Born of Water 5.10c
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| Type: | Trad, Sport, 9 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade III |
| Consensus: | 5.10b/c [details] |
| FA: | Mark Colby and Mike Strassman, 1995 |
| Submitted By: | bcsing on May 5, 2006 |
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Marilyn topping out on Born of Water on Baboquivar...
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Traffic from drug smuggling and illegal immigration is high in this area. Exercise caution. US Border Patrol recommends avoiding this area completely after dark.
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and Mountain Project.
You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
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Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment
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Description This long, slabby route follows a waterchute from the second through fourth pitches and continues on a left traversing dike after that. The crux is the third pitch which is a very well bolt-protected waterchute up a headwall. It's short but has some excellent moves. There's only one other difficult pitch, the third, which is a long bolt-protected face with the crux move over a shallow roof. Other than that, the climbing never really gets any harder than 5.7 with fairly sparse pro. Difficult route finding near the top with many different ways to go. Good rock on the harder pitches and loose, flaky rock on the rest. Babo is a fabulous summit, so any route to the top is well worth it.
Location The route is located on the south/southwest face of the peak. Bushwhack past the start of the Forbes Route along the Great Ramp to Lion's Ledge. Head down Lion's Ledge for about a 100 yards and look for a dead 12' log resting against a small pillar. This is the start. The first pitch follows a left leaning ramp crack and turns back right ending on a small pillar below a shallow overhang. Descend the Forbes-Montoya route. Expect some steep down-climbing and at least 1 rap. If doing the route from car to car, allow at least 3 hours for the approach, 4 hours for the climbing, and another 3 hours for the descent and walk back to camp. Makes for a long day.
Protection Rack needed: at least 12 quickdraws and 1 set of cams to #3 Camalot. 1 set of nuts. It pros well in the harder areas.
| Comments on Born of Water |
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By Mike
From: Phoenix
Jul 14, 2009
rating: 5.10
| I was under the impression that this was a Mike Strassman route. Is my info incorrect???
If this route was judged on just the climbing it would be 2 stars at best, and maybe even one star. However, it is in such a spectacular and special location with such awesome scenery that it certainly deserves 3 stars. Babo is an incredible, special place. |
By jbak
Jul 14, 2009
| FA of Ayers/Colby is correct. |
By Geir
From: Tucson, AZ
Jul 14, 2009
| I talked with Scott a number of years ago and he told me that he had never been to Babo. So I'm pretty sure he wasn't on the FA of this one.
Ditto Mike's comments. |
By jbak
Jul 14, 2009
| So should I throw away Scott and Mark's hand-drawn topo with their names on it as FAers ? Mark gave it to me a couple of days after they did the FA.
Scott never been to Babo ? Are you on drugs ? |
By Geir
From: Tucson, AZ
Jul 14, 2009
| Of course!
Just relaying what he told me. Don't kill the messenger. :) |
By Mike
From: Phoenix
Jul 14, 2009
rating: 5.10
| Geir on drugs? Are you on drugs?
OK seriously, thanks for the info jbaker. |
By jbak
Jul 15, 2009
| Someone said I was on drugs last night... but I don't remember.
Think about it though...Scott's lived here 30+ years... does it seem even remotely possible that he's never been to Babo in that time ? |
By Marcy
From: Tempe/Tuscon, AZ
Jul 15, 2009
| "Geir on drugs" new avatar:
| aka "geir on drugs" avatar
Submitted By: Marcy on Jul 15, 2009
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By Geir
From: Tucson, AZ
Jul 15, 2009
| marcy, that's friggin hilarious!
john- yeah, i know it doesn't seem right. as i recall he told me in the same conversation that the entry in the kerry book regarding his ascent of the spring route was a typo, and that he also hasn't been out to leviathan. but, the drugs may have soiled my memory. someone will have ask him to clarify when he's back in town.
marcy, i'm still laughing out loud!!! :) |
By burlap submariner
Sep 23, 2009
| does any one know if this route was drilled on lead? ethics of the area? thanks... |
By Paul Davidson
Sep 25, 2009
| Not sure about Born of Water, but every other route I know about on Babo has been put up ground up. It's not exactly a sport climbing area... |
By Bob
Dec 1, 2009
| Regarding Scott Ayers and the first ascent of Born of Water - he has told me as well that he has never climbed on Baboquivari. I have gone through all the recent summit logs and Scott's name is not there...
Bob Kerry gives the first ascent credit to Mark Colby and Mike Strassman in 1995:
www.climbaz.com/Backcountry/graphics/page138.jpg
Similarly, there is an entry in the summit log by Mark Colby and Mike Strassman on 2/23/1995:
"5.10+ New Route Right of Times L..."
See page 4:
www.climbaz.com/babo_logs/pdf/05%20Jan%20to%20Apr%2095.pdf
[Note that Mike has an amusing dialog with Jim Boyer in this log] |
By Marcy
From: Tempe/Tuscon, AZ
Mar 1, 2010
| Guess Geir is not on drugs after all...who'da thunk it? :) |
By jbak
Mar 1, 2010
| D'oh !
Well...SOMEONE is on drugs...me ?
Ya know I just looked at the topo that Colby gave me and it has no names on it. When he said "we" I must have assumed it was Mark and Scott.
Sorry Geir ! |
By Geir
From: Tucson, AZ
Mar 2, 2010
| no offense taken at all, john! :) |
By jbak
Mar 2, 2010
| Reminds me of an old joke...
"Some guy said he saw me over on 34th street yesterday snorting cocaine and smoking grass...but that's just not true...I wasn't anywhere near 34th street." |
By Charles Vernon
From: Florence, AZ
Jan 31, 2011
rating: 5.10
| Back to the climbing for a minute....
....this feels like a Sheepshead clip-up transposed onto Babo. Kinda weird. Still, the climbing was more fun than I thought it would be. The crux pitch was pretty hard. If you're looking for a 5.10 on Babo, I think I'itoi Dance is a better choice: more in keeping with the backcountry experience you're most likely seeking. But any day you summit Babo (and get back home the same night) is a good one.
....carry on with your regularly scheduled flaming. |
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