Climbing Reports

Travel using both feet and hands, whether scrambling unroped or technical climbing using rope and anchors.

Apache Peaks, Arizona, March 2017

April 17, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Sunday, March 26, I joined Eric Kassan, Michael Berry, and Adam Humphreys in a quite pleasant climb of Apache Peaks in the Tonto National Forest north of Globe, Arizona. Apache Peaks is the highest point of the Blackjack Mountains. It is the 36th most prominent peak in Arizona with 2580 feet of prominence and 6940 feet of elevation. Last April I hiked Aztec Peak and on the drive home I explored the driving access to Apache Peaks. I found the access roads to be in good condition and looked forward to returning again for a summit attempt.

A white gate provides access to the roads leading into Apache Peaks. Eric, Adam, and I camped Saturday night just inside public land beyond the gate. Eric had a quick dinner and we visited in the darkness under the stars as I made dinner for myself. We felt celebratory after climbing Pinnacle Ridge earlier that day. We had a new peak to climb the next morning.

After breakfast on Sunday Michael joined us at the gate. We drove in and parked off Forest Road 220 where our climbing route began. The Apache Peaks summit appears as a the forested ridge above the cliff band on the right in the above photo. We climbed up the prominent ridge in front of us and through the cliff band on the left.

[Read more…]

Pinnacle Ridge, Arizona, March 2017

April 17, 2017 by Paul McClellan 1 Comment

On Saturday morning, March 25, Eric Kassan, Adam Humphreys, and I met at a dispersed campsite just south of Pinnacle Ridge in the Santa Teresa Mountains. Eric and Adam had arrived late Friday and I only noticed they were parked nearby when I got up in the dark to start my breakfast. After breakfast we drove north to Trail 66 near Sand Tank. The goal was to climb the high point of Pinnacle Ridge.

Pinnacle Ridge from the road leading to Sand Tank/Trail 66

Pinnacle Ridge is the 40th most prominent peak in Arizona, with 2470 feet of prominence and 7550 feet of elevation. Eric and I attempted Pinnacle Ridge last April. The climb statistics are quite modest, but the mixed forest surrounding rock pinnacles reduces visibility and the thick brush on steep slopes obstructs progress. On the previous occasion we ran out of time but this time we started soon after sunrise and had the entire day if necessary to complete the climb. We knew we had a long day ahead of us.

[Read more…]

Mount Devine, Arizona, March 2017

March 14, 2017 by Paul McClellan 2 Comments

On March 8 Michael Berry and I climbed Mount Devine, the high point of the North Comobabi Mountains on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation north of Sells, Arizona. Mount Devine is the 75th most prominent peak in Arizona, with 1983 feet of prominence and 4783 feet of elevation.

The North Comobabi Mountains to the south from where we parked

We drove in on an abandoned dirt road towards the mountains from the north, squeezing between palo verde trees and driving over 2-3 foot bushes. The road disappeared after only 1.4 miles, but we were glad to have covered as much distance as we had as the mountains still seemed far away.

[Read more…]

Dos Cabezas South Peak, Arizona, March 2017

March 7, 2017 by Paul McClellan 9 Comments

On March 4th Eric Kassan, Michael Berry, Matthias Stender, and I climbed Dos Cabezas South Peak, the high point of the Dos Cabezas Mountains. Dos Cabezas South Peak is higher than the adjacent North Peak with 8359 feet of elevation. The South Peak is also the 19th most prominent peak in Arizona with 3249 feet of prominence.

Dos Cabezas Peaks from Arizona Highway 186 SE of Willcox

Dos Cabezas Peaks are quite visible from Arizona Highway 186 southeast of Willcox. The South Peak is the rightmost of the two rock towers in this view and is the higher of the two.

[Read more…]

« Previous Page