Yo freaks! Anyone out there climbed the Tower of Babel in Arches via Zenyatta Entrada? I am interested in any beta on the upper pitches. Or any aid pitches that anyone has done in the park that they would recomend. Pins? Clean? What's the dilly O? Also, the same goes for the Argon Tower, via the original (Kor) route. Thanks, and keep smashing 'em!!

-- Tea (mtea@ptc.com), April 08, 1999

Answers

I have not climbed any climbs in Arches National Monument, but will be doing so in September. Arches N.M. only allows clean climbing, so forget about the pitons. If you use pitons, you risk getting busted and making all climbers look bad.

-- Mark A. Fletcher (mfletche@turnerdesigns.com), August 06, 1999.

Thats not true. Arches allows nailing although it is always better to climb clean as much as possible because the rock is very soft there and it's good to keep a low profile. No need to lose any priveleges that we have. I did Zenyatta Entrada about 10 years ago and I did some nailing on it. But I think it now goes all clean. It would be pretty tricky though. The first few pitches are easy clean and take really good stoppers in pin scars. Higher up there are lots of big, boxed out scars that will be harder to do clean. Maybe consider taking tricams and some weird stuff, whatever you think will work in shallow boxed out placements. The route is great and in a great location right on the prow of the Tower of Babel. A nice and exposed place to be.

-- Ben Folsom (benfolsom@yahoo.com), October 03, 2001.