Hintersands

Hintersands takes a winding path up an overhung chasm in Mt Spry's South face, with many overhung pitches. As a free climb it presents a wild arrangement of novel movement on soft rock. The steep climbing necessitates multiple heel hooks and knee bars, unique fare for a Zion wall. Future parties should expect exciting climbing above reasonable protection in Zion’s softer stone. All pitches have fixed anchors on comfy ledges to rappel the route.

Feel free to replace the knifeblades on P3 with bolts, add a bolted anchor above the crux P9 roof, or add a bolt to protect the P7 crack switch

P1: 5.10+, 35m

Head up the varnished thin hands crack corner, continuing straight up through a chimney and a short fist crack to 2 bolts on a nice ledge

P2: 5.11-, 40m

Climb the double cracks straight above the belay. Physical and dead vertical. Mostly hands to fists with a squeeze chimney finish. 2 bolts on a great ledge

P3: 5.12a 30m

Climb the varnished layback off the belay until it ends. Traverse high and right here past two bolts on a slab. Two more bolts and some fixed knifeblades take you up a cruxy stem corner to 2 bolts at a sloping stance

P4: 5.11+ R 20m

Climb the flared crack out the right side of the roof. Once above the roof, traverse on face holds to the crack out left. Continue through nice hands and fingers to a 2 bolts belay and a small foot stance.

P5: 5.11 30m

Head straight up through a hand crack in a flare chimney, a leaning offwidth pod, and a short face traverse right to a 2 bolt anchor on a small ledge.

P6: 5.9 20m

Step right to a great finger crack in a tight flare. Above the flare, stem gently through loose rock to a sloping ledge with a 2 bolt anchor.

P7: 5.10 R 30m

Head up the chossy corner through stepped terrain. Place gear high in the buldge, traverse right to a shallow poorly protected chimney, and thendo a spooky traverse back left once above the buldge. (The original aid pitch went up the seam corner through the first bulge at C1) Continue to two bolts on a comfy yet loose ledge.

P8: 5.10+ 25m

Short pitch of thin hands through a flake tunnel to a large sloping ledge atop the flake with two bolts

P9: 5.12 40m

Continue up the corner left off the belay through wildy steep laybacking out a roof. Above the roof, diagonal left through a slab chimney to it's end, then straight up through a wild lip encounter! Rap from tat on a small tree

Decent

:

Rap the route with two ropes.

Fix the tag line to the anchor for the overhanging last pitch.

Link P3 and P4 on the way down with some swinging and directionals on the traverse bolts. Much of the route is leaning or overhanging causing tricky rappels

SE Face of Mt Spry, facing the tunnel

Park at the first right curve after the Y. Hike alone the drainage towards East Temple for two minutes. Just before some short overhanging cliffs on the left, cut left up the hill. Continue up dirt ribs via path of least resistance. Once hitting the wall, head right to a massive right facing dihedral system through the highest part of the wall. 40 minutes

Doubles #0.1-0.3

Triples #0.4-4

Extra #0.75s for the crux

Single #5 & #6

2x 60m ropes