Climbers on Mount Lemmon are no stranger to pinnacles and towers. This 200ft freestanding pin, only a few yards from the base of the Butterfly Wall, is markedly different in character to its lower elevation brethren. The east face of Trundle Pinnacle is home to the very best pocket routes in Southern Arizona. The area at the base is also a wonderful place to hang out and enjoy the shade, trees, and views. Please keep human impact to a minimum.
Getting There
Follow directions to the Butterfly Wall. This is the obvious 200' spire.
[Hide Comment] DISCLOSURE: APPROACH SPRAY BELOW. Essentially the same for Butterfly Wall, so reference that page for pics if desired (didn't want to double post)
tl;dr: It's not that bad.
This page is littered with words like "killer", "painful", "thigh-burning", "...I've heard horror stories". A lot of these comments come pre-2020, so I am assuming they are in reference to the original trail. This language unfortunately brands this area in a bad light, intimidating many (myself included for years) from going. I only went recently as a "must go before I move" trip. I wish I had made the trip years ago. While the hike isn't a walk in the park, it is not nearly as horrible as I and others have thought it to be. The Butterfly trail is a gentle and well-groomed decline/incline on the way out and back. The scramble to the base is a challenge but short lived with the beta below. The hike as a whole is beautiful. Overall, the area is worth it, and worth correcting the perception.
Ultimately, If you are a climber who goes to the Reef, Raven D, the south or west faces of the Fortress, base of Rap Rock, or any other similar location, this approach is equivocal.
My opinion on the approach echos Dave and Andy Bennett's comments. This page should update or remove the original approach information. Anything but the Butterfly Trail approach is going to lead to a less pleasant approach. Of the three options listed for where to park (and then subsequently hike), I would only do option 1 (park at the radio towers) going forward.
Approach (see approach photos and typos in the picture section): 1. Park at the radio towers. Pull up the Mountain project page for the area and look at the map. Familiarize yourself with the yellow approach trail and reference it with your GPS while hiking. 2. Start hiking down the Butterfly trail. After 0.2 miles you will reach a metal AZT sign for the Butterfly Trail. 3. Continue down the Butterfly Trail on a well maintained trail. Eventually the trail will deposit you at an obvious saddle. There is a fire pit at this saddle as a landmark that is difficult to miss. While looking west at the saddle you will see a large outcropping of rock. This is the top of Butterfly Wall. 4. From this point on, pull out your phone and attempt to stay on the yellow approach trail marked on MP as close as possible. Move directly down from the fire pit and contour slightly left along loose hillside with the goal of walking directly to the rock outcroppings. DO NOT attempt to go off the yellow-approach trail or contour more left into the gully left of the rock outcropping, despite this appearing to potentially be the path of least resistance. 5. (Reference photos if unclear). Continue to hike downhill and westward. Once at the rock outcroppings, find cairns that will guide you to and from two small spires/turrets of rock. This will ensure you contour along the rock. 6. Continue to descend down until you find large cairn that will mark you final descent, which will allow you to contour along the wall in a northwest fashion, and eventually you will see the wall. 7. Climb!
Seasonality: Optimal time to climb here (depending on your threshold for hot and cold) is likely late April to early June-->avoid monsoon season--> early September to October.
Sun on the approach in on the east side of the Butterfly trail, shade on the way out. Shade in the AM at the wall, sun by 11a-12p.
Jun 14, 2023
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Albuquerque, NM
tl;dr: It's not that bad.
This page is littered with words like "killer", "painful", "thigh-burning", "...I've heard horror stories". A lot of these comments come pre-2020, so I am assuming they are in reference to the original trail. This language unfortunately brands this area in a bad light, intimidating many (myself included for years) from going. I only went recently as a "must go before I move" trip. I wish I had made the trip years ago. While the hike isn't a walk in the park, it is not nearly as horrible as I and others have thought it to be. The Butterfly trail is a gentle and well-groomed decline/incline on the way out and back. The scramble to the base is a challenge but short lived with the beta below. The hike as a whole is beautiful. Overall, the area is worth it, and worth correcting the perception.
Ultimately, If you are a climber who goes to the Reef, Raven D, the south or west faces of the Fortress, base of Rap Rock, or any other similar location, this approach is equivocal.
My opinion on the approach echos Dave and Andy Bennett's comments. This page should update or remove the original approach information. Anything but the Butterfly Trail approach is going to lead to a less pleasant approach. Of the three options listed for where to park (and then subsequently hike), I would only do option 1 (park at the radio towers) going forward.
Approach (see approach photos and typos in the picture section):
1. Park at the radio towers. Pull up the Mountain project page for the area and look at the map. Familiarize yourself with the yellow approach trail and reference it with your GPS while hiking.
2. Start hiking down the Butterfly trail. After 0.2 miles you will reach a metal AZT sign for the Butterfly Trail.
3. Continue down the Butterfly Trail on a well maintained trail. Eventually the trail will deposit you at an obvious saddle. There is a fire pit at this saddle as a landmark that is difficult to miss. While looking west at the saddle you will see a large outcropping of rock. This is the top of Butterfly Wall.
4. From this point on, pull out your phone and attempt to stay on the yellow approach trail marked on MP as close as possible. Move directly down from the fire pit and contour slightly left along loose hillside with the goal of walking directly to the rock outcroppings. DO NOT attempt to go off the yellow-approach trail or contour more left into the gully left of the rock outcropping, despite this appearing to potentially be the path of least resistance.
5. (Reference photos if unclear). Continue to hike downhill and westward. Once at the rock outcroppings, find cairns that will guide you to and from two small spires/turrets of rock. This will ensure you contour along the rock.
6. Continue to descend down until you find large cairn that will mark you final descent, which will allow you to contour along the wall in a northwest fashion, and eventually you will see the wall.
7. Climb!
Seasonality:
Optimal time to climb here (depending on your threshold for hot and cold) is likely late April to early June-->avoid monsoon season--> early September to October.
Sun on the approach in on the east side of the Butterfly trail, shade on the way out. Shade in the AM at the wall, sun by 11a-12p. Jun 14, 2023