Tucupit occidentalis

Tucupit occidentalis links a series of cracks that generally narrow through the sizes with a couple of memorable face sequences to the top of the west face of Tucupit. The route is sustained with a variety of cruxes and well protected. Rock quality is mostly phenomenal with a couple sandy sections near the top serving as a reminder that you are in Zion. As a bonus, Kolob offers a stunning backcountry setting that you don't get in the main canyon of Zion.

T.occidentalis shares the first two pitches with the first ascent of the wall: Bill March's and Bill Forrest's West Face, then breaks left linking wonderful cracks and corners to the top of the wall. If you continue straight-up with pitch 3 for 60m, the beautiful steep split face topped with a hanging flare above is the Red Morph var. pitch - a five-star 5.11 tips crack.

P1: 5.10. 35 meters. Climb the slab left of the oak filled slot and move right into the chimney which protects with a #6 and optional blue bigbro (protects the #6 from the rope). Tech up the finger crack into the alcove and belay on gear and fixed pins or link into P2, for a full-value 60m pitch avoiding the worst belay stance on the route. This pitch is rated 5.8 according to the original West Face topo, we up-rated it to a reasonable 5.10.

P2: 5.10+. 25 meters. The classic free pitch of the original West Face passes two drilled angles (Bills' originals) into a cruxy transition to a finger crack and onto the featured face, finishing with a leftward traverse to a two bolt belay at a decent stance.

P3: 5.8. 35 meters. Move left into the clean chimney that protects well. Exit left on a ledge at the base of the corner system that appears 25 m up and climb either the left-trending shallow groove (5.9 PG) or continue left to the splitter finger crack (5.7) up to a two bolt belay at a good ledge stance.

P4: 5.10+. 55 meters. Climb the beautiful sculpted face split by a finger crack into the long, low-angled off-fingers corner, through two pods then out the steep tight hands bulge. Catch your breath (or set an optional belay) at the pod then charge up the sustained flaring #5 offwidth to a comfortable 2-bolt belay.

P5. 5.10+. 40 meters. Move up and right to a handcrack, up a slot, and into the acute left-facing corner above. A short, hard crux defends the amazing rocker block belay with a fixed nut and hex anchor.

P6. 5.10. 20 meters. Follow discontinuous right-leaning cracks off the rocker block to a delicate leftward traverse protected by two bolts. Between the second bolt and the arete, move up then left around the arete to avoid the hollow feature below and continue to a shoebox-sized ledge left the corner and set a gear belay.

P7. 5.10+. 52 meters. Climb the huecoed corner into the soaring, left-leaning off-fingers crack out onto the north face. Bask in the position and jam up the impeccable tight-hand crack. Build an optional belay with a #3 at the sit down stance on top of the crack or continue up and right to a 5.8 mantle on a shallow ledge and gear above in a horizontal crack. Continue 15 meters to the top following the best rock along the blunt arete to a two bolt anchor directly above the rocker block belay below. Keep in mind that the goal for this pitch is to end above the rocker block belay to facilitate an efficient descent. 

As standard in Zion, exercise extreme caution with regards to recent rains. The route has beautiful sculpted holds that could be destroyed if climbed when wet and the last two pitches have fragile sections that would become extremely brittle. Tucupit's west face gets direct evening sun and needs at least one clear evening for the rock to dry properly. Check the weather for New Harmony, Utah to gauge the weather and make sure to consider wind speeds. It can be brutally windy up here. Expect shade until 2pm.