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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Oct 22, 2013 - 10:27am PT
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Hey Jim
The best current guide is a fold out topo by Bill Cramer.
It's available at most shops in AZ.
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Scott McNamara
climber
Tucson, Arizona
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Oct 22, 2013 - 11:12am PT
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Hi Jim,
Greg (Steelmonkey) is right—Yavapai is the campground.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=67185&actid=29
It is closest to the mountain. 21 sites. $18.00 a night. Host has one site. One site is blocked off. Four sites are double and $36.00 a night.
You will probably want to drive from the campground to the trail head. It is no longer like the old days in the picture of you on the Flying Buttress, where you could camp at the trail head.
Correct me if I am wrong, Greg. Best place to park for the crag is probably—“Playa” in the Day Use Area.
The Day Use Area is gated. There was no host there 10-19-13 so the gates were never locked. I think the Fall hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Guides—there are several, but I am not sure what is still in print. The David Lovejoy guide was probably the best ever written for Granite Mountain. I notice that AAC library has it and several other guides. http://booksearch.americanalpineclub.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=Prescott
I think David is still around at Prescott College. You may have climbed with him BITD. Indeed, many of those characters are still around and still climbing amazingly hard. You might look them up and have a walking guide.
I am told that the climbing shop in Prescott “Granite Mountain Outfitters” may have the one page fold out.
https://plus.google.com/116245027497501932897/about?gl=us&hl=en
Hope this is not too much information. Hope I did not take the fun out of finding out.
Have Fun!
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Oct 22, 2013 - 11:18am PT
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Playa or the Metate day use parking are both doable. Playa is slightly closer, but not really enough to matter. Metate is much larger if the Playa lot fills up. Hiking from the campground would be a pain, I'd drive down to one of the trailhead lots.
The gates did indeed lock during the recent gum-mint shutdown. Had to hoof it in from just outside, near where the camp host normally parks.
Sounds like they might show over that first Nov. weekend.
C'mon up and go climbing with me Scotty!
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Scott McNamara
climber
Tucson, Arizona
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Oct 22, 2013 - 11:40am PT
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But Greg, won't Donini try and climb us to death if we go up?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Oct 22, 2013 - 11:43am PT
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No, he's got Jay for that. :-) We could lug a cooler up and hang out on the Front Porch drinking beers and taunting them. Be more fun to climb, though!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2013 - 06:26pm PT
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Thanks again for the info. hope to see you guys there......I'll have some Good Tequila!
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Oct 22, 2013 - 10:44pm PT
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Many years ago Dan Hare, Scott Woodruff and I visited this area while on a desert climbing tour. We camped on what was known to us as the "front porch"a large ledge that overlooked miles of desert. At the base of an overhanging cliff there was an obvious fire pit that had to have been used for centuries.My question is has anyone else built a fire in this pit and what did you see illuminated on the face of that overhang! The image we saw was ere enough that we moved our camp that night! This image has haunted me for over 30 years!
The climbing was great and I have always thought that I should make a return visit.
I'm sorry to hear of the fire damage and anxious to get Jim's report.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Dec 17, 2015 - 07:37am PT
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A gentleman* of good reputation and experience, Steve Grossman, told me he thinks it's the best single crag in the West.--Mark Force, under duress, I'm sure
I don't believe this, but I've managed to hold onto this copy of this rag for NEARLY FORTY YEARS!
I know it was selfish of me...I had the magazine stashed behind this snazzy John Cleare cover photo of RR gazing over his domain and I took the thing apart to clean up after the roaches, finding the magazine. But just get over that and enjoy the article.
Or was Summit dead & buried by then? Can't recall. Oh, well...
*I can attest to this gentleman rap. Too bad...he was such a good dirtbag, too, or so I've heard.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, mr. donini, Mark, and Steve.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Dec 17, 2015 - 08:12am PT
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Top ten, Yo!
From: The Ten Best Crags In America
Mountain Magazine, #118, November/December 1987
Arizona Rising: A Look at Granite Mountain
by Jim Waugh
Laying on the "front porch", I stare and wonder at all the amazing climbing only yards away. It boggles my mind that so few climbers ever find their way here. Even though (at times) I'm happy they don't, I realize that Granite Mountain deserves more than that. I also rest assured that anyone who climbs here will feel the same way.
Climbing began as early as the late '60s. Through the efforts of the Syndicato Granitica, a group of climbers (from Flagstaff, Prescott and Phoenix) and the influence of the Prescott College (Rusty Baillie was teaching there at that time, as he currently does), many of the classics evolved. Their perseverance and dedication to clean-climbing ethics survives even today and can be witnessed by the bold nature of their first ascents and the relatively few pitons and bolts present on their routes.
Located just northwest of Prescott, Arizona, or approximately 100 miles north northwest of Phoenix, Arizona, Granite Mountain was originally part of the Prescott National Forest, but has recently become a Wilderness area. Rising over 2,000' in elevation to a height of 7,626', a variety of desert vegetation and wildlife abounds. And yes, there are those creepy crawling reptiles that will create many an anxious moment for hikers. Since water is scarce and sun is plenty, make sure you're properly prepared. A few details that might prove useful concern accommodation and the climbing season. Camping is permitted at the trailhead but water, food and showers will have to be obtained in Prescott. The best climbing months seem to be October through December and March through May, although I have climbed there almost any month.
Starting at Trail 261 a moderate hike will eventually lead to the base of the crag (located on the southwestern slopes of the mountain). Be sure to stay on the trail as many climbers have tried to cut directly up to the wall only to spend the rest of the day pulling cactus and dodging rattlesnakes. At first glance the crag can be seen to be approximately 500' high and 1/4 mile wide. However, as one gets closer the quality of the rock will convince even the most die-hard "belay off the bumper of your car" climber that the hike was indeed worth it.
Sporting over 60 routes, cracks abound, even though there are still challenging faces. The ratings range from 5.2 through 5.13a (Grade I-Grade III) guaranteeing most climbers a sufficient challenge. A word of warning - many of the climbs seem to be slightly underrated, especially in the 5.7 to 5.9 range. Many times I have heard visiting climbers express their rage with Magnolia Thunder Pussy's 5.8 rating or Camptown Races' 5.9 rating.
To try and recommend every worthy route would be too time-consuming and tedious. So I'11 start at the 5.9 level and work my way up. Immediately, two routes come to mind. Said & Done is another one of those climbs that may leave you questioning the local ratings. Its highly aesthetic second pitch requires jamming from fingers to hands up a vertical corner. Chieu Hoi, on the other hand, seems to have a fair rating and offers liebacking and stemming up less than vertical corners.
After much deliberation and anxiety I was able to pick some of the 5.10s at Granite Mountain. Why so much difficulty - because they're all great! The classic Candyland involves jamming from fingers to wide hands, chimneying, and a spectacular hand traverse under a large roof: Watch out for swallows flying out of the crack on the third pitch and into your surprised face. Witblitz with the direct start requires not only technique but extreme patience as witnessed by its third pitch. Without giving too much "beta", suffice it to say that one should not reach for the horizontal crack too soon, or you may be more attached to your belayer than wished. If you survive that section, then all you have to do is solve how to surmount the bear claw (a rather nasty bush) a short way above. Despite these obstacles you'll find almost every technique being utilized in a very demanding climb. Falling Ross has an interesting name. On the first ascent the leader had his jubilation cut short as his second (Ross) fell several times. So what, you may say? Well, Ross was over 200 Ibs, and the leader had him on a body belay. (Let's hear it for that guy.) More to the point, this climb has one of the most aesthetic, flared finger and hand cracks at the mountain. One route that seems to getting very popular is Slammer Jam with Crack Lover's Variation as its start. It must have something to do with executing steep crack climbing and a short hair-raising traverse on a wildly exposed face. Nah ... One cannot leave the mountain without experiencing Reunion's fine finger crack. This beautiful arching crack, especially if approached via Said & Done, will please all. Finally, one cannot finish 5.10s without mentioning some of the face climbs. Thin Slice (into Soft Walk Var) with its "sandbag" start and Slide Action Traction with its "sandbag" finish will leave most leaders frazzled. Waterstreak Delight (into Coatimundi Whiteout), on the other hand, is probably safer and yields 3/8" bolts as opposed to 1/4" bolts.
Up until the late '70s there were very few 5.11s at the mountain; however, a sudden interest from such out of state climbers as Chris Revely, Ajar Greene, Ed Webster, Lynn Hill and John Long suddenly produced some of the best. Adam's Rib Is simply stunning. A strenuous groove/flared crack leads to a couple of difficult face pitches. Be
careful to protect well at the beginning or one may get an agave assist up the route. If so desired one can avoid the first pitch by climbing the thin face (The Whiner) just right. Just around the corner are two more striking lines. Dream Weaver is guaranteed not only to tax your physical limits with its fist crack but also your mental limits with its final pitch of intricate stemming. Delphinia Lightning Ass which starts at the same place is a liebacker's dream. Add its three pitches to Sly's Idea, and you have one of the most consistent 5.11 climbs on the mountain. Probably the most striking line on the mountain is the Sorcerer. After a couple of moderately difficult pitches, you are confronted with an unrelenting 150' leaning dihedral. Eventually one ends up in a large flawless dihedral at the top. I suggest you don't try and straddle the flake part way up this corner unless you have a great deal of padding in your shorts or pants. Last but not least, C. W. Hicks offers a slightly overhanging crack followed by a corner capped with a small roof. Not bad you say ...
The 5.12s at Granite Mountain are few, but what there is is outstanding. In contrast to the 5.11s, almost all of the 5.12s have been done by locals. The first 5.12, Twin Cracks, was originally free climbed in two pitches. Recently it has been led in one pitch thus eliminating the hanging belay; a most appropriate upgrading as a no hands rest does exist just above the old belay. With flawless face climbing and thin cracks one must negotiate the crux near the top and run it out to finish the lead. Once Upon A Time climbs a crack system right of Sorcerer. For years the locals pondered this line. Some climbers from California even climbed part way up the crack. But it wasn't until April 1986 that the line was finished. After its spectacular and strenuous crack, a pitch of steep face leads to a welcome belay ledge. From here intricate climbing follows a seam up and right to a wild exit at the corner of the Coatimundi roof. Incidentally this route has not had a continuous ascent. The Good, Bad, & the Ugly is without doubt the finest 5.12. Following a free variation slightly left of the original aid line, impeccable rock via face and thin cracks leads to an exposed and almost isolated white wall. One other route worth mentioning is the slightly overhanging crack system of Psycho Killer. Although only 40' long, it presents a perplexing sequence of moves to solve.
Only as recently as August 1987 has Granite Mountain received its first 5.13. A Bridge Across Forever (formerly The Nose) has to be one of the best crack climbs in Arizona. Redpointed after five days of work, one should expect contorted positions, intricate sequences, and downright strenuous climbing. Just remember to take a couple of sets of HBs and plan on working hard to place protection. I also recommend that one thinks twice about rapping off the 1/4" bolt at the belay. Besides, the second pitch follows a nice crack system to the top of the Flying Buttress where much safer rappel anchors can be found.
Are there harder climbs and more first ascents to be done? You bet there are! In fact many of the locals are working on those challenges right now. But what about you... My advice is if you like working on your tan, eating Mexican food, and climbing in shorts in October, then just perhaps Granite Mountain is your ticket.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Dec 17, 2015 - 09:10pm PT
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Thanks, Mouse and steelmnky! Good stuff. Let's do a trip this next Fall!
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coplateau
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Dec 18, 2015 - 07:25am PT
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I sure am glad I ran across this thread- here's some history for Donini at Granite Mt. (during the Syndicate banquet in 1975 I believe).
And during his Torre Egger slideshow tour, bouldering at Mt. Elden near Flagstaff.Both pics from Dugald Bremner's collection (RIP)
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
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Dec 18, 2015 - 01:06pm PT
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Would someone please provide current information on the condition of Granite Mt. after the fire.
Granite Mt. = my old stomping grounds where I climbed over 100 days BITD. Would it be too cold to climb there this January? I'd like to climb there between Jan 1 - 15, weather permitting. Otherwise, I'll climb in the more gentle climate of Phoenix/central AZ.
By sheer coincidence, I was climbing with Jim and the crew the day the pic was taken with Jim climbing across the top of the Flying Buttress in the post above.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 05:04pm PT
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Cool looking rock. Nice and Monolithic.
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bob
climber
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Dec 18, 2015 - 05:20pm PT
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Granite Mountain taught me to climb 24 years ago. Sure is a special place.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Dec 18, 2015 - 07:58pm PT
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The Mountain is completely doable. Sad to see the damage, but climbing is relatively unaffected.
Trail up to the Swamp Slabs is a bit of a mess, but the old trail across to the Front Porch is pretty much unchanged.
Jan 1st-15th will only depend on the temperatures, so you can check before you commit.
If it's sunny and easing into the 50's, you're good to go if climbing something in the sun.
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bob
climber
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Dec 18, 2015 - 08:13pm PT
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Isn't it cool how most of the lines at Granite Mountain are actually lines up that wall for real, that one can see with there own eyes. I miss it badly. Luckily I'll visit it in two days,,....
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Dec 18, 2015 - 08:45pm PT
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Bob, thanks for the awesome shots!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Dec 18, 2015 - 09:02pm PT
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Yes, Bob's yur uncle, Mark.
How can you get "off-route" on such great crack lines? Whattacrag!
Sure am glad I bumped this thread!
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Dec 18, 2015 - 10:12pm PT
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This one's going on my list for a little winter get away. Just a little one.
Arne
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Dec 18, 2015 - 10:12pm PT
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Hell yes.
For me and Bob, the Mtn was like that strict teacher, the one that worked you hard, that challenged you, pushed you, demoralized you even, but that you'll always remember as your favorite teacher.
Classic shots bobbyJ- thinking we must have been on Magnolia the same day?
If so that was the day I climbed all of Prescott's crags in a day, finishing at the Mtn.
Good times, let's meet up for another!
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