Zoroaster Temple
| Zoroaster Temple | |
|---|---|
Southwest aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,123 ft (2,171 m) |
| Prominence | 763 ft (233 m) |
| Parent peak | Brahma Temple (7,551 ft) |
| Isolation | 0.88 mi (1.42 km) |
| Coordinates | 36°07′08″N 112°02′43″W / 36.1188141°N 112.0452408°W |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Coconino |
| Protected area | Grand Canyon National Park |
| Parent range | Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Phantom Ranch |
| Geology | |
| Rock type | Coconino Sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1958 |
| Easiest route | class 5.7 climbing |
Zoroaster Temple is a 7,123-foot-elevation (2,171-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of Arizona, USA. It is situated 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of the Yavapai Point overlook on the canyon's North Rim, from which it can be seen towering over 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) above the Colorado River and Granite Gorge. Its nearest higher neighbor is Brahma Temple, less than one mile to the north-northeast. Zoroaster Temple is named for Zoroaster, an ancient Iranian prophet. This name was used by George Wharton James and Clarence Dutton. Dutton began the tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
The first ascent of the summit was made by Rick Tidrick and Dave Ganci in September 1958 via the NE Arete (class 5.9+). Other climbing routes include Screaming Sky Crack (class 5.11a FA 1994), and SE Face, a challenging class 5.11+ route that was first climbed in 2012. The 1958 Zoroaster ascent was the first technical climb in the Grand Canyon, transforming the Grand Canyon into a climbing mecca and setting off a rush to climb the many summits. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Zoroaster Temple is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone.