The Hand  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  2,500' Page Views:  11,252. Good page?    Administrators:  Greg Opland, James DeRoussel, JJ Schlick, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Anonymous Climber on Mar 21, 2006 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

PLACING BOLTS IS ILLEGAL IN THE SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS! MORE INFO >>> In the early '90's the USFS banned all placement of bolts in the Superstition Wilderness. This unfortunately includes replacement of existing bolts. Violating this ban may result in climbing restrictions on this beautiful area. Please think twice and go bolt somewhere else. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

The Hand, Superstition Mountains, AZ

Description 

The Hand probably gets more ascents in a given year than any other formation in the Superstitions (that requires technical climbing). The amazing thing is that climbing this beautiful, soaring fin of volcanic wonder is relatively easy, albeit exposed.

There are several routes on The Hand, put up by some of the pioneers of Phoenix rock climbing, including Bill Forrest and Bill Sewery. Only one of the routes (Razor's Edge) gets done with any regularity as far as I know.

Getting There 

The Hand is the northernmost fin of rock just off the nortwest corner of the Superstitions west-facing massif (see the Superstitions front page for picture). Once you hike over the hillside and east, you can't miss the hand on the left. Big (relatively skinny) fin of rock.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Hand

Razor's Edge 5.6  AZ : Central Arizona : ... : The Hand

People who climb the Razor's Edge route sometimes don't even know that's it's name. More likely than not, they'll just say they climbed The Hand. This route is synonymous with the formation and probably accounts for 98%-plus of the ascents here.1) Climb gully, stepping up and left at it's top to gain the top of a small buttress where you'll find a fixed anchor.2) Climb up slope on the fin clipping bolts to gain Chicken Ledge at the top (fixed anchor). Lots of climbers try to cross the last very ...[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ

Photos of The Hand Slideshow

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BETA PHOTO: The Hand from the south. Leader is 15m below the s...	BETA PHOTO: Pitch two, on the way to the chicken ledge.	BETA PHOTO: First Belay point after the gully scramble.
Climbers on the Hand	Climbers on The Hand as viewed from the summit of ...	Climbers on The Hand as viewed from the summit of ...
J Dog doin' the S O L O of the 1st Pitch of The Ha...	Nearing the top of P1	nearing the top of p1 notice the rope:) lol
Half way up the Razor's Edge. Taken from the top o...	starting up the summit pitch	Jared on top of the Hand!
bringing coda up to the first belay ledge.	Almost to the Summit of The Hand. What a cool clim...