As a free route, Touchstone offers some high quality climbing on good stone and some sandy, stressful sections. The free climbing is lower quality than Spaceshot or Moonlight, but is still worthwhile. The belays are set up for aid climbing and create awkward pitch breakdowns. Below is how I would recommend approaching the pitches for free climbing, roughly climbing "stance to stance".

Pitch 1: 5.13a, 35m

This pitch starts about 40ft right of the aid bolt ladder. Stem against a tree to reach some good holds. Follow a bunch of fixed pins through two cruxy bulges, finishing on a techy under vert seam. A few small offset micro stoppers can help to pull through the cruxes during your initial foray. There is a comfy belay ledge with bolts atop this pitch.

Pitch 2: 5.13b (short ~V8 boulder), 15m

The bolts on this pitch are poorly engineered and don't follow the climbing very well.. walk right on the ledge for 10 feet and yard up the bolt and fixed pin to clip high. Lower back down to the ledge and walk back to the belay. The free climbing goes straight up from the belay for a few moves and then traverses right past your clipped gear. Once the short boulder problem is over, easy rambling leads to a tricky slab and then a traversing ledge system under the roof.

If working this pitch, it is best to lower back down from the traverse bolts and not link into the roof pull. There is a small perch stance halfway across the traverse that is useful to conclude the pitch. Closely spaced lead bolts just below this stance work to create a hanging, awkward belay.

Pitch 3: 5.12- R, 10m

From the traverse stance, continue left along the bolt ladder to the roof pull. This is the aid route crux and has C2 protection, which is more finicky while free climbing past. Pull hard and committing moves out the roof past the infamous broken pin. Just above the roof is a sandy ledge stance out left. This is where the free pitch should end, but keep climbing 20ft up the crack to a fully hanging bolted belay on the right. A stressful ground-up lead!

This pitch is very short, but includes some of the worst climbing on the route. I thought it was best to keep this pitch short to isolate the jingus climbing, not ruining the fine pitches before and after.

Pitch 4: 5.12+, 40m

For a pure experience, you can lower down 15ft to the sandy stance just above the roof to start your "stance to stance" 12+ free pitch. This gives a mega 40m finger crack that goes on forever! If starting at the hanging position, it is probably only mid 5.12. Skip the next hanging belay out left at 100' and keep going through the 5.11 double cracks to a tiny ledge in a steep scoop.

See the main route page for more detail on the pitches to the top

Pitch 5: 5.10c

Slabby thin hands forever to tricky flare climbing. End at a large ledge out right.

Pitch 6: 5.8

Climb the left of the two cracks leaving the right side of the ledge. Wide cracks lead to a large ledge.

Pitch 7: 5.9

Climb the left of the double cracks through bulgy fingers, then step right to a nice handcrack layback.

Pitch 8: 5.10b

Layback and fist jam up the crack to a squeeze chimney, then ramble to a giant tree to belay.

Pitch 9: 5.7R

Juggy sport climbing with pins to an unprotected slab. Belay at a small summit tree

Decent:

See the aid route page. If there is no traffic on route, rappelling back down the pitches is a smoother experience. The summit ridge traverse is really cool, consider hiking out and back even if rapping the route.

Touchstone Wall (Free)

Intruder

Scarlet Begonias

Mean High Tide

The Fat Hedral

Squeeze Play

Bernie Breakdown

Electrica

Fails of Power

No Holds Barred

Pussy Power > Penis Envy

Cherry Crack

Tales of Flails

Cave Route

Touchstone Wall

Cynthia's Hand Job

Flip of a Coin

Dire Wolf

Hype

Touchstone is an excellent adventure and one of the greatest big walls of all time.

Angel's Landing

looms across the canyon and makes a scenic backdrop.  What the route lacks in height it makes up for in wonderful aid and free climbing. Bivy ledges atop pitch 5 and on the summit make this an excellent first wall since no portaledge is necessary. Don't forget that a bivy permit is required for all overnight routes! This route was one of the earlier big wall routes done in Zion and was put up by the prolific desert rat Ron Olevsky.

Lecture

The route goes all clean and has good anchors, so leave the pins, hammers and drilling equipment at home. Credit for the fact it can be climbed with only nuts and cams goes to the vision of Ron Olevsky who realized early on that in order to preserve the classic walls of Zion they needed some fixed gear and some constructive scaring.  (I guess that makes this a chipped route?) Otherwise, the route would have become a mess of unclimbable pin scars.

Unfortunately, even when done all clean, the route can still be trashed by the careless cleaning.  So, when trying to decide whether or not to leave a $4.95 nut or whether to get it out with all means necessary, think twice and do the right thing. And it goes without saying, leave all fixed pins in place.

Pitch-by-Pitch Beta

Note: there are intermediate/belay anchors in the middle of the first 4 pitches to allow parties to bail safely with one rope. Pitches are described based on skipping the intermediate anchors.

P1

(5.6 C2 or C1, 35m) Unlike other Zion big walls there are no nasty pitches getting to the good rock.  However, there are two choices for the start. Climb the tree to some fixed pins and interesting free climbing and belay on a nice ledge or climb the bolt ladder on the left which requires some top-stepping.  The tree start is very interesting and was the original start.  It also requires a little 5.6 traverse to start pitch 2.  The bolt ladder start is easier and more straightforward.

P2

(C2, 41m) This is possibly the crux of the route.  Climb some fixed gear up to the roof and traverse left under a roof.  The traverse culminates in hanging on a fixed Rurp. Exciting! It's probably better to use the ease-on-to-it method of testing rather than bounce testing, which will inevitably loosen the fixed gear.  Continue by aiding through the C2 roof.  A creatively-placed 0.5 tricam works nicely here.

After the roof, start cruising up the beautiful crack that splits the walls.  This crack eats nuts. Ignore the first set of anchors on the right.  Belay at chains on the right side of the crack.  This pitch is very exciting to clean since it traverses. The haul bag will probably get stuck on the roof, so have the second wait there and flip the bag over the roof (Big Wall Tip #23).

P3

(C1, 42m) This is what it's all about. A beautiful crack on a beautiful wall with good exposure. Aid climbing never gets any better than this! Put stuff in the crack and cruise. Pass the midway belay station and continue to a nice ledge. This pitch goes free at 5.11-.

P4

(5.10, 45m) Get out the cams and climb a sandy crack.  This can be aided or free climbed at 5.10.  End at Halfway Ledge which is not a good place to bivy.

P5

(5.8+, 25m) Choose the best off width climber and get out the phat cams.  Climb the four inch crack and be mindful of a loose block before the Virgin Berth Bivy Ledge. There's room for two people here. Next, eat all the Chef Boyardee.

P6

(5.9, 27m) This makes an interesting wake-up call after the bivy.  Climb a 5.9 crack on the left then choose either a 5.6 crack on the left or a sweet 5.8 hand crack on the right.  This section can be french freed if necessary.

P7

(5.9, 26m) Climb a weird, wavy and wide fist crack up into a short squeeze.  Leapfrog gear as necessary.  Belay at a very large tree.

P8

(5.9, 26m) The original route rated this pitch T4, as in climb the tree and swing onto the juggy wall to the left. Luckily, a variation exists that climbs excellent jugs up the steep wall with fixed pins.  Pumpy! Belay near the lip at a manzanita bush, fixed pin, and crack where you can make an anchor.  A nice bivy can be had on the Summit Prow.

P9

(5.6) To get to the summit, a little free climbing is necessary.  This last, little pitch is nasty to haul.  It might be possible to do this as part of pitch 8, but the summit prow is very cool to hang out on.

Free Version

This route has been freed.  That's something to think about while happily hanging in the aiders.

This is a great line and one of the harder offerings at the base of

Cerberus Gendarme

. Pretty straightforward: finger jams in a splitter crack and they get thin before the anchors, which is probably the crux for most people, as it was for me.

This is the fairly short flake right of

Fails of Power

.  It climbs through a pod and into a handcrack for 30 feet; this section goes up a right facing dihedral.  From there, you'll have to undercling right out of the small roof, and then up another 15 feet to the chains.

The lower section in the dihedral has some face holds for feet. Take advantage of them.

The route is on the prow of the tower on the very left edge of the whole Cerberus Gendarmes. You can't help but notice the banana shaped chimney splitting the arete of this tower from the Angels View lot. This may have been done prior to Joe and Brody, or at least attemted as evidenced by old crappy fixed pro on the first pitch and a half. Joe and Brody found no anchors on the tower summit. Joe and Brody put some bolts next to the hard offwidth which makes the pitch less intimidating. Pitch 4 has a bouldery crux. Pitch 5 is super cool.

The crack (up the dihedral) varies a lot on this route.  There are numerous faceholds and stemming is the key.  Also, have fun encountering the few, short, offwidth pods.  This seeems to be standard in Zion.  The last 15 foot section climbs a thin hands crack.

This is the prominent crack to the right of

Cave Route

. It starts in a small-hands splitter and moves up through two broken cracks to great arete climbing. Folks most often protect in the small crack and climb the arete.

You could also choose to weasel around in the offwidth crack, but that makes for some difficulty reaching the chain anchors at the top of the pitch.

Super fun route. Some great strength and technique moves with a great view.

A very large crack that is disconnected by a seam. First crux is at the seam with many more until the chains. Was rated PG-13 because of tricky placements and loose rock. Do not finger jam left of small pillar about 20ft up or you may pry it on to your belayer. This is a good Zion offwidth test piece. If you can master this climb then the bigger wall climbs with scattered 5.10 off widths will be much lighter on your soul.

This route was named after the an event that occurred at the first Gettin' Western Party that was put on by the Wiley Bois. After a long night of fungus indulging and tequila shootin' one of the wiley guests decided to drive a car in a 6 ft ditch, then fist fight her way to glory. The Bernie Breakdown was a hard one to combat. Many of the wiley bois found themselves bruised and caught in spiraling hysterical laughter. Good Vibes only. Put up those fists for this one kiddos and get ready to stack em' up as you inch your way to the top.

Rated PG-13 Due to loose block in the crack, but don't be scared away the pro is actually really good and is not dangerous if approached with caution.

A bolted face! Start 5 ft left of dire wolf and follow a meandering bolt line on thin edges.  Bring you're edging shoes for this one.  More technical than pumpy.  Resist the urge to grab the bolts for balance.

This crack is the prominent corner to the left of

Scarlet Begonias

. Most folks just climb to the chain anchors just above the flake, making the climb a 5.10b. The 5.11c comes past the first set of anchors and follows a finger crack over a small roof about 50 ft further.

It is fantastic! Perfect hands in the corner and then pulling the flake is a tad exposed but very fun. Very sustained classic crack climbing!  Great route!

Note that all anchors were placed on lead.

Climb up a right facing hand crack into a shallow ledge with a bolt.  The rest of the climb continues up a loose chimney where you belay/lower from a tree.

Was given it's name due to the phallic nature of the feature enclosing the squeeze section.

Chicken wing your way up the route, move fast and swift. The crux is a little tapered about half way up. Good rests and good pro the whole way. Rap the chains.

A prominent crack in the large face to the right of

Tales of Flails

,

Scarlet Begonias

, and

Fails of Power

. It begins at a tree and climbs the left-leaning crack to a vertical crack.

Many simply climb the first pitch (5.9).

I've always found this route to have fun, varied climbing and at a moderate grade. There's good climbing in the big chimney via a variety of jams with good feet and ample gear. Going to the first set of anchors is most popular, at 5.9 but you can continue to a second set of anchors at 5.10. A few bolts protect the top of this pitch and it's 130 feet to the upper anchors.

Route furthest to the left on

Gendarme

.  Starts off as an awkward face climb, protectable with the large crack.  Some mantles and edges lead to a beautiful hand crack in a dihedral.  Another mantle leads to chains and a cave.  This route can also be top-roped by walking through the cave from behind the formation.

This fun route is a great way to finish up a day of cragging. It sees less action than the routes around the corner.

The first pitch is varied and ends at a bolted rap station on the edge of a brushy terrace.

The second pitch climbs the beautiful open book above. Mostly hands with some variety including a fist/OW section. It ends at a bolted rap station.

Rap the route with two 60m ropes or one 70m.

Climb the open-book corner before traversing right underneath the roof on heucos, to the anchor up and right. The corner is pretty awkward and we found it to be rather dirty because it doesn't seem to get done as much.

An enjoyable climb but not as classic as the other pure splitters at the base of the

Cerberus Gendarme

.

If you’re  looking to break into the 5.12 trad range this is it.. Climb easy and fun 5.10- then do a 10ft boulder problem, to easy 5.10- to the chains.

In the thin section you get some foot chips and 2 okayish crimps on the right wall. Be sure not to place gear in your finger locks in the crack

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Cerberus Gendarme