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Davidson Wall

Arizona > Northern Arizona > Sycamore Canyon > Paradise Forks

Description

Named for Arizona hardman, Paul Davidson, this wall is home to a bunch of the hard classic cracks of Paradise Forks. Picture golden brown basalt columns and steep, long, demanding routes. During the summer season, this wall is in shade early in the morning and sun thereafter.

Getting There

Davidson Wall is on the west-facing canyon wall opposite The Pillow Wall. If you take the trail from the parking lot straight on to the rim, you'll be looking at the Davidson Wall when you hit canyon.

Routes from Left to Right

5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 122
Torpedo
Trad
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13
 14
Jane Fonda Workout
Trad
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 94
Loose Lips
Trad
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
 9
Australians at the Forks
Trad
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 62
Three Turkeys
Trad
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 75
[Redacted]
Trad
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
 16
Bushdoctor
Trad
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 11
Bushman
Trad
5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a PG13
 60
Paradise Lost
Trad
5.13 8a 29 X- 30 E7 6c R
 7
The Equalizer
Trad
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13
 19
Watusi
Trad
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b PG13
 10
Bach's Celebration
Trad
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b R
 5
The Flake
Trad
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
 28
Bladerunner
Trad
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 34
Kingfolia
Trad
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 89
Queenfolia
Trad
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
 5
Kingkinkus
Trad
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
 2
Valentine's Day
Trad
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 14
Brown Derby
Trad
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 8
Girls Route
Trad
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
 2
Scary Larry
Trad, TR
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 3
Trapeze
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Torpedo
 122
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Jane Fonda Workout
 14
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13 Trad
Loose Lips
 94
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Australians at the Forks
 9
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b Trad
Three Turkeys
 62
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a Trad
[Redacted]
 75
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Bushdoctor
 16
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c Trad
Bushman
 11
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Trad
Paradise Lost
 60
5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a PG13 Trad
The Equalizer
 7
5.13 8a 29 X- 30 E7 6c R Trad
Watusi
 19
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13 Trad
Bach's Celebration
 10
5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b PG13 Trad
The Flake
 5
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b R Trad
Bladerunner
 28
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a Trad
Kingfolia
 34
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Queenfolia
 89
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
Kingkinkus
 5
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c Trad
Valentine's Day
 2
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c Trad
Brown Derby
 14
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad
Girls Route
 8
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad
Scary Larry
 2
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c Trad, TR
Trapeze
 3
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Climber on Torpedo
[Hide Photo] Climber on Torpedo
Another seldom seen waterfall off of the Davidson Wall
[Hide Photo] Another seldom seen waterfall off of the Davidson Wall
Davidson Wall Pano.
[Hide Photo] Davidson Wall Pano.
Davidson Wall from the Prow.
[Hide Photo] Davidson Wall from the Prow.
Davidson Wall, Paradise Forks
[Hide Photo] Davidson Wall, Paradise Forks

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] Just a question to Paul Davidson or anyone else that knows. Any truth to a tale I heard told that Paradise Lost was originally Davidsons Dihedral and what we call Davidsons now was actually called the "Kiney"(sp?) May 17, 2008
[Hide Comment] Just noticed Dean's comment (only a couple of years later): You have it mostly right.

Scott found the Forks, thanks to Jim Whitfield, I believe in the summer of '78. Jim was an artist extraordinaire, roommate of Scott's out in Parks and occasional climber. His demons got the best of him sometime around the millenium. RIP Jim.

I believe it was Scott and Ross Hardwick who first went there to climb. They picked out what they thought looked like one of the easier climbs to be able to exit the canyon and called it Girl's Route. When they got on it, they discovered 5.10 climbing. Welcome to the Forks.

Originally the lads (Scott, Larry, Tim, Jim, Ross, Kim, Mike, John, Mark (who am I missing)) called both Paradise Lost and DD, Davidson's Diehedral. That first summer, I was out of town in Tucson and elsewhere being a visting student and climbing bum. They figured I was the only one who could lead the things. Not because I had small fingers but because I had superior footwork. LOL, I'm lying. I had small fingers and the climbs were steep.

After leading DD, I wanted to name it Pillowing but Tim and Larry would have none of that. I finally agreed as long as we named the real gem something else once we finally finished it.

Took me minute to figure out the reference to Kiney. That would have been Keenie, a family name for me after a middle name of Keiner from a grandfather. I don't recall having heard that name before but maybe... (There is a Keenie's Corner in upper oak creek that is quite cherry but probably still awaiting a second ascent. Look for a beautiful corner up high towards the ridge line and north of Dresdoom spire somewhere with one or two drilled baby angles.)

After we did Paradise Lost (I think I wrote some info on the FA over on supertaco), Tim wanted to call it DD. While my ego could probably handle having two corners and a wall named after me, my rational mind couldn't. So, I refused and insisted on PL. PL occurred to me for a few reasons. Chalk marks had just started showing up out here. More and more folks were coming to the Forks, the word was out. It was no longer the beautiful, quiet, private playground we'd had for 5+ years. Also, I was shortly moving to Tucson and finally, Tim had scooped the lead from me. He deserved it because I'd snaked many a lead from him. He was not happy with the name PL. He thought the line (probably the most striking at the Forks) deserved something better. I thought it was a great name considering everything.

When Toula went to publish his guide, '83 or '84 ?, he wanted to drop any mention of Davidson. He preferred to adhere to the USGS naming guidelines that only allow such a thing once a person is dead. Tim Coats apparently was insistent, telling Toula something like, "We've called these things that from the start. You can't change it now." I may have this all wrong. Perhaps one of the Tims will chime in some day.

History 101, as I can recall it. Oct 6, 2010