Late November trip to Mt. Lemmon
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A friend and I are planning on making the drive from Austin to Mt. Lemmon to spend a few days camping and climbing. Would love to get some local insight into can't miss climbs, local ethics, navigation, dogs, etc. |
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It will be a bit chilly up high in late Nov. |
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mountainproject.com/v/munch…
Hank, Munchkinland is one of my favorite sport areas on Mt. Lemmon, and I don't *think* it will be too cold. One of the good things about Munchkinland is that there are just so many routes to choose from -- and they're all good! If you start on the more moderate routes on "The Tower," you can judge how the grades go, and then see if you want to get on the harder routes (5.10, 5.11) on the "Wall of the Marching Munchkins." There's No Place Like Home is a GREAT route (5.9) there -- straightforward, long, really fun! On the other side, you have the "Wall of the Waltzing Witches," which also has great climbs, although I don't personally recommend the 5.7+. Note, the guidebook (Squeezing the Lemmon II) can help you avoid paying the parking fees at Rose Canyon campground -- it has great information, but the newer walls at Munchkinland are not included in it. (Only the "Wall of the Marching Munchkins.") As far as dogs go, at a place like Munchkin, there are many times unleashed dogs, as it is a very popular place. In addition to your normal "Leave No Trace" ethics, typically your friends should follow on YOUR draws and then the last climber should set him/herself up to rap down to spare wear on the anchors. On some routes (I can't remember if it's the case at Munchkin) you will find mussy hooks or old carabiners in place that the last person can lower off of -- if an anchor biner isn't good anymore, then it is hoped that whoever is climbing there will replace it with another old (but not bad) biner. Have fun! Mt. Lemmon is a treasure! Abby John, do you think it will be too cold at Munchkinland? |
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The Ruins has a fair amount of 10's and is low enough on the mountain to be relatively warm. |
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Coming from Austin, the routes are a lot different than TX limestone, and the grades might feel a little stiff. If you climb at ERock at all, I would use your grade range from there as a better guide for which ratings to seek out on Mt Lemmon. |
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Thanks for all the help guys! Really looking forward to this trip. I visited Lemmon with my road bike back in May and saw lots of climbers on my way up and back down, and I've been planning the climbing trip ever since. |
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Squeezing the Lemmon can be helpful for directions to crags, but after you find the crag, MP is almost always better for the individual routes, since it's more up to date. I wouldn't say the guidebook is a necessity. MP has decent directions to most crags. If you wanted to get STL, you could get it from Summit Hut on Speedway Blvd. |
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If it gets super miserably cold up top, which is unlikely in Nov, but possible, hairpin is great. Also, if you want a little adventure, there's some great routes at the outback. I helped put a fixed rope out there a year ago and rappelled with my dog off my harness. It's not straight down, so that might not be necessary, but definitely recommended. |