Made to be Broken, 5.10c, 5 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Made to be Broken is a five pitch sport climb established in 2003. It is located directly behind the Zion Lodge in Zion National Park on an obvious tower named Carbuncle Buttress with a huge roof on top known as the “Diving Board”. The route runs right up the middle of the north face (read a bit cold in the fall and winter) and finishes to the left of the Diving Board in five bolted pitches. The only published account of the route is a short mention at SuperTopo which has the route rated at 5.10d.
The bolts are a tad spaced out which really only affects your headspace a bit at the start as the wall is fairly steep and there are not many ledges. Made to be Broken is much cleaner than comparable length north facing trad routes, i.e. Holly Roller and Shark Tooth Freighter on Mount Spry. Even though the moss was not worn off, I suspect Made to be Broken sees some traffic as the holds were solid by Zion sandstone face standards and friction on the slab not so sandy.

The crux of the route involves the slab moves at the start of the 2nd pitch as well as the finish to the 1st pitch which is stout as you attempt to grapple with several sloper type holds. The 3rd and 4th pitches both pull over steep terrain on nice varnished jugs. The 5th pitch is the shorter, least desirable pitch of the five, but does take you to the top of the tower. The route is set up to rap with a single rope via the climbing stations.

Take the bus or if off season, you can drive to the Zion Lodge parking lot. Walk west in front of the lodge to the near back corner of the separate lodge building. Locate a trail here that meanders up to the base of the tower above that has a huge roof on top known as the diving board which is impossible to miss. It looks like an Olympic sized diving board.

Route Description

430’+/-, 5 Pitches, 5.10c

1st Pitch- 25m- 5.10c/ The start is not hard to find, just a little left of center on the tower face. Joe used sand colored hangers. The first two bolts are quite spread out. It is a hard move off the deck. Delicate edges lead to the first bolt. The space between the 1st and 2nd bolt would result in a decking if you slipped, but the climbing is much more positive than what you start out on. Eventually make a sharp left traverse through a scoop and up to a slight corner. Follow the corner as the climbing gets tough and cruxy via slopers to the station. Use shoulder length slings on the 2nd half of the pitch to cut down on rope drag.

2nd Pitch- 30m- 5.10c/ Joe threw a directional bolt up and right but that would cause some rope drag on this pitch if you clipped it. It is best to skip that bolt and easily clip the first bolt up and left. From there to the 2nd bolt is perhaps the crux move of the climb, an awkward slab move. I balanced my weight on my right palm and extended my left fingers to their max to reach a positive piece of varnish up high in which to weight my feet with. From there the pitch angles up and left via an easy corner that eventually leads to a right traverse on edges (stay low) to good positive climbing that continues to a shoulder of sorts. Move back out right onto the face and station. Use shoulder length slings on the 2nd half of the pitch to cut down on rope drag.

3rd Pitch- 25m- 5.10b/ Head up to the overhang above which is of less favorable colored rock. Overcome several huge scoops on positive jugs.

4th Pitch- 30m- 5.10b/ Take on the steep, slightly overhanging, section directly above the belay, but on positive, darker colored varnish than you have been climbing. I did knock a piece off here, so do pay attention to what you are grabbing. The climbing angle eases above as you angle up and right. Use shoulder length slings to cut down on rope drag.

5th Pitch- 20m- 5.9/ The only 5.9 moves are at the beginning, off the belay. From there the route eases way up as you come to a large ledge. Take on the short wall to the top of the tower. The summit is large enough to enjoy a leisurely break.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

Rap the route. You have to swing quite a bit here and there. Joe made mention that double ropes might be preferable on the rap, but we did not see that so much.

Essential Gear

60m rope, half dozen draws, half dozen shoulder length slings. You will appreciate the slings on all the pitches, the route bends quite a bit. You will descend back to your shoes and pack, no need to take much with you. This is a north facing route and was a bit chilly in early October and literally sees no sun that time of year. Dress appropriately.

External Links

• The Many Free Routes in Zion National Park
  
• Oscar’s Café, the only place for climbers to truly fill their appetite (free range chicken, beef and Hank’s Tanker) and meet one of the finer climbers and individuals I know on the face of the earth, Zach Lee, someone who has established many of his own local FA’s in the area.
  
• Zion National Park
  trail conditions or closures, wildlife notices/closures, weather conditions, camping permits, canyon water levels, etc.
  
• Best True Technical Clothing and Accessories in the Outdoor Industry, Hands Down....the Legit Climbers Gear at Real Prices
  
• Scarpa, has surpassed La Sportiva in terms of quality, function, value and actually stand by their warranties
  
• Osprey Backpacks, Not a Second Choice
  
• Great Outdoors Depot

Images

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