Mountain Project: Climbing Arizona

Arizona is purported to have more exposed rock than any other state in the US. The bad news is that it isn't ALL climbable. The good news is that a BUNCH of it is great for pulling on! Granite, dacite, basalt, limestone, gneiss, monzonite, welded tuff, and a thousand other kinds of the hard stuff.

From the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Paradise Forks in the north, to the crags of Granite Mountain, the Superstitions, and Queen Creek, and finally south to Mount Lemmon and Cochise Stronghold, we have it all! Cracks of all sizes, wide, thin, edges, pockets, jugs, sport, trad, bouldering, big walls, no approach, big hike...whatever you're psyched about! The one thing we're a little short on in most areas is crowds, but that's a good thing.

We also have the best year 'round climbing possibilities in the country with crags at just about every elevation imaginable. Between that and the large percentage of sunny days, there ain't a whole lot more you could ask for!

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Arizona:

What's My Line? 5.6 A0 R Trad, Aid, 3 pitches, 400 feet Cochise Stronghold : Cochise Dome (WML Dome)

Ewephoria 5.7 Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 750 feet Sheepshead Area (Southwest) : The Sheepshead

Mars Attacks 5.8 Trad, 4 pitches, Grade II Dry Creek Road Area : The Fin

Moby Dick 5.8 Trad, 6 pitches, 700 feet, Grade II Cochise Stronghold : Whale Dome

Agatha Christie (Direct) 5.8 Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 90 feet Mount Lemmon : North Fin

The Wasteland 5.8 Trad, 6 pitches, 600 feet Cochise Stronghold : The Wasteland

Bee Line 5.9 R Trad, 3 pitches, 280 feet Cochise Stronghold : Stronghold Dome

Sedona's Scenic Cruise aka Four Flying Apaches 5.9 Trad, 7 pitches, 700 feet, Grade IV Sedona : Gibraltar Rock

Dr. Rubo's Wild Ride 5.9 Trad, 4 pitches, 300 feet, Grade III Coffeepot Rock Area : Summit Block Rock

Mayflower 5.9 Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet Paradise Forks : The Prow

Absinthe of Mallet 5.9+ Trad, 7 pitches, Grade III Sheepshead Area (Southwest) : The Sheepshead

Original Route 5.9+ Trad, 5 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III Cathedral Rock Area : The Mace

Endgame 5.10a Trad, 5 pitches, 600 feet Rockfellow Group : End Pinnacle

The Peacemaker 5.10a Sport, 7 pitches, Grade III Sheepshead Area (Southwest) : The Sheepshead

Days of Future Passed 5.10b PG13 Trad, 4 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III Rockfellow Group : End Pinnacle

Warpaint 5.10c PG13 Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 680 feet, Grade III Cochise Stronghold : Westworld Dome

Abracadaver 5.11a Trad, 6 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III Rockfellow Group : Rockfellow Dome

Steve's Arete 5.11a Sport, 1 pitch, 40 feet Mount Lemmon : Hunchback Pinnacle

The Prow 5.11a Trad, 1 pitch Paradise Forks : The Prow

Hard Day at The Orifice 5.12b Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet Mount Lemmon : The Fortress

Photos of Arizona

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Ajo Mountains, AZ. Photo by Blitzo.	always a bit gripped at the practice cliff.	On your hottest day, I'll be kicking clients in th...
Agathalon. Photo by Blitzo.	Spider Rock. Photo by Blitzo.	Sonoran Desert. Photo by Blitzo.
Arizona sunset. Photo by Blitzo.	Monument Valley. This may be in Utah. It's right o...	Canyon De Chelly. Photo by Blitzo.
Ocotillo. Photo by Blitzo.	Klondyke wall in southern az is big and adventurou...	Arizona is blessed with tons of rock. Anyone ever...
Pina Blanca Lake Close to Mexico	On the border of Mexico but the mountains are in A...	This rock not far from Nogalas Arizona.
Catalina Mountains Tucson AZ	Road up Mt Lemmon just before windy point.	Natural bridge on Mt Lemmon.
Manzanita tree.	It Stormed all day but what a Sunrise The Homestea...	Saguaro in bloom-AZ state flower. Photo by Blitzo.
Saguaro mutation-Saguaro National Monument. Photo ...	Ocelots. Photo by Blitzo.	sad that windy walks no longer exists, the finest ...
a few more red tile roofs, but this was only 1990	Saguaro along the Mt Lemmon Highway.	My best memory of Flagstaff is on the rail guard.
OK, this was worth getting up at 5:30 a.m. for. A...	The west slopes of Mt Humphreys, highest point in ...	Storm clouds and sunshine over Tucson.
Anyone been climbing here?- East slope of Mica Mt....	Rainbow over the Catalinas	stormy sunset, july 3, '08
Here we see the "virga" rainfall common in Arizona...	Matterhorn - June 2008	Wade Anderson making his way up a tottering ridge ...
BETA PHOTO: limestone rock near Mount Hopkins, AZ	Bouldering in the Superstitions.	The stunning Totem Pole, Mounument Valley, photo: ...
BH bouldering in Monument Valley, Arizona	Monument Valley, Arizona, photo: Bob Horan	Chemically weathered sandstone in Northern Arizona
Side-blotched lizard, Northern Arizona	Cicada, seen in Northern Arizona	Hedgehog cactus, near Sedona
Cliff Rose, Northern Arizona	Unhappy guy with 36-stich zipper in his leg. But, ...	BETA PHOTO: Lets all get out there, see a great show and lend ...
Great shirt made to raise some support funds for M...	High Desert Beauty- Arizona	I think this was Petroglyph National Monument, bet...
Butterflies in Pheonix, March 09.	Blooming (Barrel?) Cactus, March 09.

Comments on Arizona

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Comments displayed oldest to newest — Skip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated Oct 26, 2009

By Anthony Stout
Administrator
From: Albuquerque, NM
May 10, 2008

It appears that the GPS coordinate for Winslow Wall need to be deleted or re-done. It puts the area up beyond the North Pole and distorts the entire Arizona map!

By JellieBean
From: Lakewood
May 29, 2008

I was driving from Phoenix to Tucson and saw some beautiful rock in the Picacho area. Or at least I think that's where it was. Is this area developed. Does it have a different name? What's the scoop?

By kirra
Jun 2, 2008

Hey Jellie, the large formation on your right is the Picacho Peak State Park, a protected area with camping, hiking and a scramble with steel-cables to the summit

Picacho Peak will be closed from July 1 to Oct 2008 for construction of a new visitor center. A plethora of pics & historical beta is available online by googling. Best time is cooler temps Nov-March

By manuel rangel
From: tempe, az
Jul 10, 2008

Across from Picacho is a climbing area known as Newman Pk; it has some big rock. It is also an adventurous climbing area, rickd has some info on this site.

By Shiloh
From: Phoenix, AZ
Jan 2, 2009

Just a heads up - Larada's Army Surplus in Mesa is having a 50% off sale on everything in the store. Camping stuff, thermals, shirts ect ect ... They evern have climbing books 50% off. I got weekend rock for 10 bucks.

It only lasts a few days though so visit today

By Ken Isaacson
Mar 21, 2009

Arizona is a nice place to climb, but a serious climber really needs to go to Hueco, Yosemite, or J-Tree.

By Pete Hickman
From: Phoenix, az
Mar 25, 2009

That's absolutely preposterous!

By manuel rangel
From: tempe, az
Mar 28, 2009

Not true, serious climbers must leave arizona now!

By Shiloh
From: Phoenix, AZ
Mar 30, 2009

word...except those older guys from Colorado that we met that were working on routes in the Upper Devils Canyon area...Any 70 year old woman that can climb 5.10 is alright by me - come on back!

By Ken Isaacson
Aug 27, 2009

Climbing at Seneca Falls on the San Carlos Apache is usually an unknown. I called San Carlos about camping reservations on 8/27/2009 and asked about a climbing permit. The reply was a short and rude "No." So if anyone else who has climbed there in the past is curious about Seneca Falls, don't get your hopes up.

By jbaker
From: Tucson, AZ
Oct 26, 2009

You can download Vince Bates' guide to The Dry by going to this page, find the link, right click and "Save target as"...http://members.cox.net/johnnlindabaker/index.shtml

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Arizona

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The Classics