Leading off on pitch 4 of Into The Wild (5.12, 900...
Description
Into The Wild is a long, spectacular new school route up Oak Creek's Sunrise Arete - an unmistakable feature to anyone who is familiar with the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. The route is primarily steep slab and face climbing, but there are a few interesting crack sections as well as an awesome stemming and liebacking corner that comprises the crux pitch high on the route. I'm generally not a fan of slab climbing -- especially on sandstone, but the climbing on this route is extremely enjoyable, and for a new climb, the route is overall very clean. The authors of this route clearly put a lot of energy into it's creation -- both the line itself and the fixed pro on the route have been thoughtfully established.
Approach: Park at "Call of the Canyon" (the West Fork trailhead), just a few miles south of the last switchback after descending from Flagstaff. This parking area is on the west side of the road and is a fee area. We parked at a pullout 1/4 mile north and walked in before the entrance station was staffed (9 AM). Hike along the main tourist trail, crossing a bridge over Oak Creek, following the trail as it turns west up into the canyon below the obvious Sunrise Arete. Cross a smaller creek and after about 50 steps follow a faint trail up a wooded hill. A few small cliff bands must be skirted before scrambling steeply up slickrock to a large, open rocky staging area. A pair of bolts below a finger crack mark the start of the route. 20 minutes hiking from the car.
P1: Climb past two bolts to a thin crack with occasional pods to a bolted anchor far above on easier terrain. If you don't mind a little rope drag, this pitch can fairly easily be linked into the next one. 5.10; 70'
P2: Head up and left to the first of 9 bolts that head up ledgy slabs to a bolted anchor. 5.9; 100'
P3: Climb up and right past 15 bolts to a bolted belay. This pitch is called "The Basketball Pitch" -- you'll see why. For slab climbing, quite good! 5.10+; 120'
P4: Head straight right, then up the exposed arete to a bolt. Continue up past more bolts to a stance below a roof crack. Jam and undercling out this and up to a bolted anchor. I found a key mailslot out left to make turning the roof much easier. 5.11; 120'
P5: Do NOT head up the obvious corner above the belay. Instead, trend slightly right and up a short finger crack to a tree. Avoid this by climbing a bulge out right, clip a bolt, and continue up to a bolted anchor. 5.6; 80'
Unrope here and scramble up over a ridge, then head left through bushy terrain, following cairns, heading up to the upper wall well left of the arete. Probably 200' of 2nd and 3rd class.
P6: Begin at a cairn below a dirty corner. Climb the corner, clip a bolt out right, do a thin step across move to a second bolt, and continue traversing straight right to a bolted anchor and the start of the upper arete. This pitch, and the start of the next, are really the only junky sections on the climb. 5.10a; 50'
P7: Clip a bolt over a bulge just above the belay and perform a very difficult move off of sandy, portable holds to get established on the slab above. Yuck. Continue up slightly better rock past a bunch more bolts. At a large ledge there is a bolted anchor (this is expected to be removed soon); do not stop here, instead, continue up past two more bolts to a higher bolted anchor that is not visible from below. 5.10+; 180'
P8: This pitch is pretty awesome. Climb up low angle rock to a steep crack in the headwall above. The rock is sugary and it's nice to have a #3 Camalot here (we didn't and got away with it though). Pull up through this roof via jugs and continue up a finger crack to a bolt at a good stance below the enormous hanging corner. Follow this tremendously exposed corner via liebacks and stems to a mantle/lieback crux halfway up. Continue to the top of the corner with more steep liebacking. Belay at a bolted anchor after pulling onto a ledge above the corner. The meat of this pitch is protected with bolts, but smaller cams protect the first section and make sure to save a 0.75 Camalot for the last 20 feet. 5.12a; 130'
P9: Climb the steep arete via cool pinches and sidepulls and a few super-exposed moves past 6 bolts to a bolted anchor near the top of the wall. 5.10; 80'
Descent: Rap the route with 2 ropes.
Protection
1 each 0 TCU through #1 Camalot. A couple extra finger size pieces. 15 draws/slings. No wires. Two ropes. Optional #3 Camalot is handy for P6 and P8.
From the description, this sounds like what used to be known as the West Fork Wall. It saw a few attempts and I think an aid line was established by Gordan Douglas and Ross Hardwick. With possibly some help from Larry Coats (or he might have been working another line.) I also recall Tim Toula doing something back up in there.
Or is this one of the striking buttresses before you actually get to the West Fork Wall ?
Ya Paul, Probably the same wall. We found and pulled a few OLD and I mean really really old pitons on the slabs below the 2nd pitch and some slings on a bush at the ledge atop the 2nd pitch. The pins are about 7 inches long and made out of a flat stock steel. There is a logo stamped on them that has some german looking words on them... anyway...Looked like whoever placed the pins and slings were gulley climbing to the left of the route.
Excellent description, but one note to add. You do not exactly rap the route. From the top of the crux pitch you rap straight down to anchors in the middle of the face, then a short rap to the main ledge. From there, walk the ledge and rap the route.
RSS Feed
