3

(5.10 or C1)

Moonlight

goes right,

Lunar

goes left up through large, flared chimney with a good crack in back. Good free climbing, much easier than aiding.

P4

(5.9 C1) Can be done in two sections; not a bad idea due to rope drag. From ledge ascend obvious crack (5.9) to mantle, traverse right ~15-20 feet to bolt and beginning of C1 and the Halfmoon Traverse. If done in two sections can easily belay from nice ledge above mantle and haul all of pitch as one.

P5

(C2) Begins the real meat of the route. Some fixed pieces to a Steep, thin crack. Hanging belay.

P6

(C2) Pitch is called "Leapfrogging Aliens" and that's what you do. Steep, thin crack. Hanging belay.

P7

(C2+) Same thing - steep, thin crack, this time broken by the Amoeba, a large mass of rock mysteriously clinging to rock face. The top of the pitch has dicey, sandy, mandatory 5.7 move to anchors.

P8

(5.8 C1) From belay ledge carefully free climb (5.8) up sandy rock steps to crack. Possible to place small gear in horizontal crack. Easy C1 up crack takes you to huge ledge.

P9

Two options: The original finish goes up right from multi-bolt anchor and has loose sections with mandatory free climbing. The Jarrett Finish (recommended) starts from the left side of the large ledge from the two bolt anchor.

P9 Jarrett Variation

(C1) Loose C1 at start to bomber, steep, and exposed C1 for bulk of route. Finishes at two bolt anchor at lip. Can back up bolts with extra lead line tied to tree. Bring bags and follower(s) up to two-bolt station first. Then, make easy work bringing pigs and people over lip.

Bivy

Huge ledge on top of Pitch 3 with 1 distanced pin, three equalized bolts, and one distanced bolt. Good for two portaledges.

Good ledge on top of pitch 4 with three equalized bolts and additional bolt for portaledge. Best suited for one portaledge.

Pitch 7 is okay bivy with three or four bolts and one pin. Easy to set up two ledges.

Huge, monstrous ledge on top of pitch 8; two bolts on left side of ledge and multiple anchors on right (2 or 3 pins and 3 or 4 bolts). Great for multiple ledges.

Ledge on top of pitch 3 could be slept on without portaledge, although uncomfortably. Pitch 8 would be a great sleeper ledge without portaledge.

Topo

Moonshadow follows a zig-zag line of corners on the right side of the buttress to an exciting top out. Like many Zion routes, there are both brilliant and crusty sections. Avoid this line a few days after rain. The general crack size is fingers to hands, with minimal off-width and chimney which are bolt protected. The route sees 2-4 hours of sun a day depending on the season.

PITCH 1 // .10a 35m

Start in a shadowed alcove beneath three cracks that come together at a ledge 50 feet above. Either commit to the corner on the right (.8) or use it AND the finger crack depending on your arm length. Pull out of the alcove, clip a bolt, then go 10 feet right to an off-width corner peppered with knobs that leads to a great ledge belay.

PITCH 2 // .10a 30m

Stay in the corner past a bolt and a cool boulder problem leading to a left trending ramp/corner to a large right facing corner. Belay beneath a bolted face that leads left. A little heads-up mid pitch on easy but less than perfect rock for 10-15 feet.

PITCH 3 // .9 20m

A fun bolted face leads left. After a midway ledge, step left and follow a right leaning handcrack to a large belay stance.

PITCH 4 // .10a 35m

Scramble up and left 40 feet on a bushy ledge to an EXCELLENT right facing finger and hand crack. At a large roof, traverse left on some odd textured rock beneath a pillar. From here continue left to a low angle runout ledge rising up and right. Going straight up can be done but encounters unpleasant rock and no pro.

PITCH 5 // 4th Class 30m

Step right and scramble up ledges following a fixed line. Belay on a perch at bolts or on a bushy ledge below.

PITCH 6 // .10a 25m

Traverse left on a slab past two bolts to a right facing finger and handcrack in a corner. Follow this wonderful corner to an exit crux onto “lunch ledge”.

PITCH 7// .10c 40m

This is the mega pitch of the route. It is the longest and most varied lead though some great rock. Start up a ramp to a dirty corner on the left aiming towards the massive black and red corner above. Bring the whole rack for this. The crux is passing through the Bombay chimney roof using bolts for pro. In the back of this chimney is a refrigerator sized block one should avoid yarding on with much more than a whisper. It likely won’t fall out for at least another 100 years. The last 40 feet of this pitch is brilliant.

PITCH 8 // .10c 30m

Step left across a gaping chimney and clip a bolt, then follow a ramp up to a stance beneath a bolt and a great but short finger crack. Take this past a hands sized section to a ledge beneath a massive overhung alcove.

PITCH 9 // .10b 34m

A zero star pitch with a four-star crux. Start up the thin hands corner past an arete bordering a chossy gully (tread lightly). At the second bolt traverse left to an arete with a wild exit. This may be the crux of the route if you are short armed. From here the pitch deteriorates passing flaky cracks and not very wonderful rock with easy climbing.  Note: Following the low traverse to the arete is a bit thrilling. Stay cool. It’s not too bad. Belay at the bolted rap station or 10 feet higher using finger sized gear on a nicer ledge.

PITCH 10 // .10c 30m

Depending on your tastes this may be either your least or most favorite pitch of the route. Head right up a leaning chimney to a bolt. Exit a roof, then follow a few squirmy wider sections that protect well. After a third bolt, an awkward wiggling steep exit eases the difficulties for an enjoyable finish to a perfect little sky perch belay.

PITCH 11 // .11b 25m

This is my favorite pitch of the route. It has mostly great dark red rock and an airy position above the canyon. From the belay step right to a bolt and make a weird sequence to escape past it in the corner above. From here the line should be obvious. Follow the right leaning crack towards a ledge where you stay in the wide corner (on your left) or step right to a rotten stance and fingerlock to protect (and avoid) the wide section. Above is a finger crack that leads through the crux roof. Pull this thrilling, well-protected sequence to a hand crack taking you to the summit. The rock at the lip proved too poor for bolted anchors. They can be found fifteen feet back from the lip. Tie yourself off and return to belay at the handy little “chair” at the exit. If you are finished early enough there will likely be tourists watching you from the trail. Wave and ask “Is this Angels Landing? We’re lost.”

DESCENT:

A. The route is equipped with 35m or less rappells. A 70m rope is mandatory to rappel the route.

B. Top out and walk a casual 40 minutes west down the angels landing trail to the grotto parking area. If you’ve parked at big bend in the winter you can hitch a ride or walk back to big bend.

This route is located in the recess to the left of

Moonlight

and shares that route's first pitch and a half. It breaks out left at this point and follows an interesting line of corners, flakes and face climbing with a cool, steep jamming pitch as the finale.

This is a fun route that doesn't get as much traffic as the surrounding trade routes. Aiding the whole route would probably warrant a slightly harder rating (C2ish?). This route is best enjoyed as a long free climb with the occasional french-free move as opposed to climbing it "wall style". The aid is straight-forward and when it gets tricky a moderate free move will get you to the next bomber placement. The only pitch we aided in entirety was the crux 5.13 RP crack (there's a 12b variation that starts down and right) and the rest of the route went free or french-free. The bolts are like

Moonlight's

: fat and bomber.

All 4 headwall pitches are stretcher 60m leads. Some cool mandatory free on pitch 2, in a chimney over a slab. Good beaking on a few pitches, maybe only one lead bolt on the route. Good two bolt anchors with 4 inch bolts. This route is a good intro to harder nailing in Zion. Maybe do this one before strapping in for a bigger one elsewhere.

This route is great. The line can be spotted from the road as a distinct dihedral with a roof/chimney at the top that runs up just past half way. The rock looks blank above that but a beautiful, direct, crack system runs almost the whole way up. This is a great easy aid route or a hardcore free climb on beautiful crack systems.

The belays are all bolted and the bolts are in great condition (thanks to the

ASCA

, I think). A hammer is nice for cleaning but

do not nail anything on the route

.

The start is a pain in the ass. On the far left side of the 3rd class ledges, locate a right angling ramp. It is somewhat obvious.

P1

(5.8+, ~200') Climb the ramp, step right, and follow short hand cracks to the bolt anchors. Pull up the haul line and throw it down to the pig. This is the worst hauling on the route (except the top).

There is a direct 5.10 variation that would make this much easier. This pitch is not so well protected but it is not too bad.

P2

(C1, ~100') Traverse far right and start aiding up the shallow right facing dihedral just after a small roof. Follow the crack system to a nice belay ledge in an acute dihedral with a bolt anchors.

This pitch could be free climbed at 5.10.

P3

(C1, ~100') The angling bolt ladder. Mostly QDs and a hook. Walk right on the ledge and stretch up to the first clip. Follow the line of bolts and drilled pins to where there are two pins next to each other.

From here we believe you do a free move then hook move to the next bolt. We decided it would be faster to do a long stick clip with the pole from the ledge's fly. We were told by a party later that the day before the pin had pulled or fell out so they hammered it back in. What ever you do here be careful as it is not a good pin at all. It is dead vertical so the fall is clean but it would be long and involve a swing.

This pitch ends on the rocker block with bolt anchors.

P4

(C1+, ~180') The Grand Dihedral. Clip two bolts and enjoy leap frogging cams up the steepening dihedral. This a beautiful pitch; long, so have plenty of carabiners and cams/nuts to take you the whole way (or back clean). Have the #2 and #3 cams for the couple of wider parts.

This is the first of the hanging belays from bolts.

P5

(C1+, ~150') Continue up the steep dihedral and decipher the step left on a hook. We used the big bros to aid the initial part of the chimney/v-slot and they worked great.

Follow the shallow dihedral system for another long pitch to an awesome ledge. There is a series of bolts along this ledge to accommodate bivies. A double portaledge is nice for comfort but one could sleep on the natural ledge. (Aahhhhh...sleep!)

P6

(C1, ~100') The beginning of the nice splitter crack system. OK stance, bolt anchors.

P7

(C1, ~100') Same stuff. Decent stance, bolt anchors.

P8

(C1+, ~100') The rock here turns into a rather broken crack system for a little ways. Watch where you place gear because some of the blocks seemed loose (although they didn't move).

Somewhat tricky; hanging belay, bolt anchors.

P9

(C1 5.7, ~130') Continue up the splitter clack system to a small roof with hand-sized pro. This can be free climbed at 5.10.

Arrive at a small ledge with the final 5.7 slabs. Belay here or run up the scary slabs. We belayed here and brought up the second to finish up the slabs.

The 5.7 slab is about thirty feet long and there are about two pro placements (red cam and red alien). Traverse right, up, back left, up to the top. It would be very scary without rock shoes. There are a couple of trees to belay off of on top.

When hauling at the top, it would be best to extend the tie-in to be over the lip. Otherwise you will only get it up with a Z-pulley and you will deepen the grooves in the lip. Be ready for the gawking tourists as the trail is only about 100 feet away.

For the meat of the route you don't need any hand-sized or larger gear (#1 cam and up) except for the 5.10 pitches and the chimney. Most of  the pitches are TCUs and nuts and an occasional small hand-sized piece.

It would have been nice to leave the hand-sized pieces in the top of the pig and tag them up when needed. Be ready for the typical free move in the middle of an aid pitch.

If you know what you are doing it would be reasonable to do it in a day. You can fix lines down the rap route from the rocker block with 2 ropes. You can bivy on the rocker block but the best one is at the top of P5. There are no other good places to bivy as they are all hanging belays.

The route gets morning sun and is shaded after about 2pm or so.

Sheer Lunacy is a great, fairly mellow "big" wall climb in Zion, located just left of the much more popular Moonlight Buttress.  It offers enjoyable climbing on every pitch and the cruxes are fairly brief; though it's just as long as its neighbor, it is much less tiring of a day.

P1: Begin as for Moonlight Buttress by climbing a long 5.7/5.8 groove system to a ledge with a tree.  Belay here.

P2: Instead of moving right and into Moonlight's 5.10c pitch, head straight up a vegetated, right-facing corner.  Actually, head up a flake system on the right wall of the corner and step back left into the corner fairly high up.  Be very careful of loose rock here - some sandy, hollow flakes could take out your belay and ruin the afternoon.  Once back in the corner follow it with increasing ease up into a chimney system.  Trend left to gain a huge ledge system with trees and bushes - this ledge is very obvious from the road.  Belay on this ledge.  180', 5.10.

P3: A short pitch continues traversing left and then up a 25' high 5.6 flake past some drilled pins and then moves left around the corner to a single bolt belay in an alcove.  The bolt can be backed up with a 0.75 Camalot sized piece or so.  50', 5.6.

P4: The Primo Crack.  Some topos indicate 5.12b, but way easier!  Chimney up the alcove and undercling out the roof at the top to gain the nice, featured left-facing corner.  Make sure to back-clean your gear in the alcove as the crack at the lip could create serious rope snafus!  Lieback, jam, and face climb up the corner past a thin section to a belay.  120', 5.11c.

P5: The Second Crack... and almost as hard.  Climb up the left-facing corner above the belay with occasional sandy and less-than-obvious gear placements.  This section is kinda spicy, but holds and gear do keep coming.  Save a bunch of long runners and move left on a ledge to the Shroud of Elvis.  I'm not sure how this got it's name because I don't think Elvis is that great and this section of climbing is fucking awesome.  Spectacular, exposed 5.9 up a steep flake with good stances and gear.  Again, long runners or rope drag hell.  Continue left around a corner and belay at a trio of drilled angles.  180', 5.11b PG13.

P6: The Face Crack to the Hidden Crack.  Climb up the low-angle crack that splits the face above.  A bolt and good gear lead to a small ledge and then a wide crack in a corner.  This is the Hidden Crack and holds and gear abound if you look carefully.  Belay at the top of Toquerville Tower.  100', 5.9.

P7:  The crux pitch.  The 5.13 version heads straight up from the top of the tower, but most will probably move the belay down and right to an exposed ledge below a single bolt.  Crux number one comes moving up off the ledge and is much more difficult for those with large fingers.  Continue up jams and face holds to a bolt.  Clip this and foot traverse left along an improbable ledge back to the main crack system.  A good stance here precedes the true crux, which, ironically, is much easier for the tall.  So there's some difficulty for everybody.  A bolt protects a cool lieback move to a providential face hold, then a hand jam, gear, and one more hard move past a bulge and a drilled pin.  Catch your breath and continue up the Sharp Crack - a beautiful splitter on the left wall - to a belay on a small ledge.  100', 5.12b.

P8:  The Sharper Crack.  Continue up a crack and flare to a stretch of sandy rock with an optional lunge for a tree limb which makes for a dramatic top-out.  60', 5.11a.

Descend the Angel's Landing trail.

Description

Protection

Routes in Moonlight Buttress