Cochise Stronghold, AZ - Nines between storms 1/23/2010
Trip: Cochise Stronghold, AZ - Nines between storms
Date: 1/23/2010
Trip Report:Nothing like a mid-winter break from the PNW gloom to explore sunny rock down south, right? A great plan, but don’t count on any help from the little bastard known as El Nino. For you skiers wondering where all your snow’s been going, here’s a hint:
But work calendars and plane tix don’t like to flex and besides, washed out access roads and snowy approaches just add to the adventure, right??
Day One – Isle of EweAndy and I loaded up on groceries in Tucson (except beer, which can’t be sold before 10am?!?) and headed directly to the Isle, a great base-camp area with nearby sport climbing.
As the sun swung around, we did a few clip-ups on “Trad” Rock (center of photo above), including Baby Junior (5.8, photo below), Stone Woman (10a), OK Corral (steep 5.7) and Isle of Ewe, a classic 5.9 (after the 5.10 ‘boulder start’).
At a glance, the scattered domes of grainy brownish granite of the Stronghold resemble Joshua Tree, though the rock is much more featured, in particular with with chicken-heads and dikes. There are many more multi-pitch routes than JT and, based on this trip, a lot less people.
Day 2 – Moby Dick (5.8, 5+ pitches)
We coaxed the rental car through streams, over boulders and through snow to the West Stronghold trailhead. Patchy snow covered the ground and surrounding domes, but with plenty of sun. We scrambled up the actively-flowing “wash” and up to Whale Dome.
After the crux first pitch, three more pitches of slabby face climbing lead to the spectacular pitch 5 headwall. Despite the sparse bolts (two in about 100 feet), I was having too much fun climbing the ladder of holds to notice. Slinging chicken-heads for belays added to the amusement.
Great views on top before the gut-clenching free rappel off the back.
Day 3 – Mystery of the Desert (5.9, 5 pitches)
A savanna hike lead to the Sheepshead area for this gem.
After the improbable 5.7 dihedral (p1) and some nice climbing up a groove and over a bulge (p2), you encounter the ‘Wedge', a short bomb-bay off-width. If you’re tiny, you can wedge yourself through – otherwise a little chimneying and stemming (not to mention the three bolts) make it reasonable.
The fourth pitch is a stellar left-leaning hand-crack to a dike traverse across neon-yellow lichen. A bit more face climbing and you’re up. Highly recommended.
Day 4&5 – Rain daysWe showered, ate restaurant food and hit the Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson for a look at Cold War technology that would vaporize the Soviet populace, should they have elected to vaporize us – or vice versa. The cement-encased underground control room was straight out of Dr. Strangelove. Although ‘military intelligence’ is a favorite oxymoron, it is impressive that such awesome weapons were kept cocked all those decades without ever being fired, intentionally or otherwise.
Mendoza Canyon had some sun but an angry rancher denying climbing access, so we visited another renowned winter climbing spot - Mt Lemmon. Well, the photos pretty much sum that situation up, though we did find a little dry bouldering.
Day 6 Return to the East StrongholdStop one was Owl Rock and the classic Nightstalker (5.9), which featured more cool chicken-heads and another free rappel.
From there, we checked out nearby Zappa Wall and a couple nice clip-ups Excentrifugal Forz (5.8+, photo below) and Latent Appliance Fetishist (10a), as I belted out these FZ anthems from my college days.
After lunch we had time for one last Stronghold classic and headed for Bee Line (old skool 5.9). The first pitch is ‘the biz’ - splitter cracks from hands to fingers to tips up to the roof – then a flexing layback flake out the right side. And, atypically, hardly a face hold on the entire pitch. Andy cruised the runout 5.7 face pitch to the top.
Plenty to go back for!
Gear Notes:No up-to-date guidebook. Great beta from MountainProject.org
Standard rack + extra long slings
Approach Notes:Trails and/or cairned. Many of the plants can hurt you.
