Mountain Project: Climbing Sedona

This area includes the formations found in the area of Twin Buttes, or near the Chapel Of The Holy Cross. Many new routes have been added to the walls immediately behind and east of the Chapel in the last few years.

Formations include (but not limited to): Streaker Spire, The Watchtower, Christianity (aka Beckey) Spire, Minister and the Pulpit, Blow Job Rock, Devil's Thumb, etc.

Getting There

Drive on 179 to Chapel Road (easy to spot from both ways), head east on Chapel Road and find a spot in the lower parking area (getting harder to do).

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Church Spires Area:

Original North Face Route 5.7+ Trad, 3 pitches, 225 feet, Grade II Streaker Spire

Follow Your Bliss 5.10- Trad, 1 pitch, 65 feet Church Wall and Religion Wa... : Church Wall

Genesis 5.10- Trad, 65 feet Church Wall and Religion Wa... : Church Wall

Poop Chute 5.10- Trad, 1 pitch, 70 feet Church Wall and Religion Wa... : Lower Religion Wall

Trundlers Club 5.10d Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 350 feet Trundlers Club Buttress

Space Cowboys 5.11c PG13 Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet Church Wall and Religion Wa... : The Planetarium

Castles in the Sand 5.11+ Trad Church Wall and Religion Wa... : Church Wall

Watchtower 5.11+ Trad, 2 pitches Church Wall and Religion Wa... : Lower Religion Wall

Mission To Mars 5.12d Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet Church Wall and Religion Wa... : The Planetarium

Featured Route For Church Spires Area

Trundlers Club goes up the large corner system. In this photo you can see the stem box at the base of pitch 2 which is the start of the steep stuff which deposits you into the Bat Cave belay. You can also see pitch 3,4.

Trundlers Club 5.10d AZ : Sedona : ... : Trundlers Club Buttress

Pitch 1: Start up slab to big hole in the rock. Small to medium cams and bolts take you to a two bolt belay. Pitch 2: Stem up box past bolts, make the "cross to the choss" move and then up the crack and into the Bat Cave to a two bolt belay. At the top, keep an eye out for the lone pocket... Set of doubles and bolts. Pitch 3: Stem out cave past bolt and up to a fingery layback/stem system. Look for moves leading left around a corner on edg...[more] Browse More Classics in AZ

Comments on Church Spires Area

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By Joe Keyser
Jan 2, 2007

What is the trick for the parking here & accessing the trailhead? It seems that the only parking is only for church tourists, etc... Tried going there a couple times only to be turned around. There are plenty of other crags to go to in Sedona, so no big loss, but I'm curious what tactics are used for getting to the climing here?? Thanks!

By Jeremy Schlick
From: Flagstaff, AZ
Jan 2, 2007

There used to be parking right outside the gate. Now adays you have to go back down Chapel road and find a pullout and walk back in. Kind of a drag, but... I have never been locked in the gate area or ticketed.

By Seth Dyer
Jan 2, 2007

We've never had trouble since we started parking lower on Chapel Rd. And realistically it only adds a minute or two to the approach.

By Joe Lee
From: Nogales, Arizona
Jan 17, 2008

Climbing. Excellent.

Parking. F---- Sucks.

I wonder if anyone has ever petitioned the owner of the church to allow general parking during off-peak hours. The lot was empty during my visit.

For visitors, before you enter the gate, you can squeeeeeeze three vehicles on a pullout on the left before the gate. And maybe one car on a pullout before a sign just in front of the gate.

I recommend parking elsewhere and carpooling to the site to save space for your fellow climbers.

By cammo
Dec 6, 2008

Dan Langmade, Stan Mish (two of the four Banditos), and I did a teeny tiny tower in this area in about 2000. It was 5.8 or so, with one drilled bit of gear. Got any idea where it is? I'm not familiar with Sedona. Cammo

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Church Spires Area

Description

Getting There

The Classics