Arizona Climbing Appreciation thread

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Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 13, 2009 - 11:43pm PT

That's Larry alright. I recall him looking a bit more like Jimmy Buffet meets Commander Cody!
Larry also did a bunch of routes at the 10 to 4 Wall on Kitt Peak up the road from Aquagomy. An obscure couple of areas that are open from 10 to 4 on the gated road to Kitt Peak.

rick d

climber

tucson, az

Apr 14, 2009 - 09:44am PT

from my phoenix rock copy

bob

climber

Apr 14, 2009 - 10:52am PT

pk davidson, I climbed Deep Yogurt for the first time this year! It was an absolute blast. Tricky gear for sure for some parts. I just couldn't believe I hadn't done that one yet. Just sitting there getting looked at for years.
Great stuff.
Bob J.

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Apr 14, 2009 - 11:04am PT

"I'm guessing that's Bill Sewery all fetal style in rain suit.'

Too bad there's not something, like maybe a pen, for scale.

I miss my Kronhoffers every day. if I had a new pair I would learn to yodel.

steelmnkey

climber

Vision man...ya gotta have vision...

Apr 14, 2009 - 06:50pm PT

The man...

pk_davidson

Trad climber

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 14, 2009 - 08:26pm PT

Tipping one to Bill, Larry and DMS

And to Bill's Hoffers (there they are again !)

Was it the late '90s when Bill moved on ?

Pennsylenvy

Big Wall climber

Memomma, Isle

Apr 28, 2009 - 10:30pm PT

It was windy this Saturday, so we had to resort to deviant tactics..

Pumphouse Wash, right in my backyard, nothing but trees and a dirt road separates this Arizona appreciation beauty, 5 miles of them...

We came a little ill prepared. This crack was longer than we thought. Too bad. We had to set our sites upon something else.

the ultimate dihedral

now here's a bit of some unfortunate truth. I told my buddy Doug that I onsighted this route (I lied). But I did clip the first three pitons off the ground (which is a feat in itself!!). Poor Doug, sandbagged again. The moss/slab crux was pretty gruesome.

pk_davidson

Trad climber

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 28, 2009 - 11:02pm PT

Why, I believe that's White Wedding in Pumphouse Wash.
(the first corner)
On West Side of Canyon ?
Look like it to you Steve ?

Is there a belay in now at the top of the first pitch ?
(Take a bolt kit, it needs a belay and bolts on 2nd pitch.
see mountain project)

And Ultimate Dihedral below that.

Pennsylenvy

Big Wall climber

Memomma, Isle

Apr 28, 2009 - 11:16pm PT

So Paul, you call that white wedding? We didn't make it up yet!!!!

Hopefully will be better prepared next time. Next attempt I am gonna bring the right gear. Looked like an anchor below the bush would make sense. I will try to find what the local knowledge base knows about this.
Edit I looked on Mtn Project and this is the crack.It's so nice I can't believe it hasn't had a few ascents. We certainly did not have triples...been there before but it's easy to forget how long these climbs are. With the right amount of gear I think we certainly could have topped the first pitch. The second looked to be a deep recessed chimney. Do you recollect?

pk_davidson

Trad climber

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 29, 2009 - 06:56pm PT

Our first pitch belayed up in the chimney to which you refer. Which sort of reminds me that pulling out of the crack and into the bombay was pretty exciting, especially since at that point, I could see what the belay was.

The base of the bombay is where Steve had the butt/foot belay and a #3 hex sideways on maybe 2 points.

For the 2nd pitch, I went out onto the face right of the chimney. I think I remember the chimney pinching out not too far up and I seem to recall getting some gear in there and at the occasional overlap. As I mentioned on MP, I believe we had to simul for about 15 ft of the second pitch in order to make the rim and the big jack pines. But those were 50m daze.

You will definitely want a bolt kit to put in a belay if you go to the chimney and I think the second pitch can use a couple bolts.

Good luck with it and enjoy. Certainly seems odd if it's never seen a second. There is that ultimate frisbee route which might be this climb but that description makes it sound like it's in the UFC alcove. I don't know how else you could be a west facing wall and be on same canyon side as UFC.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 29, 2009 - 09:57pm PT

White Wedding for sure!

Who did the Ultimate Dihedral FA? Pins?

pk_davidson

Trad climber

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 29, 2009 - 10:03pm PT

Tim Coats and Stan Mish...

I think they're drilled baby angles.

Riotch

Trad climber

Kayenta, Arizona

Apr 29, 2009 - 11:28pm PT

White Wedding, huh?

The Doctor always told me that thing had been done before. I stumbled upon it in '96. I went up there the next time I could get a willing partner. Thinking I had done the first ascent, I called it The Beauty, a name that made it in to Bloom's "Castles in the Sand" guidebook. I don't think he gave me credit for the first ascent, however.

Anyway, I just got off the phone with Pencilenvy and told him about the two bolt anchor I put on a sloping ledge out right. Its about a 130' pitch and I used triple #1, #2, & #3 camalots (wished I had brought a #4). I called Pencilenvy a wuss for not getting to my anchors. But I take it back, you don't run it out on this rock like you do on granite.

pk & Grossman, you guys are psycho, I'm not sure what lies up above the first pitch even qualifies as "rock". Nice route, a real beauty . . .

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 30, 2009 - 09:50am PT

So's Billy!

Take me back home
There is nothin fair in this world
There is nothin safe in this world
And theres nothin sure in this world
And theres nothin pure in this world
Look for something left in this world
Start again
Come on

Its a nice day for a white wedding

Its a nice day to start again.
Its a nice day for a white wedding

Its a nice day to start again

5.10++ or so on the grade for White Wedding?

MisterE

Trad climber

One Step Beyond!

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 30, 2009 - 10:22am PT

Ultimate Frisbee (picture by M. GeikenJoyner):

pk_davidson

Trad climber

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 30, 2009 - 06:50pm PT

Larry Coats came up with the name Cocoweap for the Pumphouse Wash rock.

Much sandier than Coconino, not as well bonded and certainly not limestone.

When Steve started to simul the 2nd pitch with only a few pieces between him and me and a full rope, I remember thinking,
"Great, I'm gonna die on some POS pitch the day before I get married."

I was damn glad it was Steve down on the other end and even happier when I hit the rim and ran around a big old Jack Pine.

Here's the story of the first ascent:
http://mountainproject.com/v/arizona/oak_creek_canyon/pumphouse_wash/106230149

That's the beauty of a lot of the Sedona routes, no fixed gear means you can find yourself having a first ascent adventure.
I recall running into Dave Houchin at a bean fest once and him telling me about the time they did Sand Castle. They thought they were bagging a classic first ascent until they topped out on the OW of pitch 2 and came upon a fixed baby at the belay ledge. He was bummed. I told him the great thing was that he'd gotten to do the climb as if it were a first ascent. I'll have to scan slides of that climb. It's truly memorable and safe. There are other climbs in Castles in the Sand that have erroneous names and FA parties. I suspect it'll all get cleaned up with the new guide.

Glad to know WW now has a belay. Certainly a worthy one pitch climb and if one is feeling a bit psycho, there's the second pitch to lead. We pretty much had no choice but to go for the rim.

Thnx for the pic Sr. E. Clears up my confusion.
Definitely some very distinctive routes in Pumphouse.