PRINT: Rock Climbing in Right Dome, Southern Arizona

Right Dome

Arizona > Southern Arizona > Mendoza Canyon (aka C…

Access Issue: Access is via PRIVATE land and may be CLOSED! Dogs Not allowed Details

The access for Mendoza Canyon is via the good graces of the owner of the King Anvil Ranch you pass through to get to the canyon. Dogs are not allowed per land owner request.

READ THIS DOCUMENT AND OBEY!
concernedclimbers.com/Mendo…

Update from Jeff Mayhew 3.12.14:

Extended Access Info

Matt Walton from the AZ Game and Fish Dept. advised me that extended access to Mendoza Canyon will be allowed to hikers and climbers through a pilot project again this year. The normal closure begins March 1st and runs until September 1st. From March 1st thru April 30th you can contact Matt at 520-400-4022 or at mwalton@azgfd.gov to apply for access. You must have a valid AZ State Land Permit and apply with Matt 10 days to 2 weeks in advance.

You will then be given the combination to the gates on King's Anvil Ranch that lead to Mendoza Canyon. These combinations will be changed every week or 2. Consecutive days of access may be allowed, but overnight camping will not be allowed.

Matt asks that we NOT approach the ranchers about access during this period. All questions should be directed to Matt.

Update from Charles Vernon (12.6.10):
We ran into John King's daughter herding cows yesterday, on the way into the canyon. She was very nice, and we talked to her for a little while. She believes that the missing traps that led to loss of access last year were a result of hikers (climbers? hunters?) whose dogs got caught in the traps, leading to the dog owners taking or destroying the traps to free their dogs.

Regardless of what exactly happened, she made it clear that dogs are not welcome. It sounds as though just heading out there with dogs, without more, could be enough to cause them to rethink access. So please, do not bring dogs to Mendoza!

Description

Right Dome is the granite dome to the north-east of Elephant Dome. It is part of the same batholith. It is called Right Dome because it is the furthest dome on the right of that formation as you approach Mendoza Canyon.
The south face is sunny. The East-Northeast face of Right Dome, where Armed and Ready is located, is in the shade for most of the day during the typical Mendoza Canyon climbing season. The East-Northeast face is in a bit of a wind shadow for most of the typical climbing season.

The weather and access is typical of Mendoza Canyon.

The area is very secluded, and you will likely have the better part of an entire valley to yourself. It is very quiet as well. You can find compact granite on much of Right Dome, as well as chickenheads and plates. Most of the climbing is slabby face climbing on some of the best rock in Arizona.

Getting There

Starting at the meadow below the dam, take a right, following a wide cattle path to a nursury quality prickly pear. Go thirty feet past the prickly pear, take a hard right, and follow a cairned cattle path over two washes to a large boulder at the base of the hill. An arrow on the slab just to the right of the huge boulder will show you the start of the approach.

Follow the arrow up the least prickly game trail up the hanging runnels to the saddle at the base of Right Dome's east arete. The game trail has been cairned. There is an easy class 3 scramble over the boulders at the ridge of the saddle. The game trail continues to the base of the dome itself.

Routes from Left to Right

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R 2 ● Fly Like A Beagle Trad 6 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 2 ● Armed And Ready Trad 4 pitches
4th 1 2 I 2 M 1b PG13 2 ● The Road To Shambala Trad 5 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 3 ● Green Manalishi with the two pro… Trad 2 pitches

● Fly Like A Beagle

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R Trad 6 pitches

● Armed And Ready

5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 Trad 4 pitches

● The Road To Shambala

4th 1 2 I 2 M 1b PG13 Trad 5 pitches

● Green Manalishi with the tw…

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

We had a really wet winter this year!

This is a photo from the Armed and Ready approach about halfway up, as we were heading back from the climb. The wildflowers in Mendoza Canyon are absolutely phenomenal.