Cock Smasher, 5.10, 3 Pitches

Overview/Approach

 
Because Zion does not offer the easier, low-adventurous, routes the majority of visiting climbers are seeking, it continues to amaze me how many of the stellar 5.10 crack climbs go un-noticed. Cock Smasher is one of those routes. It is located just to the right of Lap Dance which features one of the better 5.11 crack pitches in the park. So it is easy to make a day of it on this section of Tunnel Wall. Bryan (Bird) established the first pitch of Cock Smasher in 2004 and continued it to its logical conclusion in 2006.
 
The first pitch is amazingly clean. We climbed Out of Wax (5.10) first and in comparison the rock is much better on this side of the huge corner that forms Another Road Side Attraction. Cock Smasher and HCN (5.10+) share the same start and finish, but Cock Smasher takes the obvious corner finger crack to the left of the main corner that ties back into the large left facing corner above capped by a roof that represents the third pitch, whereas HCN is a single pitch route that terminates after pulling the lower roof. This first pitch is quite clean with good pro to a fixed rap. The second and third pitches are better combined with a full rack and finish with a dramatic off-width roof to a fixed rap. A 70m single will not make this top rap, you need double ropes or an 80m single might reach.

Park at the second to last pull out heading up to the tunnel’s west entrance. Catch a trail that starts at the right end of the stone wall. Follow it well below the tunnel windows and catch any numerous faint trails that head up to the base of the middle of Cragmont/Tunnel Wall. Cock Smasher runs up the left side of large (half height of the wall) beer bottle type feature/tower at the center of the wall. The first pitch of Lap Dance (5.11) is the aesthetic right facing finger corner about 100’ to the left.

Route Description

Cock Smasher, 240’+/-, 5.10

1st Pitch- 100’- 5.10/ A fantastic pitch on good rock. Follow the obvious left facing finger crack up the darker rock. It protects very well with small gear. The crux is probably the last move before exiting from the crack up right to the fixed belay stance.

2nd-3rd Pitches- 140’- 5.10/ I see no reason to break this pitch up as long as you have a standard double rack and plenty of slings. There are two cruxes on this pitch, the first several meters off the belay and the roof off-width section above. The mistake I made on this pitch was buying into Bryan’s recommendation of “big gear”. In reality you will be better served with a regular double rack along with one or two larger pieces. The start includes a strenuous stem from the belay following the finger corner crack as it widens to hands. The middle section of this pitch is easy ground over loose rock. Above are two options. Because I took a single rack of small gear, I was forced to stay in the corner proper which is how Bryan describes it, but the route would go much better if you would traverse left into the clean finger crack and follow it to a wild off-width transition at the roof. If you stay with the corner, follow much less desirable rock up to the chossy roof. A C4#6 protects the roof as you slide/squeeze underneath and make strenuous off-width moves to eventually squeeze back out to the left wall for an easy finish to a fixed belay edge.

Descent

Rap the route via a double rope rap to a single rope rap.

Climbing Sequence

Essential Gear

Double 60m ropes. Single rack from C4#.3 to #6. Double from #.3 to #1. I placed no wires or off-set cams. Bring plenty of slings to help combine those last two pitches. This is a great summer route in Zion. Not only is Cragmont north facing, but this route is shaded from the west by a large corner. Dress accordingly. The rap anchors were in good shape in 2014.

Images

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