Zion — Moonlight Buttress
Springdale
Location
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Conditions at the crag
Quick Facts
Pitches
9
Approach
45 min from the Angel's Landing trailhead (Zion shuttle required)
Climb time
12-18 hours for a fit team free climbing all pitches
Elevation gain
610m
Best season
March, April, May…
Total Day
full day — most teams start at 3-4AM with headlamps
Best months to climb
About This Route
Moonlight Buttress is the most coveted big-wall free climb in Zion National Park — 9 pitches rising 610 meters on an impeccable Navajo sandstone prow above the Virgin River. The route was first climbed in 1971 by Jeff Lowe and Mike Weis and was considered an aid route for nearly three decades until Tommy Caldwell freed every pitch in 2000 at 5.12+. The stone is smooth, featured Navajo sandstone with crack systems, face holds, and a final headwall of sustained finger cracks that defines the route. The setting is extraordinary: the prow catches the last light in Zion Canyon and from the upper pitches you look directly down at the canyon floor, the Virgin River a silver thread below. A permit is required and competition for dates is significant — enter the lottery through Recreation.gov four days before your desired date.
Crux
Pitch 7 — the Prow: 5.12+ sustained finger locks and ring locks on a steep Navajo sandstone prow, 40 meters, technical face climbing between crack systems with exposure on all sides. The crux sequence involves a cross-step move at bolt 5 with feet on a 1-cm edge and both hands in shallow two-finger pockets.
Before You Go
What to master at your local gym before attempting Zion — Moonlight Buttress
Lead Grade
Lead 5.12 sport outdoors with margin — not a project. You need to be climbing 5.12 well, not at your limit.
Outdoor Days
30+ outdoor days including at least 5 completed multi-pitch routes and solid 5.12 sport outdoors
Fitness Level
Advanced — 9 pitches to 5.12+ in a committing big-wall environment. Technical ability and aerobic fitness both required.
Skills to practice before the trip
- Finger crack technique: ring locks, finger locks, thin hand jams — all placed and weighted under real consequence
- Multi-pitch route-finding without continuous bolt lines
- Efficient crack-to-face transitions without losing rhythm
- Big wall mentality: eating and drinking on belay, managing fatigue over a 14-hour day
- Confident rappelling on multi-anchor descents with a friction-hitch backup
Train at your gym before you go
- Linked 5.12 sets: lead a 5.12, lower, rest 5 minutes, lead a 5.11, rest 5 minutes, lead another 5.11 — simulates the sustained output of 9 pitches
- Finger crack hangboard: 20mm rung (ring-lock depth), 10 seconds on, 5 seconds off, 5 reps per set, 5 sets — build margin over the crux crack
- Headlamp climbing: schedule one gym session per month that starts at 5AM — get comfortable moving on rock before sunrise
- Big day simulation: boulder for 30 minutes, climb 8 gym routes, then try your hardest project — training for Moonlight means training for the end of a very long day
Warnings
- A Zion National Park permit AND an Angels Landing Zone permit are BOTH required. Miss either and you will be turned back at the trailhead.
- Sandstone in Zion should never be climbed when wet or within 48 hours of rain. Wet Navajo sandstone is fragile and holds break — this is both a safety and an ethics issue.
- Flash floods in Zion Canyon are a serious and rapid-onset hazard. Check the Zion NPS flash flood forecast every morning. If there is any upstream precipitation, do not start.
- Summer temperatures in the canyon bottom regularly exceed 108°F / 42°C. Only experienced parties with exceptional heat management should attempt in July-August.
- This is a committing 5.12+ multi-pitch big wall. Do not attempt at your absolute technical limit — bail is difficult and the descent requires multiple rappels.
Gear required
- 70m dry rope (the rappels on descent require 70m)
- Double rack: cams from 0.2 to 3 inches including doubles in 0.4-1 inch sizes
- 12 nuts assorted
- 10 quickdraws + 6 shoulder-length slings
- Helmet — mandatory, rockfall risk is real on a busy day in Zion
- Bivy gear if planning an overnight: sleeping bag rated to 5°C, insulation layer, gloves
- 4L water per person — water sources not available on route
- Headlamp — most teams start before sunrise
- Zion National Park entry permit AND Angels Landing Zone permit (both required for approach)
Minimum gear
- 70m rope
- double rack cams 0.3-2 inch
- 8 quickdraws
- helmet
- belay device
- 3L water per person
- headlamp
Photo Gallery
Guided Options
Guided
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Where to eat
- $14-26
Oscar's Cafe
Mexican restaurant
- $18-34
Spotted Dog Cafe
American fare
- $10-18
Whiptail Grill
Tacos and burritos
Where to stay
- $30/night
national park campground
- $185-320/nightCable Mountain LodgeSponsored
hotel
- $130-280/night
Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort
resort
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Find accommodation near Springdale
Hotels, hostels, and guesthouses — compare and book.
What climbers say
“Moonlight Buttress is as good as everyone says. We started at 3:30AM with headlamps and were on pitch 4 at sunrise. The prow in the morning light is something you cannot describe. 14 hours car to car with one attempt on the 5.12+ crux.”
“Got the permit on the fourth lottery attempt. Worth every failed attempt. The route is perfect — every pitch different, the stone is beautiful, and coming down in the canyon at dusk with headlamps was almost as good as the summit.”
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Local guides & shops
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