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rookie climbing in Tucson, AZ

Original Post
Zane O'Gallagher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

The tl;dr is: "yo bro where's your noob crag?".

Here's the longer version:

I'm going to be traveling to Tucson in a couple of weeks and want to get in some pitches. I know almost nothing about the local scene, and I'm not very good at climbing, so I'm here for beta.

There will be four of us. One person I'm going with has some experience on lead but no one else does. Irritatingly, the only person with lead experience is also the only person who's confidential about lead belaying someone else. (Meaning I could probably do it if it was life or death but need more instruction to do it for funsies.) We all climb pretty low grade stuff, enthusiastically. We can building anchors on bolts and / or trees, but we've only ever done so in the tree-infested muddy north east.

So, with those constraints, here are my questions:

1) What are the local ethics that I should know about so I don't piss anyone off but might not reasonably guess?

2) More specifically, are there any ethics against setting up a top rope anchor on the chains of a sport route?

3) What does the scene look like for building natural anchors? Or can you often only top rope stuff with bolts or chains?

4) Assuming there are no ethics issues with top roping a sport route, where should I go for some fun routes in the <=5.9 range with good top access? Ideally on the eastern side of town, but beggars can't be choosers.

5) Failing (4), are there places where an easy lead shares an anchor with some harder variations, for the classic rope gun approach?

Steven Groetken · · Durango, CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 390

Hardly any top rope only places on Lemmon. Check out rappel cliff at windy point vista. There's three or four top rope anchors, and 5.easy-5.6ish climbs on it. Gumby wall has some easy sport leads. Make sure you bring some draws or lockers to set up TR. Those chains and mussy hooks get a ton of use, so don't wear them down any more than necessary.

1Eric Rhicard · · Tucson · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 10,101

I suggest you hire a professional to guide or teach you how to lead belay, read a book about it then go to the gym and practice it. Mt. Lemmon is not a great place for beginners and please don't TR on the anchors. Use your own equipment at the anchors then have the last person up the route remove it thread and lower off. Thanks.

Eric Sophiea · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 232

I agree with Eric Rhicard: Don't use fixed anchors for your TR and hire a guide. Chains, mussy hooks & fixed-carabiners are for lowering/rappel by the last climber; not for Toprope. Rocks & Ropes offers professional guide services (full disclosure: I am an AMGA guide working for Rocks & Ropes) that could easily teach you and your group the skills you need, probably in a half day. Considering the cost of travel, equipment and the value of your safety, the cost of a guide for a day is minimal considering that you'll be learning skills that you can continue to use for the rest of your climbing career.

On the issue of a TR anchor: most climbs on Lemmon have some configuration of a two-bolt anchor that you can use to build a TR setup using your own slings and locking carabiners. Thanks in advance for not running your rope through the chains for TR use!

Jon Ruland · · Tucson, AZ · Joined May 2007 · Points: 651

i'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but please don't TR directly off the anchors.

also, for your perusal: mountainproject.com/scripts…

Christian RodaoBack · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 1,486

One of the mores of climbing in relation to TRs: If there is a leader already at the base racking up and tying in, he has priority, you don't throw your TR down on top of them and start rapping in.

As a general rule, FAists like to put their anchors where the rock is still vertical and there'll be less problems with rope drag, rubbing of the rope, etc..Thus, more often than not, hard and dangerous to climb down to.

Sometimes you may see a higher bolt (and it is usually just one from what I've seen) drilled further up that they rapped from to place the anchors and bolts, but many times they'll just tie the rope around a tree or rock formation.

As far as quality of climbing where the TRs can be easily set up, Hai Karate and Agatha Christie are probably the best, but I suggest an early start because they're popular with both TR people and beginning trad leaders.

Personally, I always get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see the noobs messing around up there setting up their TRs, but have not had to witness any accidents yet. When there is one slightly more experienced person acting like he knows a lot when it's obvious he knows very little (otherwise known as "the blind leading the blind"), I get an even creepier feeling.

Listen to what EFR said and get some instruction, practice in the gym, etc..first.

J Q · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 50

I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but you should definitely not top-rope off the chains. You might get shot. It is Arizona after all. Unless you are white, then you might knot get shot.

Steven Groetken · · Durango, CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 390

Tips

1. Hire a guide.
2. Don't TR directly through fixed hardware.
3. Buy a copy of "Squeezing the Lemmon II" by Eric Fazio-Rhicard at Summit Hut.
4. Look for the Tucson Rock Climbers Meetup group.
5. Visit El Manantial for the best Sonoran hot dog on the planet.

Follow these simple tips, and your trip will be awesome.

Eric Sophiea · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 232

Sounds like everyone is giving you the same GOOD advice...

Have fun while you're here! The climbers in Tucson are generally very friendly and helpful when at the Crag, so if you see some people, you should definitely feel free to ask them for help/info. I know that nearly everyone who has responded to your question has also personally helped/taught/given info to people that they meet at the crag.

Cheers!

Zane O'Gallagher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

I stepped away from the computer for a bit to travel for the holidays. Sorry for the delay, but thank you all for responding!

I think I may have been ambiguous accidentally. I'm absolutely not proposing to top rope directly through the chains. I meant building an anchor with my own hardware on same bolts as the chains of a route that had top-access---so bringing my normal anchor kit, which includes two lockers that I have dedicated specifically for the pretty abusive role of being a TR master point.

So just to be super clear: in the areas I've climbed at before, this is totally kosher; is that likely to be okay in the Tucson area?

Zane O'Gallagher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 0

I guess I should also say that I'm not especially interested in learning how to lead yet and therefore not really interested in hiring a guide. When I think it's time for me to make that step in my progression as a climber I absolutely will, but at the moment I don't think I'm good enough to really entertain the thought yet. It seems arrogant.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe it, so if I'm wrong I'm both wrong and stuck being wrong for a little while.

Eric Sophiea · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 232

Yes, using the top two bolts on a climb to build a TR anchor with your own carabiners and slings is totally acceptable practice here.

There are many climbs in the area that are listed as TR in Mountain Project that do not have reasonable top access so use your best judgement!

My suggestion: head to the Jailhouse area and ask someone to rope gun a route for you on Alcatraz wall or Mr. Meanor wall then shift your rope over from anchor to anchor as most of them are easy to reach from each other. Having a second rope and second anchor setup makes this MUCH easier.

Be careful leading on these walls as many (most) of the climbs have a few bolts but require traditional pro to protect them and reduce groundfall potential. There has been at least one major injury here due to lack of trad gear.

Have fun!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Arizona & New Mexico
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