This is an easy, well-protected outing which can be done in one long push with a 70 meter rope or broken into 2 or 3 shorter pitches. While there is no truly stellar climbing, each section has something fun, and the upper pitch is quite worth the trip - steep 5.0 climbing on enormous jugs and chickenheads the size of toasters. It would be a good route to practice leading and multi-pitch logistics.

P1 (5.4, 45 feet) - follow three bolts on the face just left of the jagged, offwidth crack, using it for occasional holds (or not, if you want to make the opening moves into an awkward 5.7ish face climb), 3 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor.

P2 (5.3, 65 feet) - continue past 2 bolts to a blunt arete. Follow it to another ledge. You can climb a crack in the face just to the left of the bolt line, but it is more fun and just as easy to stay right on the arete itself. It is possible to scramble left along the ledge at this anchor to reach the ground (3rd Class), 5 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor.

P3 (5.4 [5.5?], 75 feet) - step up on blocks to clip the first bolt out on the edge of the face to your (looker's) right, then use sidepulls to swing yourself around onto the face. The first move is steep for a moment but well-protected, so go for it. After that, the climbing is 5.0 at best and grin-producing. There are almost too many giant knobs and rails to choose from, and while you're not working hard, you are still up high in a pretty spot, so enjoy the romp, 5 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor.

A single 70m rope will make an easy rap back to the P1 anchors but may not reach the ground in one shot.

Trenchtown

Via Media

Rivers of Babylon

African Herbsman

The Burning Bush

Zion Train

Irie

Beauty for Ashes

Joy For Mourning

Catch That Train

Dig Your Own Hole

Footsteps of Faith

Eschaton

Thin gear and small feet make it necessary to trust your feet on this one. Go up the right side of the panel into a thin crack, and then do some technical movement on mostly positive holds. There's a 15 foot runout to the top above some small pieces which offers a tad bit of spice, but overall the gear is quite good.

"The Middle Way".

Follow the obvious weakness up the middle of the face. The crack trends left towards the top.

This is a short pitch on the upper headwall just right of the 5.10.

Start at the two bolt anchor below P2 of

Zion Train

. Go straight up from the ledge. Climb some fun, techy moves into a roof and then do a bit more moderate climbing to the top.

This cool route involves climbing a tree for 35 feet before stepping off onto the rock and climbing up to the topout!

P1: climb the fir tree growing right next to the wall, 15 feet right of

Trenchtown

. After climbing and slinging branches for 30’, step left onto a rock ledge, then climb up and right to a big corner and build a belay. There is an old piton near the belay corner, 5.2  70’ (no live branches were harmed during the first ascent).

Alternate start: start in the right-facing corner to the right of the fir tree, and climb up to the belay ledge/corner, 5.4.

P2: clip the old piton for fun, step up to the right, and climb straight up, using flakes and interesting cracks staying right of the arete. Pass a big ledge, and continue up a wide, left-facing dihedral to the roof. One could go left to the anchors on the previous route or traverse up and right to the top. Watch out for loose blocks. Build and anchor, and belay, 5.5, 80’.

Decent: either walk down from the top ridgeline trail back to the car, or access one of the top anchors from other routes near by and rap.

This route is a bit slabby, but the holds are good. They are mostly small edges.  The slab does not look very featured, but there are holds to be found. The hardest part is at about the third bolt.  Mainly the difficulty comes from small edges. It is probably the better of the two 5.7s on this face.

A thrilling position and good moves on the upper pitch make this one a highlight of the area.

P1: 5.7, 130 feet. Start as for

The Burning Bush

, and climb past the anchors (optional belay here) to continue over the broken, ledgy terrain (5.2-5.3) of the Promised Land Ledge up into a spacious alcove with a mossy floor (11 bolts + 2-bolt anchor).

P2: 5.10a/b, 85 feet. Climb out of the alcove toward the roofs above (5.8), aiming for a bright yellow lichen streak. Dodge the first roof on its left side, and use stems and liebacks to work over the larger roof above (5.10a, crux). On the slab above, follow the bolts straight up to a 2-bolt anchor. Your view from here is commanding (10 bolts + 2-bolt anchor).

Two 60-meter ropes tied together will usually juuuust reach the ground from the top anchor (watch your ends), or you can rappel back into the alcove and do one or two more rappels from there to the ground.

There is a rusty, bent piton just above the upper anchor -- evidence of exploration during an earlier era.

This route is not very difficult, but it is fun. The start is fairly slabby and, it is a little steeper near its end. The most difficult move is near the middle, but there are good holds throughout the climb. It looks like the first ascenders cleaned off a lot of lichen.  The climb is fairly clean and angles to the left for the 1st three quarters or so.

This is a great route to restore your spirits if you're feeling down.

Climb up 10 feet on small holds and work your way through the crux. Continue up the arete on good holds to the anchor.

Technical sequences with somewhat hidden gear make this route a joyous adventure at Tiers of Zion. While this is a beautifully exposed and inviting route, the crux moves require finding and placing good small gear. It is not recommended for folks new to the grade.

This is a well-protected trad pitch just to the left of the

Zion Train pitch

on the upper part of the Lower Tier. Yes, that means you will climb the 5.7 access pitch (

The Burning Bush

) to get to this one.  The pitch is a bit of one-move wonder in terms of difficulty, but it is an enjoyable move with good position, and the rest of the climbing is pleasant as well.

Begin at the alcove belay as for

Zion Train

. Follow the blunt arete of the angling pillar to the left of the

Zion Train

face. At the top of this pillar, continue in the gully between this feature and the upper face of

Zion Train

until you can place a nut in the perfect finger crack with the tufts of grass on top, and then traverse out onto the face to your right above the

Zion Train

overhang. There are some slightly hidden hand and cam placements that make the traverse step more manageable than it first appears. From there, it is a few more easy moves in a shallow dish just left of the

Zion Train

bolt line to reach the top of the cliff, and clip the chain anchor.

This is the trad version of

Trenchtown

, though it misses the best part of that route by breaking off before the upper pitch. While the lower moves on the easy offwidth crack are interesting enough, the rest is nothing to write home about. Still, if you are interested in a pure trad line up the Lower Tier, or you own some big cams and are itching to place them, have at it.

Begin with the jagged, offwidth crack. At its top, move left, and follow roughly the same middle section as

Trenchtown

, using the flake/crack to the left of the arete for pro. At any point on this lower 2/3 of the route, you could clip bolts if you wish, but moving just left and right of the bolt line offers adequate options for natural pro.

At the second anchors, engage the left-leaning crack that leaves from there.  The crux is an awkward move with flaring hand/fist jams right below an old, rusty, bent piton (which you should clip for laughs). Belay at the top of the widening crack, using the smaller cracks in the wall above.

From the top, it is an awkward, brushy scramble to hiking terrain near the top of the Lower Tier. The safest option for descent is likely to walk to the top of the Lower Tier and rappel either

Zion Train

or

Don't Rock My Boat

, as the walkoff down the gullies to the east is steep and loose and threatens the access trail below.

Eschaton is a fun, little route that climbs up the left arete. Look for some hidden, sinker pockets.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in A. East Wall