The Headache 

best three pitch route in zion. pay attention to perigrine falcon closures. we almost got ticketed due to the vague description of closure dates in the bjornstadt guide.

Don't do this climb unless you love to jam!Just did this route 4/16/04 and found it to contain more quality climbing per pitch than anything I can remember any where. Right off the deck you have in your face hand jamming that just leads in to all forms of jams. It is good to remember how to do a face move or two, since every pitch requires at some point that you step a little outside the crack to gain a move.I had no beta going in to this climb other than bring a lot of gear. The #3.5 Met cam was very useful on the off-width on P1 and was even used on P2 when I ran out of #2's and the cracked flaired enough to accept the #3.5. Having 3 #2's would have been useful, I could have left the small nuts and the #4 cam at home, but a couple of tricams and the medium nuts could be useful.The roof on P2 is an interesting problem, but once you identify the hand crack you are there.

Why do I see aiders in that picture?

I thought it was a killer route - especially if you don't have time to do something long. The approach was also perfect if you're short on time - 5 seconds of flat walking. The guidebook says its5.9 + start pitch, but it felt more as described here.We used a #4 camalot as we didn't have a 3.5, and my friend had to scoot it up and through the first pod to retrieve it. Pitch 2 is really cruiser and the last pitch is the best.

Awesome route! I may be mistaken,but pretty sure it is rated 10a. First pitch is standard Zion 5.9+, no harder. Simply straight forward jamming for the first 30 feet.

A 70m doesnt come close to rapping off the last pitch, USE 2 ROPES!!!!

One of the best around. First pitch is 5.9 with no real OW that I remember. (If there was 5.10 OW I would have remembered it)

Have done this route four times now. It is a bunch of good climbing with a very short approach. Would agree P1 is no harder than 9+, but a 3.5 is nice and other than one wide move is not OW. P2 is just fun made more interesting with the bolt slab problem and a very secure roof (#2 BD cam) to move through. P3 is the most challenging climbing at 10a/b. Good to bring a bunch of finger and small hand sizes for P3, but the wide crack near the top will happily take a #3.

Wow - one of the best short multipitch routes I've done. Three varied pitches, bomber gear, and fabulous views.

I had 4 #2 camalots and found plenty of places for them. I had 3 #0.75 camalots and could have placed more if I wanted. The last pitch takes as many green camalots as you can throw at it.

P1 - 5.9+ (the offwidth is littered with handholds)
P2 - 5.10a
P3 - 5.10b

Conservative rack:

Nuts, from medium to large - tricams can be placed as well
Set of TCU sized cams to red alien. Maybe extra yellow alien.
2-3 x #0.5 camalot
3-4 x #0.75 camalot
2 x #1 camalot
4 x #2 camalot
2 x #3 camalot
1 x #3.5 camalot (not sure if a C4 #4 camalot would fit)

We had a C4 #4 as well, and found a few places for it - but it definitely wasn't required.

Wonderful AM sun in April. I suspect in the depths of winter this wouldn't see any sun.

I am curious if anyone knows how this route came to be named 'the Headache'. There has got to be a story there, and it might be a good one!

Might be the best 5.10 coupla-pitch route I have ever done. each pitch could stand alone and still be pretty darn good.

splitter climbing at its finest !! a nice way to wrap up a visit to the NP. bag this route before you hit the road.

If you like hand jams then this is the route to do and it will feel easy, if you can't jam it will feel really hard. Various short cruxes followed by good rests. This route also gets shade since it is north facing.

Absolutely awesome climb. Link pitches 1 & 2 for one amazing 200 ft pitch (save a #2 for the last 50 ft)!!! A bit chilly in late November as it never sees sun (one more reason to do it in 2 pitches)

A friend just emailed me this link of a free soloist's POV video: youtu.be/Q2HObfWqszI

Don't know who the climber is and have no opinion on the feat, but the video shows every single jam on route in a ten minute send, so don't watch it if you don't want beta!

Nice...but he forgot to climb the 3rd pitch! Puss

Some quick beta:

-a #4 isn't needed. The "OW" pod on P1 is very short; a #3 BD protects above and below.
-I think that four #2's and four .75 BD cams are useful. You'll use them all.
-the second pitch doesn't end at a tree with slings (as stated). It ends at an obvious bomber bolted belay on a small ramp.
-Lots of shade.