- Edit (TBD)
Bridge Mountain SE Ramp
Description
This route is fairly easy in a climbing sense, but still requires good micro route-finding and slab scrambling. "Desert-neering," even.
Start at the east entrance of the gully between Bridge and G2. An obvious ramp cuts up the SE face. Scramble up the ramp, occasionally diving left into a small gully until reaching steeper terrain. The ramp goes somewhere around 4th class to easy 5th in a spot or two. A couple old webbing-slung bushes might show you you're on route.
At the headwall, look for a ledge leading due south/left towards a large tree (currently has an old rope/ring for a 30 m rappel). Take the ledge to the tree and beyond to another tree (currently has old webbing for a 35 m rope stretching rappel ). From this tree, the route scrambles left to some bushes before going straight up a choss corner and slab. One could belay from the tree with a single rope or awkwardly from the bushes with a half rope. The slab is the route crux. Some rate it 4th class. I'd probably go with a tad harder at low 5th relative to other Zion scramble routes. It certainly provides more spice than the First Flatiron's first 5.6 pitch.
Anyways, a belay can be had off bushes (some scattered webbing) above the slab. Drop rope and scramble more or less working straight towards the summit up with some minor route-finding and 3rd class.
DESCENT:
The crux slab is not the kind of 4th class or low 5th I'd feel comfortable downclimbing. Rappel 1 goes from the bushes above the slab to the tree (25 m). Rappel 2 goes from either tree. Northern tree is 30 m, southern tree is perhaps 36 m. Down scramble from here a ways to the ramp crux. Another 25 m rappel off a bush takes you to 3rd/4th class terrain with another optional rappel. Consider bringing some webbing to replace the old.
Location
It takes a competent scrambler/desert-neer perhaps 1.5-3 hrs at hiking pace to reach the base of Bridge from Gifford Wash parking on the immediate east side of the tunnel. Searching for "Bridge Mountain Arch" on Google might provide some maps for below. Better yet, pick up Courtney Purcell's guidebook.
Start up Gifford Wash, looking for a trail on the right/west side of the canyon to overcome difficulties within sight of the car. After 0.7 miles, look for reasonable 2nd/3rd class slabby terrain on right/west. Ascend the slabs up for about 500 feet to a headwall where a social trail cuts south/left to gain the bowl. Continue up the bowl to a saddle.
From the saddle, continue over to the east/west canyon north of Gifford Peak. At the head of the canyon, bypass a dryfall to the north/descender's right. Continue down the narrow canyon to Hepworth Wash. Walk down the wash for half a mile before meandering west to the start of the gully/route.
Noe this peak combines well with G2's NW face (5.easy), Gifford, Hepworth, and others.
Protection
Sling some bushes. Perhaps a 0.5 BD purple might keep a fall on the crux nasty rather than deadly.