Northern AZ TR

[slothrop]

Last week my girlfriend and I were in Flagstaff and spent an afternoon and a morning sport climbing at Jack's Canyon. We'd never been on limestone before and it was a lot of fun. As willstrickland said, the grades were "soft like kitten"--one route I thought was 5.7 is 5.10a in the Dr. Topo guide. But crazy pockets and edges were everywhere! I wish I was strong enough to send some of the wicked overhanging shizzle we saw:

 

 

The area is like Smith crossed with Exit 38: orange, lots of pockets, desert, grid-bolted. From one stance I was able to reach four bolts (new personal record!), all within a foot or three of a nice chimney. Once I stopped muttering to myself about the local style, the climbing was a lot of fun. I convinced Betsy to lead a couple routes at her lead limit and, despite the cursing, she sent 'em both and enjoyed herself thoroughly.

 

Camping on the canyon rim was awesome! We had the place to ourselves until after dark, when one other couple showed up. We lay awake for a while listening to an elk bugling and a pair of owls hooting at each other.

 

After that, we went to Walnut Canyon to see some cliff dwellings and then to the Grand Canyon, arriving after dark. We walked out to the rim in the moonlight and could just make out vague towering shapes in the huge space in front of us. What an amazing place!

 

 

 

Later, in Sedona for a wedding (ostensibly the purpose of our trip ), we hiked up Bell Rock. I wished I had a rope, because a nice-looking pitch of fifth class climbing led to the top from our high point. From a comfy ledge we got a view of Couthouse Butte:

 

 

There's so much climbing to do in Northern Arizona... I was really impressed with the area, especially compared to the sprawling hellhole that is Phoenix. I definitely want to go back. Thanks to all you cc.commies who lent me guidebooks, gave suggestions on what to climb, or offered the company of their local friends.

[pzack]

 

Those Red Rocks around Sedona are good stuff. I'll be heading back to N.AZ this December for some more winter rock. Do you recommend a particular climb?

 

 

edited to remove quote with so many photos.

Edited September 27, 2004 by pzack

[slothrop]

Well, I didn't climb anything outside of Jack's, but the Mace looked really cool and we almost climbed a 6-or-so pitch moderate route on the Elysian Buttress, which is on Elden Mtn. right outside of Flagstaff.

 

As for Jack's... on Casino Cliff, Ten the Hard Way was pretty cool and Take the Money and Run is good, too (you can easily clean your draws by climbing Mickey Goes to Vegas and traversing to the anchor if you can't pull the crux roof ). In the Cracker Jack area, You Don't Know Jack was so fun I led it twice. The canyon itself is really beautiful, so it's worth it to walk back to the Cracker Jack area.

[Bean]

On the second picture down, The big temple in the Center is Visnhu temple. I climbed it about 15 years ago. One pitch of .7 and one 8. A lot of Scrambling. We did it in March from Phantom Ranch. Did not see anyone for about 5 days. Finding water was interesting.

[Chriznitch]

I remember that bird!

[ken4ord]

Sounds like a nice little trip.

[Dru]

isn't that rock super super soft? ihear it makes Peshastin seem like granite.

[pzack]

isn't that rock super super soft? ihear it makes Peshastin seem like granite.

That's the word on the street. It's all about the Fat Lobed Cams down there.

[Bean]

Very soft Sandstone. A lot of lose Rock. Makes for a interesting adventure.

[stillcrankin]

Jacks Canyon is a very cool place-fun climbing. The canyon itself used to be an Indian migration route and if you hike up or down the canyon, a few miles beyond the climbing, you can find pictoglyphs and petroglyphs that are very well hidden. A friend found a quartz (chert) arrowhead near one of the climbs.

 

The camping is good when there aren't a bunch of people around. I've been there when it was empty and when there were at least 30 cars. We had our sun-shower freeze solid one spring during a snowstorm while camped there.

 

Don't break down near the prison...