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scott nearing
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Dec 2, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Hi, I'm planning a trip to Cochise Stronghold to do some sport climbing and bouldering. I'll be staying for a number of weeks and would like to know more about where I can camp. I'm hoping to find a place to camp free. The information about the routes is good and I'm sure I'd be happy with just what is here. But I think a guide book would be the best idea. Any suggestions for me? Also, I'm a full time student and have to get on line and submit my assignments. All I need is good cell phone reception... I've got some loose ends to tie up here not to mention two more weeks of classes. And at least a solid week of bouldering here, maybe more. So I'm looking at getting there some time in January. Four season tent and all that. My car is very non off road capable. But Ive got time, so I can take some over night hikes out to climb and then hike back. thanks Scott
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Mike
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Dec 2, 2010
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Phoenix
· Joined May 2006
· Points: 2,615
scott nearing wrote:Hi, I'm planning a trip to Cochise Stronghold to do some sport climbing and bouldering. I'll be staying for a number of weeks... I'm not sure if there are "a number of weeks" worth of established sport & boulder routes in The Stronghold. However if you are into searching for new lines there may be a lifetime. There are some nice multi-pitch sport routes though. You can download most of the (out of print) guidebook online somewhere. A search ought to find it. There won't be many, if any, sport or bouldering routes in it. You should get cel-reception on Middlemarch road near Tombstone on the west side and just a few miles out of the park on the east side.
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Manny Rangel
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Dec 2, 2010
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PAYSON
· Joined Jan 2006
· Points: 4,809
Weird that Cochise is thought of as bouldering and sport destination. Bring your rack for those days you really want to enjoy the classics and do the sport on your rest days. I love em both but the real flavor to Cochise is trad!
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scott nearing
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Dec 2, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Well Manuel .. I've never been there but this site shows a good number of sport climbs and bouldering problems. Heuco Tanks is said to be crowded and there are other limitations. Crowds = litter and noise We've got good bouldering here, Roger's Park over by Belton. I could probably camp there and be busy with all the routes there. But that's not much of an adventure. Also I was stationed at Ft Huachuca in the late 80s and visited CS with my family. So there is a simple element of nostalgia.
Hey Mike thanks, driving a little to upload and down load assignments will work ok. I'm doing 16 credit hours and studying will take up no small amount of my time. I'm more or less an intermediate climber so a little will keep me a lot busy. I'm pretty solid up to 5.8 but by 5.10 I'm on the rope too much. My plan is to climb a lot until Fall when I transfer to another college. So until fall I'm going to dirt bag around. Should be epic, probably never get to do any thing like this again.
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Ryan Williams
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Dec 2, 2010
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London (sort of)
· Joined May 2009
· Points: 1,245
Scott, I've been here in The Stronghold for a few weeks now. It's an amazing place with great weather. I'm actually typing this on my phone in my tent so you should get service. Lots of free camping too. However, I really would never recommend this place to a sport climber. Maybe a v5 boulderer who likes doing FA's but it doesn't sound like that's what you're looking for. My buddy and I climbed out the major (only?) Sport area here in our first two afternoons and have been climbing multipitch trad since. I don't recall many climbs easier than 5.10 and the sport doesn't compare to the trad... Or the sport at other areas I've been to. The trad. Routes here are amazing and some of the multipitch routes are totally bolted but usually go at mid 10 to mid 11. If you really want to dirtbag and like to climb sport and boulder you should be in either Bishop or Chattanooga this time of year, depending on where you're coming from. You'll have a much easier time finding partners at those places too. If you're dead set on AZ then Mt. Lemmon has more sport and might be warmer. Def more climbers too but I don't know about the camping. Just my .02... I did use my phone to type this so don't blow it off. Just want you to enjoy your time. Good luck.
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Ryan Williams
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Dec 2, 2010
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London (sort of)
· Joined May 2009
· Points: 1,245
Scott, I've been here in The Stronghold for a few weeks now. It's an amazing place with great weather. I'm actually typing this on my phone in my tent so you should get service. Lots of free camping too. However, I really would never recommend this place to a sport climber. Maybe a v5 boulderer who likes doing FA's but it doesn't sound like that's what you're looking for. My buddy and I climbed out the major (only?) Sport area here in our first two afternoons and have been climbing multipitch trad since. I don't recall many climbs easier than 5.10 and the sport doesn't compare to the trad... Or the sport at other areas I've been to. The trad. Routes here are amazing and some of the multipitch routes are totally bolted but usually go at mid 10 to mid 11. If you really want to dirtbag and like to climb sport and boulder you should be in either Bishop or Chattanooga this time of year, depending on where you're coming from. You'll have a much easier time finding partners at those places too. If you're dead set on AZ then Mt. Lemmon has more sport and might be warmer. Def more climbers too but I don't know about the camping. Just my .02... I did use my phone to type this so don't blow it off. Just want you to enjoy your time. Good luck.
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scott nearing
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Dec 3, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Ryan typing in on your phone is a strong emphasis to me. Man I hate texting for that reason alone. So thanks for that. Chattanooga is too cold, I'm in Texas. Bishop would be stretching my fuel budget but come January I might find that I can go that far. I'll go through all the areas listed here and catalog the ones listed as having sport routes in the sub 5.9 category. If you could reply quoting this post with a quick comment for the routes you have done or seen. Like X = 'did not see bolts' or maybe just delete the ones you don't agree are sport climbs. This would help me immensely and also lead to greater accuracy on this site. I'm easily amused, I would spend 3 days climbing 3 or 4 routes over and over. And then go back the next week and hit them again. On top of that I need to spend at least 40 hours a week studying. I like to take a book climbing and read when not climbing. This trip is more training for summer than utilizing an existing skill set. This August V2s were destroying me. But I've upped my fitness level and skills and am working to be competent on V3s now. But it does all comes down to being able to climb what is there so I'll post up a list of 'sport' climbs and sort out the feedback. As it stands now I've got like two and half months before I'm going to hit the road.
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Ryan Williams
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Dec 3, 2010
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London (sort of)
· Joined May 2009
· Points: 1,245
I remember three climbs at the "isle of you" that were under 5.10. They were bolted but pretty runout... Not sure how you feel about that. Sweet rock also has sport climbs and they are all well documented on this site. Other than that I don't think there are many areas with a high concentration of sport and def. Not stuff under 10. Beautiful place and nice people though. Have you thought about el potrero chico? 5 bucks a night but probably a short drive for you, tons of climbers and free wireless!
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scott nearing
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Dec 3, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Here's an edited list from MP's Cochise Stronghold section. Are some of these not considered CS routes but are close by? It's redundant to be re listing what is already listed but it's all text so bandwidth/storage use is negligible.
Description Isle of You (Ewe) Trad Rock (12sport/12trad) Rad Rock (9sport/10trad) all 5.10 and up Trad Rock is ... In spite of its name, ....are clip-ups. All in all, it's a great sport crag in an unbeatable setting. Baby Jr. 5.8+ sport Baby Jr. Gets Spanked 5.6 sport Big Nosed Kate 5.8 sport Isle of You 5.9 sport OK Corral 5.7 sport Rabbits Feat 5.8+ sport Near by is Naiche's Nest Borland's Story Line 5.8 sport Hunter's Left Layback 5.9+ sport Kaeli's Clean Start 5.8 sport Naiche's Bow 5.8+ sport
Out-of-Towners Dome El Cautivo 5.9 (1) Sport, 4 pitches, 400 feet Left Of El Cautivo 5.9 (5) Sport, 3 pitches, 420 feet, Grade II Ponch and Lefty Poncho and Lefty 5.7 7 bolts and anchor Owl Rock Nightstalker 5.9 4 bolts + gear(sling chicken heads, I'd hit this w/ someone whose done it before, Slings I've got and the back side rappel looks sweet The Sheepshead has only one sport Ewephoria 5.7 Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 750 feet Sweet Rock, Mostly Sport climbing just before Isle of You Wall. ... Great routes and well bolted. Whatchamacallit 5.8 Thingamajig 5.9+ Taste the Rainbow 5.8 Pay Day 5.9+ Peanut Brittle 5.9+ Kit Kat 5.8 Good and Plenty(first route to the left) 5.7 Vineyard Cove Camper's Delight 5.3 Gizunghas 5.8+ Jacob's Ladder 5.7 Zappa Dome: Token of My Extreme 5.5 Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet Mud Shark 5.7+ Sport, 1 pitch, 75 feet It Might Just Be A One-Shot Deal 5.8- Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet Excentrifugal Forz 5.8+ Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet Grand Wazoo 5.9 Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet Keep it Greasy 5.9+ Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet
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scott nearing
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Dec 3, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Ryan Williams wrote:SNIP el potrero chico? 5 bucks a night but probably a short drive for you, tons of climbers and free wireless! 100% on the list!
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Charles Vernon
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Dec 3, 2010
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Colorado megalopolis
· Joined Jan 2001
· Points: 2,743
Hi Scott, I'll admit, it does sound strange to hear someone coming out to Cochise for an extended sport climbing trip, but you are right, there is actually a surprising amount of sub-5.10 sport between Isle of Ewe, Sweet Rock and Zappa Dome. I don't think Sweet Rock and Zappa Dome are in any guidebook. This is not the kind of place where people tend to go without a partner so you'll have to be comfortable introducing yourself to other groups in the camping areas and even more so at the rocks. Even so there are plenty of days where no one will be climbing at these places. If you're lucky you'll meet friendly folks who will offer to take you up moderate multi-pitch routes so you can experience that aspect of Cochise. Cochise is a magical place and just taking a hike and exploring around the Rockfellows et al is a fantastic day. And you should definitely check out Lemmon as well. As to camping (I think we need to put this in the Cochise description because it keeps getting asked), there is loads of free camping on the east side about 1.5 miles or so before the pay campground--it's on forest service spur roads to the right. Low clearance is generally not an issue. There's also loads in the area of the Isle of Ewe/Sweet Rock/Sheepshead. Might be a tad bit rougher on your car but passenger cars do it all the time. All in all, yours isn't the typically dirtbag winter plan, but more sensible than it appears at first glance and it's not a bad place to spend some time no matter what you're doing.
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scott nearing
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Dec 3, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Thanks Charles, The camp ground tip is key to starting off on the right foot. Especially in light of my car issue. I need a beat up f150 or even a mini van but I love this car. It's sort of a classic VW, but a H20. I'll save my car nattering for VW Vortex. on soloing: I'm an experienced back country hiker and lived in AZ for a few years. I did a lot of out of the way exploring, dirt bike, 4wd, hiking, and spelunking. I've got some formal and some informal training climbing too. I'm pretty careful, at 45 I've had the chance to learn what not being careful can lead to. I'm pretty sociable and will be glad to join anyone climbing my range of route. Also I need to to spend some time practicing self rescue, a bolt or two up. That will keep me busy for more than a few weekdays. I'm glad for any feed back but don't want to spam up the forum too much. Thank you, Scott
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Manny Rangel
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Dec 3, 2010
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PAYSON
· Joined Jan 2006
· Points: 4,809
Scott, I didn't mean to put you off on coming to Cochise, it is one of the best places to climb in AZ. There are quite a few sport routes and a new crag, Lebowski (east stronghold), just a short uphill hike from where you park. I like the long trad routes there and I think it's what Cochise is really known for. Camping near Trad Rock may be a good option to meet folks; second to that is Sheepshead. I saw that you pointed out Ewephoria. It is not a sport route but requires some skill with gear to get up. \ Have fun there. Bring your down jacket, it can get cold and storm. If you want a contact nearby, send me and email.
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scott nearing
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Dec 3, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 90
Thanks Manuel and I see what your talking about with Ewephoria. The details describe that it's trad to start and then bolted up higher, 750 feet is pretty awesome. Though I used to sort of frown on car camping I'm more than happy about the prospect. I'll probably hit a couple different spots. Once I've set dates I'll take you up on a you offer of a local contact. I'm bringing my dog and hopefully not but I might need to find a vet at some point. Going to look into having him snake trained before we leave. He once thought it would be a good idea to visit some bear cubs out on the trail. He came back fast once Mom made her presence known. Scott
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ClimbPHX.com
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Dec 4, 2010
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Mesa AZ
· Joined Jan 2006
· Points: 1,135
i wouldnt worry about snakes too much .. most of the venomous species are under ground by now. Its hitting mid freezing now at night so it shouldn't be as much as a problem this time of year.
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Geir www.ToofastTopos.com
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Dec 4, 2010
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Tucson/DMR
· Joined Jun 2006
· Points: 2,751
hey scott- while there are multiple routes on the sheepshead that are protected entirely by bolts, they should not be attempted without multipitch climbing experience. have fun out there, though, the stronghold is a stunning place! geir
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Paul Davidson
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Dec 7, 2010
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jan 2007
· Points: 607
The times they are a changing...
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