South Ariel Peak - Zion National Park

Drive west on Hwy-9 toward Mt. Carmel Junction. Pass through the long 1.1 mile Zion Tunnel and on to the small tunnel. Upon exiting the small tunnel drive 1.9 miles to a small pullout. The pullout only accommodates 4-5 vehicles and is the parking spot for canyoneers exploring Keyhole Canyon.

There is no trail to South Ariel Peak, the massive sandstone slab to the left is the trail.

Avoid the temptation to drop into the slickrock bowl on the left. The bowl looks like easy hiking, but will quickly turn very steep. Stay with the ridge line and use the ledge system to zig zag up the rock.

I don't know if this is the actual name, but apparently some people feel it's a real accomplishment to climb to this small rocky point. The view into Keyhole Canyon is beautiful.

Soon the slickrock turns from red to white and the ledge system requires a more conscious effort of picking your route with care. Loose rock, sand, and scrub brush become the weakness of choice as you pick the way carefully toward the saddle to the right of the summit. Please be mindful that the base of South Ariel Peak (because of the parking) is a popular area for cars to stop and people to play around on the lower slickrock. Any rock slide created will go a long way and possibly all the way to the bottom. I worried about every rock on my way down the mountain as I spotted a family with small children eating a picnic lunch at the base.

Arriving at the saddle an amazing panorama view opens to your eyes and the mountain peaks of Destination Peak, Watchman and Bridge Mountain become evident to the South South West. Looking north the vertical rock peak of Aires Butte stands alone. Turn south, hike along the narrow ridge to the summit. The final summit is reached with a 5' foot overhead ledge maneuver. The hand holds are good, but the first foot position is high and awkward in this undercut shelf. The exposure is somewhat unnerving but the move is simple enough. I could not locate any kind of summit register and apparently the summit is climbed often enough by those who don't hesitate to carve their initials into the soft rock. The views are spectacular and worth the effort.

Use extreme caution on the descent. I looped a 75' foot 6 mil pull rope around a few large bushes to help the down climb through the 4th class scramble section, both for protection and to allow me to use the slickrock more often avoiding the loose rock. The remaining down climb is enjoyable making for a great way to spend a morning in the backcountry.