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Sheer Lunacy (Free)
5.12 YDS 7b+ French 27 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 26 ZA E6 6b British
Avg: 3.7 from 43
votes
Routes in Moonlight Buttress
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Looney Tunes 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b A2+ |
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Lunar Ecstasy 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2+ |
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Moonlight Buttress (Clean Aid), The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c C1 |
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Moonlight Buttress (Free), The T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
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Moonshadow T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Sheer Lunacy T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C2- |
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Sheer Lunacy (Free) T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b |
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| Type: | Trad, 800 ft (242 m), 8 pitches, Grade IV |
| FA: | FA: Ron Olevsky FFA: Brad Barlage & Doug Heinrich at 5.13b. FFA of the 12c var. Sharp Crack: Drew Bedford |
| Page Views: | 15,171 total · 89/month |
| Shared By: | Josh Janes on Apr 29, 2010 |
| Admins: | Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C |
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Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures 
Closures in effect March 1
Check for current Raptor closure conditions at:
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Check for current Raptor closure conditions at:
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Description
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.
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.
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