Mt. Graham - Part I

Joe and I had been talking about exploring some of the remote climbing areas in southern Arizona for several years. Bob Kerry's Backcountry Rockclimbing in Southern Arizona guide book has brief descriptions of many of the established routes in this area. There is an area called Faraway Faces in the Pinaleno mountains (aka Mt. Graham) that looked like a good sized rock worth having a go at.

Over the past six months or so Joe had been exploring on Mt. Graham, which is located in southeastern Arizona not too far from Safford. Mt. Graham is an impressive mountain, rising high above the surrounding farm and ranch land to 10,720 feet. The mountain itself is easily accessible via the Swift Trail Parkway, a decent road that is paved for most of the way. There are a number of good trails and camping areas on the mountain but it is steep and rugged as soon as you get off the beaten path. After a few tries at the guide book directions, Joe realized that the approach description for Faraway Faces was incorrect and he was going to have to do some exploring to find it.

Joe kept me appraised of progress while I was still working. One day I got a text with a photo of the rock. He had found it! He some time trimming back brush on the 20 year old climbing trail, putting up a few cairns so we could find our way, and stashed some water out there. What more could you ask for from a climbing partner?

We decided to make an attempt at one of the climbs over the July 4th weekend. The weather report looked good for the first part of the trip and I was chomping at the bit for a backcountry adventure. We left Phoenix on Thursday with the idea of hiking to a small saddle right next to the climbing area that day. The saddle is visible in the photo above just to the left of the big rock face. We'd camp there that night and climb the next day.

In Arizona it's rare to find a water source so you have to carry whatever water you're going to need. Joe had already stashed some water so we only had to carry enough for one day. However, we had to pack in our climbing ropes, shoes, harnesses, a light rack of gear, and some basic camping gear. Our packs were probably around 50 lb each. Joe brought a hammock with a waterproof rain fly. I decided that I'd just bring a tarp for protection from rain and sleep on the ground. I realized there was some risk with this approach but it seemed like a reasonable one. The weather forecast looked good through the next day and the temperatures were pretty warm. If everything went poorly I was not likely to get hypothermia.

We began hiking on a nice trail which became more and more faint as we continued.

Joe points the way - the going is easy here

The trail becomes faint

After about 2 hours there was a break in the trees and we saw our objective. It was a beautiful sight! At this point we had to leave the faint trail that we were on and take the climber's trail that Joe had discovered. Calling it a trail is a bit generous but it did get us to where we wanted to go.

Our objective - Faraway Faces

Joe adding a cairn

Faint trail

It took us another 30 minutes on the climber's trail to get to the saddle. I think the elevation at this point is about 7,500 feet. We dropped our packs, checked to see if the water was still there (it was), and then went to take a look at the route we would be climbing the next day.

The route we had targeted is called Blind Pigs Eat Rocks, a 6 pitch climb (roughly 500 feet high) rated 5.10. After bushwhacking along the base of the rock we found the climb. It looked pretty good. We were both excited to get on it and see what challenges it would present.

The climb Blind Pigs Eat Rocks

We made our way back to the saddle and set up camp. It's not a big area and not especially flat so it took a little work to get things set.

Joe's hammock setup is pretty sweet

My tarp setup is flimsy

Evening came and we could see storm clouds building. The monsoon is on at this time of the year and anything can happen. Thunder began to rumble as the clouds rose towards us from the valley below. A few bolts of lighting reached across the sky and then came the rain. I figured that there would be a brief rain shower and it would clear up. At about 7 pm it started to rain gently and continued for about an hour and a half. Joe joined me under the tarp from the dry comfort of his hammock when the lightning started. The hammock was tied to one of the tallest trees in the area and I reckon he felt that getting a little wet under a tarp was preferable to getting lit up by 100,000 Amps. The tarp held up quite nicely and I managed to keep my sleeping bag dry. 

At about 10 pm the storm revived. This time it came with fury. It was one of the most amazing electrical storms I have been a part of. Joe again joined me under the tarp when the lightning started. This time it just wouldn't stop. Joe captured some of it in the video below. If you listen closely you'll realize that what sounds like static is actually rain hitting the tarp that we're sitting under.

This tarp setup was never intended to handle so much water for so long. I pulled my sleeping bag up around me as tight as I could, trying to keep it on the dry part of the thermarest. I grabbed my shoes and sat on them. This kept my rear end dry for awhile but the shoes took on water as time passed. I'm not sure how long we sat there listening to the rain pound on the tarp, the thunder rumble and watching the lightning shoot across the dark sky. First one butt cheek went to sleep and then my foot on the same side. I wriggled around to see if I could get the blood moving again. If only I could get my head to fall asleep I'd be set! Here's a visual of my position. Stand up in your sleeping bag. Now squat down and touch your rear to your heels while keeping your bag up around you and your knees together. Lean back just a little and sit, but not too far back or the wet bushes behind you will soak your back. Hold that position for about 3 hours. Fun, huh?

In circumstances like these it is best to think of the things that you have going for you rather than entertain negative thoughts. I was very happy that I had a synthetic sleeping bag because it retained my body heat even when wet. I was also happy that it wasn't too cold that night. It was probably in the low 60's and though I wasn't warm I wasn't really cold either.

It must have been around 1 am when Joe decided to move into his hammock. Perhaps the lightning had subsided or maybe he decided that getting struck by lightning would be better than spending the rest of the night under a narrow tarp with his knees in his face. I decided that I would crawl under the hammock to take advantage of whatever dryness was to be had there. If lightning hits we're going out together! Our packs were stashed under the hammock so I had to carve out a makeshift spot among them. Tight quarters, they were. I felt like I was doing a modified wall sit for the rest of the night. I would slowly slide down the packs and have to push myself back up with my legs. My sleeping bag was wet up to my waist, as was everything in it. The ground was wet, the temperature had dropped and I was getting cold. Joe gave me his thermarest and that perked me up a bit. I lay back and waited for the first sign of dawn.

The rain continued all night and slowed to a drizzle as morning approached. I got up as soon as the rain stopped, about 5:30 am. It was a relief to get out of that wet sleeping bag and stretch my legs. I think I'm going to rename it a "sitting bag" because I don't think I slept a wink in it.

Everything is wet

Dry spot under the tarp

During the night I had been considering the possibility of climbing the next day. At what point has it rained too much? Granite dries pretty fast. However, if it rains too much the water will pool in various places, run down crack systems and seep out in certain areas. Without knowing the area there's no way of knowing how this climb will be affected. We didn't bring enough food for two days and weren't that excited about spending another wet night with no food. With clouds rising from the valley we decided we'd hike out and live to climb another day. After the monsoon the probability for dry conditions will be much higher.

Ready for the hike out

Clouds in the valley

Back out the steep climber trail

After breakfast we packed up and slogged our way through the wet forest back to the trail head. It took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes. We were both pretty fried at this point. It's amazing how lack of sleep can affect you. I was looking forward to a warm shower and a nap! We met a few hikers at the trail head, who said there had been a pretty nasty hail storm lower on the mountain. It turns out we were pretty fortunate.

Overall this was a great adventure that I won't soon forget. I didn't feel like we had been defeated. If you're going to play in the woods you're going to experience a little discomfort from time to time. We obtained invaluable information about the approach and the climb and I feel like it was worth the effort. We'll be back to do the climb and it will mean so much more to us for having suffered a little in the pursuit.

Stay tuned for Part II of our adventure...we put up a first ascent on different rock formation the following day.

Some Basic Climbing Terminology

For those of you who are not familiar with climbing terminology I'll give you a quick explanation of some of the basics. This is a feeble attempt so if you need more you can find additional information at this link on Wikipedia. 

Most people climb with a partner. If you've climbed in a climbing gym you know that there is a climber and a belayer. The climber ties one end of the rope to their harness while the belayer feeds the rope through a belay device that is attached to their climbing harness. As the climber ascends the wall the belayer feeds out or takes in rope in order to be prepared to catch the climber if the climber falls.

Megan belaying

Top roping

In the photo shown below, the belayer takes in rope as the climber ascends the route because the rope has been fed through anchors at the top of the climb. This is called top roping. This type of climbing is great for beginners or when working out the moves on a hard climb. If you fall you're only going to fall a short distance. Once you learn to trust the rope and your belayer it feels pretty tame. An engineer reading this will ask "how did the rope get through the anchors in the first place?" Good question. Somebody either had to lead the climb (described below) or in some cases you can hike to the top of a climb and feed the rope through an anchor.

Laurel (on left) belaying, Megan climbing

Lead climbing

In the photo shown below the climber is lead climbing. In this scenario the belayer feeds out rope as the climber ascends. The climber either places his own gear in cracks (cams, stoppers, etc.) or clips the rope to bolts that are already in the rock as he ascends the route. In this example there are no bolts so the climber must place his own gear in the crack. The rope is then clipped to carabiners attached to the gear.

Joe leading Lightning Crack on North Six Shooter at Indian Creek

Lead climbing is more committing than top roping because if you fall you will fall at least twice as far as you are above your last piece of gear. It also takes time and energy to place gear as you climb, which adds to the difficulty. These elements of lead climbing introduce a whole new mental aspect...fear of falling! A big part of lead climbing is figuring out how to manage that fear so it doesn't hinder your climbing performance. I call it "the great equalizer." Someone who has a good "lead head" (i.e., is able to manage their fear) can often times climb on par with or harder than someone who is physically a better climber.

Some climbing gear is shown in the photo below. This "gear" is also referred to as protection or "pro." I use mostly spring loaded camming devices (cams), because they are relatively quick to place in a crack and they are more likely to stay put when loaded in multiple directions. Also shown are some rectangular shaped aluminum wedges with wires running through them. These are referred to as nuts or stoppers. These are great for placing in a vertical tapered crack. The old school climbers could get them to stay in just about any crack.

Cams, stoppers and slings

 There are quite a few other types of gear used to protect a climber but this gives you the general idea. You don't see any pitons. Not too many climbers use pitons now days. Now let's practice usage..."dude, I got a bomber nut placement!" Translated, that means the nut he just placed in the crack is good and will hold a fall. That makes a climber very happy. Got it?

Well, that's the end of today's climbing lesson. Stay tuned for a southern Arizona adventure.

First Month

I rounded out the first month with a few more trips to Flagstaff to climb at Oak Creek Overlook in preparation for a trip to Squamish, B.C. in July. Although the rock at the Overlook (basalt) is different than at Squamish (granite), both places are primarily traditional climbing areas (i.e., place your own gear) so the mental aspect and skill transfer is beneficial. I always enjoy climbing at the Overlook. The climbs are fun and the views are great.

Joe leading Duck Soup

A dizzying look down Mint Julep

Jenny following Mint Julep

We saw this amazing little critter at the Overlook. I've never seen a frog this small! He seemed less interested in us than we were in him.

VSF (Very Small Frog)

Stay tuned for the next adventure!

First Week

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.

Queen Victoria is the formation on the right

Katie points to the route - up the chimney system

Following pitch 3

Summit shot

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.

Joe setting up a rappel line at Oak Creek Overlook

The beginning

I quit my job at the end of May to spend more time rock climbing. I'd been thinking about doing this for several years but never had the courage to actually do it. I'd say to myself and my climbing friends "someday I'll do it." The song by Creedence Clearwater Revival "Someday Never Comes" came to mind as I was pondering the decision.

I had saved enough money to pay my bills and live modestly for a reasonable period of time so what was holding me back? Concern about what other people would say? That this was a poor career move? That I was letting people down at work? All of these were floating around in my mind but I realized that they were just excuses. They were barriers in between me and an amazing opportunity. How many people are going to look back on life and say "I just wish I would have spent more time at work." Nobody! Everyone is going to look back and wish they had spent more time with their family or friends or knocking the big items off their bucket list. With that realization I made the decision to seize the opportunity while I still had the ability and the desire.

There are many climbs that I would like to do but a couple of big ones are high on the list. One is the the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, a popular climb in Yosemite.

Half Dome, Regular Northwest Face, 5.9 A1

The other is The Casual Route on The Diamond on Long's Peak in Rock Mountain National Park.

The Diamond, Long's Peak

Both of these climbs are long, steep and committing. The Half Dome route is about 2,200 feet and the Diamond route is about 1,500 feet, topping out at an elevation of 14,256 feet. If I can get myself in the proper climbing shape, coerce a competent climbing partner to join me, and get favorable weather I intend to do these two climbs. However, there are so many other great climbs out there that I won't be disappointed if these two don't work out.

Stay tuned for photos of climbing trips leading up to these two big adventures.