The Lonely Mountain

The Lonely Mountain is a place at the heart of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. It is the Lair of the greatest of all calamities Smaug, a fire breathing dragon with no equal. He guards his treasure, a pile of gold and jewels as large as a canyon, nestled deep in the stolen hoard of Erebor, the dwarf kingdom under the mountain. Smaug lies half asleep, dreaming dreams of greed and conquest, death and fire. The hobbit Bilbo Baggins is tricked by the wizard Gandalf into helping a group of Dwarfs to reclaim their treasure, and their kingdom. 

I was reminded of this tale on two explorations to the cliff, searching for the best route up the wall. The twisted shapes, arches, inspiring exposure, and otherworldly feel just seemed to be fitting of such a quest. The rock is loose in spots but as Gandalf said, “It’s dangerous business, walking out one’s front door”. If you’re looking for a bit of adventure to plaster a smile on your face the summit view with a setting sun will not disappoint. If you do decide to leave your door, you’ve already taken the first step to seeing that something. Bilbo, reflecting on adventures said, “Roads go ever ever on, over rock and under tree, by caves where never sun has shone, by streams that never find the sea”. When he began his story with the dwarves, he did not start out so adventurous, and in fact when Gandalf asked him to join said “We are plain, quiet folk and have no use for adventure. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner. I can’t think what anybody sees in them.”

As Bilbo was changed by his experiences outside his door, so have I been. The Superstition Mountains are there for us to have such experiences. And Bilbo thought “Go backward? No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do. On we go!

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.”
Gandalf the Wizard

Your approach path will end in a slippery, water cleaned gully at the base of a large chimney that is occluded by car sized boulders. The start of pitch 1 will be to the left of this chimney. Look for a single belay bolt below two bolts on the steeper wall. There is a nice ledge for the belayer just below the single belay bolt. 

P1: Thorin’s Pitch - Climb toward the steepening wall, using a nicely threaded alpine draw in a pass-through hole at the beginning of the climb as your first piece. Continue past the bolts, then place some ok gear below a steep, short bulge to a ledge 5.8. Continue on slightly easier ground, following the weakness and intermittent cracks past a final bolt then to a 2 bolt anchor 110 ft.  

P2: Gandalf’s Pitch - Pull past anchor and continue slightly right, toward bolt and into right facing corner. You will approach the base of a large, mushroom-shaped rock. At this point you have two options: You can ascend on the left side of its base past bolts and intermittent pro, then pull chossy bulge up through a cleft, clip and extend a high bolt and continue to anchor, 5.7+, loose. Alternative you can go straight up the right side on unprotected 5.5 (R) directly to the anchor on a large ledge, slightly to the right. The left option is much more enjoyable, but has a choss factor 105ft (continued in comment below)

P3 Gollum’s Pitch - You are now standing at the base of the upper buttress. You will go angle slightly right past 2 bolts and pull over a small ledge I refer to as the “shit yer pants ledge”. Ask me some time I will tell you the story. Clip a bolt there then continue up, past bolts and pro. Enjoy the exposure as you look below you on this very aesthetic pitch to a 2 bolt anchor 100ft. 

P4: Thrush’s Pitch - Once you finish admiring the beautiful view, continue up obvious crack to chimney with roof. Clip bolt to right of roof and step right, then continue up crack, protected with intermittent gear and bolts to two bolt anchor, 110ft. 

P5: The Burglars Pitch - Continue up face above and right of anchor on gear, turning left and following easy crack to ledge. Continue up bolt line on exposed face to 2 bolt anchor on top, 80ft. Look for gold, you might find some. There is a rule though: If you take the last of the gold you must return to replenish the supply. Should you not return within the same season to renew the gold you will be cursed by the necromancer, who will haunt you to the end of your days……

Descent: Rap route with a single 70m. Tie knots in the ends because a couple pitches are close to half the rope.

Moon Rune traverse to the Great Hall: For a little added exploration you could, should you dare, venture into the great hall where the dragon slumbers. Walk further back from the top anchor and you will find a single bolt. You can use the bolt to do a short rappel to the grassy/rocky ledge and scramble up and left along the base of the wall and into the cave. The entrance of the cave will be partially visible from the top anchor.

Approach: You can park in Lost Dutchman State Park but it won’t really save you any effort, plus you’ll have to pay the entry fee. I recommend parking in the dirt parking area at the beginning of First Water Road, on the left. There is an opening in the fence across the street. You will see the massive, volcanic edifice towering over the lower desert floor. Toward the middle of the wall you will see an eye-shaped cave. Your route will ascend the connecting, lichen covered buttresses below and right of that hole. Follow interspersed trails toward the main wall, trending right. Eventually you will connect to one of the main trails that goes directly toward the main wall. You will eventually end up on treasure loop trail #56. This trail follows along the base of the walls. There is a large, high park bench in concrete shoes that is a great place to rest and admire the view west. Its also a great place to rest, possible hug or kiss someone if you happen to be with that kind of partner. Continue past the bench in a southerly direction for just a few minutes until you are at the bottom of a wash coming into the trail from above – to your left. You will see a faint trail headed up that wash. Follow the trail and look for cairns that will direct you right, then up another wash toward the base of the cliff. You will see a large arch of rock to your left as you ascend the rock-strewn wash. The trail is at times hard to follow, but you are generally ascending the hill toward a large, rocky chimney at the base of a large rent in the main wall to your right. If you stay on the trail you will eventually come to the base of a rock wall, and slither through a tunnel formed within a thicket of crucifixion thorns. Continue to push toward the large chimney above. Approach time 45 minutes.