Sedona Advice

Going to Sedona in a week or so. Got a few questions:

1 -- Does Queen Victoria get morning or afternoon shade?

2 -- Best first time trad leader climb in Sedona (single or multi pitch)

3 -- Best concentration of climbs (trad or sport) for a small group of people

4 -- Best short approach climb(s) within 15 minutes of the road in the moderate range 5.6-5.9/5.10

Going with a group with two experienced trad leaders and two experienced sport climbers with limited trad experience. Thanks in advance for all of the help.

1 Afternoon shade. Next week it may be a warm approach.
2 None; it isn't a place for the first time leader.
3 The Drs Office (ir it was open);the entire watershed on Oak Creek Canyon is closed due to the Slide Fire.
4 The Mace; Dr Rubos etc.

Good luck. Maybe split into two groups and follow each other up some formations.

Oh Sedona, you dirty mistress.... Unfortunately Sedona doesn't lend its self easily to the details you are looking for. It a sort of Wild West Adventure Land. Manny is spot on but 15min is usually just enough time to start getting lost. But if you want to do some rad moderate, easy approach, plenty of routes, choss with a view check out The Overlook: mountainproject.com/v/the-o…

If its raining or rained, don't climb. Put on a helmet, wear sunscreen and pull down, not out...

I understand the rain affecting the sandstone towers, but will the basalt at overlook be ok if it rained within 72 hrs?

The basalt is bullet hard. The main concern is just how muddy it can get. There are some loose rocks there but overall I think the routes are very good.

The Overlook is often a lot of big stacked jigsaw blocks.
Any time you add water (lubricant) to that situation, you have to pay attention to what you grab and how you pull on it. It's not like climbing on sandstone or limestone though where the water can actually screw with the grain bonding.
72 hours later is more than enough time to dry out. 24 hours is usually plenty if there's sun. Like anything, depends on a lot of variables, how much rain, how much sun, etc...

Manny's advice is spot on. As is J's. 15 min is about enough time to possibly find the parking spots from which you start thrashing. Many of the FAs in Sedona have taken a day just to figure out a reasonable approach.

So is the Overlook or Pumphouse Wash currently open to climbing?

Overlook is open. Pumphouse wash I think could accessed from above, but cannot be accessed from the 89 bridge.