Outcroppings - Cave wall photo with the Tall wall ...
Description
This area has 15 sport routes that are mostly moderates from 5.6 to 5.10. The wall has pumpier climbs ranging from 5.6 to 5.10 with morning sun and shade after 2pm. Most of the climbs have a ledge half way up. The area was found by Tony Lusk and Tony Horness on a day where Tony H's tips were too sore to climb. Andy Tretiakoff helped develop the area as well.
The area has a cave on the south end of the Cave Wall that can provide shelter from sun and rain and has a sign in register with laminated route guide. The view from the top of the crag encompasses the valley below Mt. Bigelow with Barnum Rock and Ridgeline due west while looking south to Rose Canyon and Munchkinland.
Getting There
Take Mt. Lemmon highway to Organization Ridge rd at milepost 20. Turn south and park at Palisades trailhead parking, walk 50' south to drainage on east side, go uphill on a contour line to large black stump, follow cairns east then south to top of Cave Wall - 15-20 minutes. Access Cave Wall from north side and the other walls from south end marked with cairns.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Outcroppings - Cave Wall:
Just went out and did a dozen or so routes on the three formations. I must say the climbing was fun, the routes were varied and I feel this area is a great addition to the Tucson climbing scene. Kudos to Tony and the crew for taking the time, and spending the money to add a bunch of great new routes for moderate sport climbers. This is the place to go if you want introduce your neophyte friends and family to climbing. I intend to do just that in the near future. Also has a very pleasant hike in.
Don't turn up the first drainage and start looking for black stumps - there are dozens of them. It's about 65 paces (not 50') south from the parking area to the trail. It's marked with a cairn, and the black stump is visible up the hill, also with a cairn clearly visible on top. The trail is abundantly marked all the way to the crag.
If the open project on the Cave wall hasn't been sent, I got the FA on 9/3/08. Didn't think it was that bad, around 5.10/5.11 with one 10 foot section that maybe 5.12 after the ledge. If anyone knows if this has been sent or not let me know and if it hasn't, I'll think of a name for it.
Dave Weeks did the route on TR with no falls and no hangs 6 months ago. If you want to bolt it and lead it for the FA be my guest and come up with a name. I agree with you on your analysis of the route and the crux is definitely getting off the ledge. I hope you enjoyed the area and it was a blast to put up.
Climbed here yesterday in Tee shirts. They are doing a bunch of logging so you will not find the stump. If you just head left from the palisades trail head and skirt around the right side of the knoll and continue east you should eventually find some cairns as you work your way through the Boyscout camp.
Jimbo and I did all the climbs except the project and the last two 5.6 routes. It was a fun if not hard on the feet kind of day. We thought that all of the routes were worth doing if you were there and that Matterhorness was the best of the crag and should not be missed. I would give all of them one star and with Materhorness getting two. I would almost give it three but I don't think it quite compares with some of the other 3 star routes on the mountain but it is close.
Nice area. Two thumbs up to the folks that worked so hard on it.
Had our vehicle locked-in on the road leading to the approach (presumably by the forest service) 28 Mar 09. Sign on the locked gate clearly indicated it was to remain open after March 1. Anyone else had any problems for access to The Druid or The Outcroppings?
Tony and son, thanks for fixing the trail, looks great! On another note, there are no chains on the top of Manly Woman and Eman/Tman, just two bolts. Make sure to look up when looking for them.
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