Climbing Reports

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

Ben Nevis Mountain, Arizona, November 2022

December 1, 2022 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, November 26, I met Scott Peavy and and Matthias Stender at the Gu Achi Trading Post beside Arizona Highway 86. Our plan was to climb Ben Nevis Mountain located in Pima County, Arizona. Ben Nevis Mountain has 1691 feet of topographic prominence, tying with Whitlock Peak as the 108th most prominent peak in Arizona.

Ben Nevis Mountain to the west from Arizona Highway 86

We have admired Ben Nevis Mountain from nearby South Mountain and traveling the highway and were glad to have a chance to finally visit it.

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Nose Benchmark, Arizona, November 2022

November 25, 2022 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, November 19, I met Scott Peavy and we drove in to park below Nose Benchmark, a prominent peak in the Gila Bend Mountains north of Gila Bend, Arizona. Nose Benchmark has 1429 feet of topographic prominence, putting it down the list as the 174th most prominent peak in Arizona.

Nose Benchmark from the north. This profile resembles a face, with the summit forming the nose and the chin and throat to the left.

More significantly to me, Nose Benchmark is a notable peak I often see as I bypass Phoenix on AZ Highway 85 either with Linda on our migrations to Tucson or as I pass by exploring other mountains of Arizona. I was glad for the opportunity to share a climb of Nose Benchmark with Scott, who I have climbed with several times over the past several winter seasons in Arizona.

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Krag Peak, Oregon, September 2022

September 12, 2022 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Saturday morning, September 3, Larry Luehring and I were camped just above Crater Lake in the Wallowa Mountains of Northeast Oregon. We had packed in from the Summit Point Trailhead two days earlier. Our plan this day was to climb Krag Peak after climbing nearby Red Mountain the day before.

Krag Peak from the summit of Red Mountain

Early that morning after a warmer night than previous ones, I listened to the wind blowing through the trees around us from within my tent. I peeked out and saw heavy overcast with darker clouds approaching from the southwest. This was unexpected – I had checked the weather forecast from the summit of Red Mountain the previous day and it was forecast to be sunny this day.

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Red Mountain (Wallowa), Oregon, September 2022

September 9, 2022 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, August 31, I joined Larry Luehring at the McBride Campground in the Wallowa Whitman National Forest near Halfway, Oregon. Our plan was to pack in to Crater Lake on the south side of the Wallowa Mountains and to subsequently climb both Red Mountain and Krag Peak from our camp.

Paul on the Summit Point Trail (Larry Luehring photo)

Larry and I were high school friends. I had first started hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and mountain climbing in Oregon with Larry during our college years. Larry now lives near Portland, Texas, and I had not seen him for 13 years. We reconnected in the context of a July high school reunion which, in the end, neither of us could attend.

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