Zodiac VI, 5.7, C2+
El Capitan, Yosemite
September 12-15, 2001
by Natallia and Henry Wurzer, Munich, Germany
My wife and me made now the second attempt to climb that route. First in
September 2000 we tried to do it, but an akward fall on pitch 7 broke my lowest
rips and we had to retreat. But the route did attract me so much, that I swore
to come back and just did it this year. All the year long I was dreaming of
climbing that route with those beautiful rock features and the word Zodiac had
a special magnetism to me. We were back next year and succeded beeing 4 days on
the wall. The last bivy (#4) we took on top of Zodiac on flat ground. In front
of us climbed a 3-person party of Norwegians, climging in the night as well and
therefore no running up accured. And behind us two nice tiny Japanese climbers,
who we watched falling twice. Unbelievable: the route was then not climbed by
any party for a whole week.
We really enjoyed this great and steep climb. A lot is fixed but still
some challenging parts remain like cam-hooking, traverse hooking and placing
offset nuts which make the route unforgettable. The climb itself leads thru
grand and beautiful rock features changing on every pitch you move higher.
Climbing W.C.is a bore in comparison.
I shall not attach a beta or gear list since this information is given
many times on other reports. We prepared in 2 days up to pitch 4 because when
we came first time to the base the first pitches were crowed like a rock
festival. We managed to prepare to pitch #2 and returned 2 days to continue the
fixing when the crowd moved off and away. We had bivy on belay #6, #9, #12 and
on the East ledges at Zodiac top out. Can you imagine how convenient it is to
have a bivy on flat ground where you can spread all your things anywhere and
turn around while sleeping as you like ? We used 2 wall-haulers for each bag on
2 individual haul-lines what made the hauling procedure comfortable for the
leader and the loads for the descent could be packed nicely and equally.
However enjoy our pictures ……………………………
Picture 1 and 2: my wife Natallia relaxing at the base to Zodiac after
preparing up to pitch #4
Picture 3: jugging up to pitch 2 for further fixing
Picture 4: jugging up 330ft to pitch 4 anchor (via Shortest Straw bolt)
in order to bring bags up
Picture 5: pitch #5 Natallia on the end of the bolt ladder. Pitch #5 and
#6 can be combined, but we did not because of the zig-zag of the lead-line and
wasting time in large back-cleaning (only good for soloists).
Picture 6: pitch #7 in the morning of the 2nd day. Henry
climbing above Black Tower up to the belay #7.
Higher up the portaledges of 3 Norwegian guys on belay #8, they moved
off by climbing one more pitch every night.
Picture 7: via pitch #8 the great white circle is entered, the rock now
gets white and steep (see angle of hanging-down ropes)
Picture 8: pitch #8 is an immaculate dihedral and eats small nuts,
demands cam-hooking and fixed gear shows up just when you need it (watch the
steepness by jugging up the last Norwegian to belay #10)
Picture 9: Natallia on her cleaning job on pitch #8 on a glimpse down
the dihedral shown in pic 8. On belay #7 the Japanes can be seen preparing
their bivy on a good ledge.
Picture 10: Henry on bivy 2 on belay #9 in the white circle, he is happy
having a horizontal spot to relax.
What do you think how old is this guy ? - the answer you find at the
very bottom
Picture 11: pitch #10 – the nipple pitch in the early morning light.
One of the most impressive pitches I ever climbed, due to the immaculate
rock and the perfect climbing line along.
Picture 12 + 13: impressions on the nipple pitch, Natallia after
cleaning the nipple and having fun coming up.
Picture 14a + 14b: Natallia jugging up above the roofs of the mark of
zorro
Henry & Natallia sorting gear on belay #11 and getting ready for the
next attack.
Pictures beeing shot with a huge zoom lense on the El Cap meadows by
William Zittrich
Picture 15: Natallia moving close to belay #12 bypassing a hook
traverse.
Picture 16: Natallia on belay#12 beeing happy to finish climbing for the
3rd day and getting ready to set up the portaledge
Picture 17: pitch #13 has a beautiful crack to the end and leads to a
grand belay station (peanut ledge) offering a splendid view down and to the
wall left and right. It makes you feel you achieved something and all those
efforts getting up here seem to be justified.
Picture 18: pitch #14 needs a #5 and a #4 camelot - if you do not use
the bathook on boltholes higher up. Under the roof waits an exposed little
traverse to the left – coming round you will be glad to see the anchor bolts.
One more impressive pitch on this route of the big stone eastside since it
offers wide crack climbing on big cams too. The bolts set here make you really
happy. On my journey up the wind was the greatest handicap on this pitch: I
almost never got my boots in the aiders.
The last 2 pitches are short but somehow tricky and interesting – anyway
one can smell the summit and this puts wings on your climbing ambitions and the
little roof traverse as a top out is really the best top out I have ever
experienced.
Picture 19: pitch #15 seen from El Cap meadows. Henry moving up a C2
thin crack with back-cleaning according to the topo. The pitch goes zig-zag:
first left traverse, then up, then a 30 ft left traverse again, then up and at
least followed by a right traverse down to the anchors. One good thing: the
hauling is short.
Picture 20: pitch #16 seen from El Cap meadows, Natallia belaying and
Henry moving up. We topped out at about 6:30 p.m. and had our 4th
bivy on the east ledges near the top out on flat and comfortable cosy ground.
Yeeeepeeeee – Yaaahoooo.
Next morning after an extended sleep we descended down the east ledges
which I already new. At lunch time we reached the ranger rock parking lot., 1
hour later we sat at the Hamburger station behind the village store and enjoyed
litres of coke and tons of chocolate shakes.
A great adventure has ended but the climbing heart feels still the burning fire …………..
Thanks to Charlie Porter, FA, who established a fine line along natural
features
Thanks to all who placed the good bolts on this route providing a safe
climb to all of us
Thanks to William Zittrich for the ground-up shots of our climb
report by Henry Wurzer, October 3rd 2001
email:
hwurzer@aol.com
| Home/Mountaineering/ Yosemite Rock information |