One of my biggest challenges for this extended adventure will be finding climbing partners who have time off during the week that aligns with my schedule. I do have some commitments in the Phoenix area so I don't plan on road tripping for six months. The plan is to climb locally (in Arizona) the majority of the time. Destination trips of a week or two in duration will be arranged to target specific climbs or climbing areas that I enjoy visiting or that pique my interest.
This strategy is possible because there are so many good climbing areas in Arizona. Most of the climbing areas are less than 4 hours from Phoenix. Climbing in the summer is a bit more work because of the heat but there are many options in the Flagstaff area, Payson area, and Mount Lemmon in Tucson where the temperatures are downright tolerable in the shade. Another great thing about climbing in Arizona is the many different types of rock that are available. There is good solid granite, quartzite, basalt, dacite, limestone, sandstone (some solid and some not so solid), etc. Along with these different types of rock are different types of climbing such as steep faces, lower angle slabs, full-on crack, etc. If you're willing to try things you're not good at it can help you to develop into a well rounded climber, and that is what I aspire to. OK, my shameless plug for Arizona climbing is over. Let's get on to something more interesting.
My first week of new-found freedom was much more productive than I anticipated. I was able to get three days of climbing!
Tuesday I climbed with Katie in Sedona. Climbing in Sedona in June is kind of hit or miss. Normally it is wise to climb in the shade that time of year but there are cooler days where you can get by climbing in the sun. The formation that I chose was Queen Victoria, which is a relatively easy (5.7) three pitch climb (250 ft high) with a reasonable approach. A few pictures are shown below.
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| Queen Victoria is the formation on the right |
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| Katie points to the route - up the chimney system |
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| Following pitch 3 |
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| Summit shot |
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| Summit selfie |
Sedona is an amazing, beautiful place. Climbing here is special but it's also serious. It is adventure climbing for certain. If you come unprepared you are likely to suffer a bit. The approaches are not well documented and it is easy to get lost. It can be hot during the day so water is an issue (a common theme in Arizona) and it can get fairly cold at night. The rock is sandstone and most climbs have at least one pitch of poor quality rock. It pays to climb delicately and it's best to avoid falling (i.e., climb within your limits). It's a great place to test yourself mentally because there are so many factors that you have to consider.
I was able to connect with Joe and Laurel on Friday for another day of climbing in Sedona. This time we climbed at a sport climbing area in Oak Creek Canyon called Fire Wall. The climbs were short and bolted but still fun. Joe and I stayed in Sedona with friends that night. On Saturday we went up to the Flagstaff area to climb at the Oak Creek Overlook. This area has some really fun climbs on good basalt rock. It is an area that is all traditional (no bolts), meaning you have to place your own gear in the cracks. The view from the top of the climbs is spectacular.
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| Joe setting up a rappel line at Oak Creek Overlook |
