UT: Zion Heaps trip report from Ramoo - 3/32/2018

From: Steve Ram <adkramoo@aol.com>
To: Tom Jones <ratagonia@gmail.com>
Sent: Thu, Mar 32, 2018 11:10 pm
Subject: Solo'd Heaps

Went and Solo'd Heaps via Phantom Valley Thursday and Friday.

It was nice doing a leisurely trip through Heaps, camping at the Crossroads. The leisure was kinda forced, as carrying that much weight was a chore, and I was not strong enough to not take frequent rests. Technically, every decision needed to be triple-checked. Things I would normally downclimb were rappelled, so movement was at a measured pace.

Conditions were excellent - as in, it is good to be good, but it is good to be lucky as well. Heaps was kinda full, but not really full. There were two problematic escapes in the first two narrows, that took several tries. I resurrected Scott Holley's discovery of using the shoulder strap of your floaty pack for a foot hold - works very well. Where the South Fork of Heaps come in there was a big in-flow of sand - clean, white, pure sand. I camped here because I had an hour of sunlight to warm up in after chilling in the 2nd Phantom Narrows. It was blissful. Freeze Dried Lasagna never tasted so good.

In the morning, the sand continued past the great sandy corridor and into the ultimate narrows. Those problematic downclimbs in the first section were flat walking on sand. At least two keeper potholes I was worried about were completely covered in sand. First swim was perhaps 1/3 of the way through at the Iron Room. From there, Heaps became more like itself, with climbing problems and pools, long swims for a bit, and one pothole escape issue, overcome with the shoulder-strap step technique. The Devils Pit area was clean, and the climb up the blocking log perhaps easier than normal. Just past that is there the bolts are missing - a short drop into a slot that runs to the left. 3 empty bolt holes. I swam back to the blocking log, climbed up (hard) and ran the rope around the upper section of the log, and rapped off that. The reporting party evidently traversed the super narrow ledge to where they could jump 8 feet down to the sand - not me... not alone for sure.

Out at the end, was happy to have 2 pm warmth and relaxation. Made a very methodical descent of the last sequence. For once, was the first one down and got the applause. Packed up the heavy pack and down into the amazing heat. Back to town.

A wonderful experience, an intimate experience. Not very social of course, but I get enough of that.

I wanted to tell a few close friends, ... I HAD to tell a few close friends. But there is no reason to tell anyone else. I don't think soloing canyons is a good idea period. But I am glad to have done it and had the experience, which does not need to be repeated.

Ciao.

Ram

Tour-de-Heaps!

Is that Ramoo in an out-of-body experience....or is he just bucking for a section 8. Ah yes, the 32nd day of March - even more rare than a super blue blood moon.

Nothing to see here....move along.

Dead giveaway!

So...Ram posts here all the time...so...why did you post this? Just curious...especially since he said there's no reason to tell anyone else??

Geez, a few days earlier and he'd have got a winter descent...!

Seems a bit risky...isn't soloing canyons a younger man's game? Ha ha...

Glad he got the crowd applause!

Ram is shy...

As they say: No photos, no trip.

March 32nd is the best day of the year to do an epic of that level

As the shuttle bus drivers get that day off, respect to Ram for jogging back to Springdale before dark after doing Heaps!!



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Ramoo, you are a warrior.

When I read the words "solo" and "keep potterholes" in the same trip report, it makes me a little nervous.

Be safe out there . . .

Ha ha....Ramoo jogging, canyoneering solo, and carrying a lot of gear through a canyon? I didn't need the date to know what this is.