The Grand Wazoo is the spire between T. Rex and Summit Block Rock. This route should be more popular than it is. The rock is solid, and the climbing fun face climbing and lie-backing, a rarity for an easier climb in Sedona. I thought the original grade of 5.7 was a bit of a sandbag, but I might have done a variation. The route gets sun all day.
P1: 5.7 60' Start at the base of the only crack to reach the ground on the southwest face. The first 20' are protected by thin nuts and micro cams, but are fairly easy (5.6). A committing 5.7 lieback 40' up leads to a wild limestone roof. Pull over on jugs and build a belay on the ledge. Belay takes fingers and a 3.5 Camalot.
P2: 5.8 60' Continue up the crack (mostly face climbing) to the chimney slot. Just before the slot, face climb out right to a bolt (can't see it until you're there). Belay at a tiny tree on a ledge.
P3: 5.7 30' Move the belay to the west face, and climb up an awkward hand crack, to easy face climbing and the summit. You have to down climb this pitch to get off.
Descent: The summit has no anchor, so down-lead the last pitch and walk back to the small tree. A 60-meter rope will just get you to scrambling distance of the ground with rope stretch. The tree is small and sketchy even by Sedona standards.
Location
Park at Chimney Rock Parking (end of Andante Road). Follow Andante trail east toward T. Rex and Botany 500. After 0.25 miles go left on a small trail. After a few hundred feet this will intersect a larger trail below Botany. Take a right and follow this trail all the way to below the Grand Wazoo. Scramble up to the base of the spire. The route starts about 100' left of the chimney between Grand Wazoo and Little Middle Pecker Pinnacle.
By markguycan From: flagstaff, az Nov 27, 2006 rating: 5.9+ PG13
Damn Kole, you must be a Bad Ass. That 1st pitch seemed like 5.9+ with very small gear on poor rock. Second pitch was sweet; the third didn't seem as hard or awkward as you stated; down-climbing to the ledge was pretty easy. The rap seemed bomber enough (for a 2in diameter tree)
It is very possible that the first pitch is now harder. I took a lead fall on the first pitch while attempting to pull the lieback. I had three pieces in up to that point, a .3 25 feet from the deck, a 00 30 feet up, and a .4 40 feet up and a five feet below the lieback. The .4 and 00 both popped. They were placed in the only places I could find that had a chance of holding. Because of the damage to the cams (one was severely tweaked) and judging by the rock stuck to the lobes of the cams, I would say there is a good chance that the rock around where the gear was placed exploded and is now gone. At the very least, if the rating didn't change the pro probably did which was sketchy at best before this incident. Since I decked and my partner and I were quite shaken, we did not go back for a second look.
The Grand Wazoo
RSS Feed
