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Moonlight Buttress.

After failing on something bigger and harder in Yosemite, we went to Zion for what we thought would be a sure bet. It was. Hauling a bag for a single night out is exponentially easier than one for a grade VI of course. This was just a very fun, low stress outing I recall. As we were hauling our bag and ledge, we started via the “direct” variation. We were planning to bivy atop pitch 5 or so but there was a traffic jam above us on pitch 4 and so we fixed P4 and slept at its base. We had a full moon night though we got molested by some wall rodent in the middle of the night. Also, after getting tuned up on the first 5 pitches of Dihedral Wall, this would’ve been easily doable in a day except we wanted to get another night out on the wall (and then there were the traffic jams).

Photos

Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Chilling in Zion with The Leaning Wall (home to Space Shot) in the background (May 2009).

Moonlight Buttress route (9 pitch, 5.8 C1) on Moonlight Buttress. Zion NP, Utah (May 2009).

Repacking in some motel for a planned one-nighter on Moonlight Buttress (from a planned 4-nighter on Dihedral Wall; May 2009).

Starting the long way approach from Grotto Bridge (May 2009).

Scenic approach (May 2009).

Shirley and The Great White Throne (May 2009).

More approach scenery (May 2009).

Shirley with The Organ in the background (May 2009).

Starting up pitch 1 of Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Looking down the first pitch. Shirley’s getting ready to jug (May 2009).

Leading pitch 2 (May 2009).

Pitch 2 (May 2009).

Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 of Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Pitch 2 of Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Shirley on pitch 2 (May 2009).

Topping out on pitch 2 (May 2009).

Starting pitch 3 (May 2009).

Pitch 3 (May 2009).

View from start of pitch 3 (May 2009).

Pitch 3 (May 2009).

Great White Throne and Angels Landing (May 2009).

Shirley following pitch 3 (May 2009).

The stunning Angles Landing (May 2009).

Shirley nearing the end of pitch 3 (May 2009).

Looking up at a party above us on pitch 4 (May 2009).

Shirley on pitch 3 (May 2009).

Starting up pitch 4. We fixed it on the afternoon and decided to bivy atop pitch 3 as there was a traffic jam above (May 2009).

Higher on pitch 4 (May 2009).

Great White Throne and the shuttle bus stop from our bivy position atop pitch 3 (May 2009).

View from the lead of pitch 4 (which we fixed that afternoon; May 2009).

Nearing the top of pitch 4 (May 2009).

Shirley belaying me on pitch 4 (May 2009).

Closer look at Shirley at our camping spot for the evening (May 2009).

Settling in for the evening atop pitch 3 (May 2009).

Views of the canyon from our portaledge (May 2009).

How about some liver pate for dinner (May 2009)?

Shirley jugging pitch 4 in the morning (May 2009).

More of Shirley on pitch 4 (May 2009).

Leading pitch 5 (May 2009).

Looking back at Shirley (at a hanging belay) from the lead of pitch 5 (May 2009).

Shirley jugging pitch 5 of Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

More pitch 5 (May 2009).

Leading pitch 6 (May 2009).

Pitch 6 (May 2009).

Smile pussycat! Hanging out atop pitch 6 (May 2009).

Shirley at the 6th belay on Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Leading pitch 7 (May 2009).

Shirley jugging pitch 7 (May 2009).

Pitch 7 (May 2009).

Views up-canyon from Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Shirley topping out on pitch 7 (May 2009).

Starting the lead of pitch 8 (May 2009).

Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 8 (May 2009).

Higher on pitch 8 (May 2009).

Shirley jugging pitch 8 (May 2009).

Shirley topping out on Moonlight Buttress (pitch 9; 2009).

Views of Angels Landing from the top of Moonlight Buttress (May 2009).

Almost at the rim (May 2009).

Shirley atop Moonlight Buttress with The Great White Throne in the background (May 2009).

Hiking the rim to the Angels Landing trail (May 2009).

Views from the Angels Landing trail (May 2009).

A little breather on the way down (May 2009).

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