BETA PHOTO: The Pharmacy topo (located in the upper slot near ...
Description
The Doctor's Office is a narrow corridor between two large fins of rock that houses a bunch of fairly new bolted lines (and a few trad and mixed lines as well). The Pharmacy is the upper part of the same corridor (blocked off by a huge chockstone) that is easily accessed via a rebar ladder. The southern wall is generally vertical to slightly overhanging and offers pocketed and edgey sandstone climbing on less than perfect rock. The northern wall has mostly slabby climbing on black rock. This area gets all day shade and remains cool even in the summer heat.
Getting There
Located down below The Book of Friends. Drive to the well-signed Cave Springs Campground (2 miles from the bottom of the switchbacks) and park. Walk to the bridge just in from the entrance, and from the northwest corner of the bridge locate a trail that heads NW up a small hillside in the direction of the obvious Book of Friends dihedral. This trail skirts around the hillside and then follows the edge of a wash all the way up into the corridor. Hiking time is about 10 minutes.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Doctor's Office & The Pharmacy:
Be aware: it should be at least 85 degrees in Sedona to climb at the Doctor's Office. It is in a narrow slot canyon, creating a swamp-cooler effect. If it is 90 in Sedona, the DO will be a perfect 75 degrees.
NOTE: PLEASE WAIT A DAY OR TWO TO CLIMB AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE AFTER A RAIN!
The area is sandstone, and becomes brittle when wet.
Walking for those Sedona towers is over-rated. A short jaunt to the Dr's Area & RX is certainly worthy and can provide some nice shade.
Heads up about bringing pooches to the crag. The trail is OK but the nature of the base, large blocks and 4th class scrambling is pretty difficult even for the experienced rock hound.
Routes can be a bit sandy.... but that said not much traffic and, well, they are sandstone.
The original hand-drawn topo has been replaced with an up-dated one. Additionally, most routes have sandstone plaques at the base giving the rating of the route by number (not letter (i.e., 11-,11,11+)
Also, bring your Red Rocks Pass or display a golden eagle, access pass, or other NF pass. There is no ticketing, but warnings have been issued!
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