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Cathedral Rock Area
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Cathedral Rock Area


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Submitted By: Orphaned on Mar 22, 2006
Administrators: Greg Opland, James DeRoussel
Elevation: 4,500 feet
Views: 19,887 page views

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Sunset behind Cathedral Rocks.


Description 

Cathedral Rocks area includes the famous Mace as well as some other great routes, located in the complex of mesas and towers just west of 179 from Back O' Beyond Road.


Getting There 

Turn west on Back O' Beyond Road from 179 and drive to the trailhead (south side) near it's end.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Cathedral Rock Area:
Original Route   5.9+     Trad, 5 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III   The Mace
Andy Kaufman Crack   5.10     Trad, 1 pitch, 105 feet   North Mesa
Rusty Cage   5.10+     Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet   North Mesa
Browse More Classics in Cathedral Rock Area

Featured Route For Cathedral Rock Area
The awsome step across move on last pitch of Regular Route. This makes the route unforgettable!

Original Route 5.9+  AZ : Sedona : ... : The Mace
The Mace is a classic Sedona route, and one of the "must do" lines in the area. If you're used to Moab area towers, this is a bit of a disappointment in terms of rock quality, but the adventure itself is wonderful.Approach from a small trailhead off of Back O' Beyond Road in Sedona. The hike is 15-20 minutes at a leisurely pace.P1: Climb up chimney or face to the right (runout) to crack going through limestone band. Pull the small roof and gain ...[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ


Photos of Cathedral Rock Area Slideshow Add Photo
Cathedral Rock from near the site of the old Baldwin's Crossing. Yes, we used to be able to drive from Sedona to Village of Oak Creek through here but it is now a state park.

BETA PHOTO: Cathedral Rock from near the site of the old Baldw...

Back-O-Beyond approach

BETA PHOTO: Back-O-Beyond approach

Petroglyphs on the north side of the North Mesa

BETA PHOTO: Petroglyphs on the north side of the North Mesa

Petroglyphs on the north side of the North Mesa

BETA PHOTO: Petroglyphs on the north side of the North Mesa

The crack on the west side of the North Mesa. Great scrambling fun! 10/27/07

BETA PHOTO: The crack on the west side of the North Mesa. Gre...

Red rock of the Cathedral group from the summit of the Mace. March 2008

Red rock of the Cathedral group from the summit of...


Comments on Cathedral Rock Area Add Comment
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By Richard Fernandez
From: Flagstaff, AZ
Feb 2, 2009

Did the Mace on Sunday, Feb 1st. Last pitch is a blast, one of the best pitches I've done in a while. Although I found it a bit harder than 5.9+, more like a 5.10b. Physically demanding route you'll use every part of your body on. Great top out. We opted out of the lean/jump pitch because of 40+ mph winds. Long pants and shirts are useful for the full body jams! Have fun!