Lock and Load  5.11-

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Type:  Trad, 8 pitches, 900 feet, Grade IV Consensus:  5.11- [details] FA:  Jeff Mayhew, Jason Worrell 2001 (started by Mayhew and Chuck Lipinski, 1986) New Route:  Yes Season:  spring and fall are best Submitted By:  Charles Vernon on Oct 24, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Lock and Load with approximate belays in red, and ...

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Access is via PRIVATE land and may be CLOSED! MORE INFO >>> The access for Mendoza Canyon is via the good graces of the owner of the King Anvil Ranch you pass through to get to the canyon. Update from Jeff Mayhew: 3-20-10 Mendoza Canyon access will still be open through King's Anvil Ranch from September 1 through March 1, as usual. The ranch owner, John King, is considering allowing foot access again at the original parking area, (see Approach Map,) from Sept. 1 through Dec. 1. After that he may re-post the No Trespassing sign, but may still allow foot access through the alternate parking area at the north end of the canyon's mouth, (see map.) Legally set traps are throughout the area so the suggestion is to leave the dogs at home. Regardless of this information, please obey all posted signs in the area. Access is still hanging by a thread! After talking to Game and Fish, State Land Dept., and BLM it is clear that Mr. King has every right to block access at any time... and he is ready to at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, there are only about 15 of us that even go out there, so we mainly have to worry about the random rabble-rousers, (now there's a good name for a climb!) Thanks for all the support and feel free to contact me. Jeff Mayhew (user JMayhew on this site) Update from Jeff Mayhew 10-18-10 As of 10/2010 the access along the dirt road leading from the "original parking" at the small corral (see approach map) is still signed "No Trespassing." Please respect that! The "alternate parking" shown on the map still allows foot access along an old, faint road. This eventually connects to the main dirt road before the pond, but Mr. King had said last spring that access was permitted at that point, as long as people respected the private property. Be sure to remember that fork--it can be tricky to see when you're hiking out tired... and possibly in the dark! There is still an old, hand written note in the sign-in box stating access to Mendoza is closed. This was in there before Mr. King gave "us" permission to access via this alternate roadway. Update from Charles Vernon (12.6.10): We ran into John King's daughter herding cows yesterday, on the way into the canyon. She was very nice, and we talked to her for a little while. She believes that the missing traps that led to loss of access last year were a result of hikers (climbers? hunters?) whose dogs got caught in the traps, leading to the dog owners taking or destroying the traps to free their dogs. Regardless of what exactly happened, she made it clear that dogs are not welcome. It sounds as though just heading out there with dogs, without more, could be enough to cause them to rethink access. So please, do not bring dogs to Mendoza! This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Lock and Load is a great adventure route that climbs the longest aspect of the Bullet. The first 5 or 6 pitches are excellent; the last few pitches are not as good, but worth doing to attain an awesome summit that few visit. This route is 3 stars on a "Southern Arizona Backcountry" scale, rather than a "Sierra Nevada" scale.

Jeff Mayhew and Chuck Lipinski first tried the route in 1986, completing the first 3 pitches but using aid on the intricate 3rd pitch. Jeff came back with Jason Worrell in 2001 to free the moves and finish the route, climbing the last 4 pitches in darkness and howling wind! The route has probably seen about 5 ascents as of this posting. Although rated 11a, it isn't sustained and most of the climbing is easier than 5.10.

Here's Jeff's description:

1. Climb exquisite hand crack to large ledge with oak tree. ( 5.8+ 70’)

2. Layback flake up and right, cut back left at tree, and continue to top of broken pillar. (5.8+ 160’)

3. Traverse right past bolt then up questionable flake past 2 bolts (crux) to 2-bolt belay at base of chimney. (5.11a 70’)

4. Up rotten chimney to long, easy ramp. About 30’ before a large tree turn bulge at chickenheads and short crack, then diagonal right to a bolt. Up and right then belay at chickenheaded roof. (5.10 120’) [note: I (CV) found this pitch to be much higher quality than the description makes it sound]

5. Diagonal right and “jungle gym” onto ledge at huge chickenheads. Up and right to short crack, then up and right again to an off-width/chimney. Belay a little higher. (5.8 120’)

6. Continue up, exiting right then up to a bolt. Tricky move up and then left to a nice ledge with a tree. (This bolt was Jason’s first lead bolt… and was drilled in the dark. It’s easier for the follower to step left 10-20’ at the bolt then make the move, but not as good a position for the leader. We might move this someday.) (5.9 to 5.10 70’)

7. Up easy off-width then continue to huge ledge with trees and boulders. (5.6 80’)

8. Move left to engage easy, ramping corner that diagonals back right. Wander to summit. (5.easy 165’)

Location 

Starts on the downhill (north) side of the Bullet at a can't-miss-it, splitter 70 foot hand crack. When you hit the rock from the approach drainage, you will need to go a bit left to find the crack. If you're not sinking your hands into a perfect splitter on the first pitch, you're on the wrong route.

The best descent uses rappel stations on Continental Drift, a route up the east/NE face that ascends a large, obvious formation know as the "pill" (see photo below). Find the first anchor below an obvious tree on down to the east/NE from the summit:
1. Rap 165’ to 2 bolts on a small ledge. You’ll probably have to lean in to clip the anchors. (You might want to tie safety knots in the ends on this one.) Don’t let go of rope ends before threading the anchor!!
2. Rap 160’ to 2 bolts next to the “pill”.
3. Rap 190’ to the ground.

There is also a longer descent down the route to the right of Lock and Load (see topo), which is not recommended but would be useful if you had to bail:

[1] Sling on tree on NW side of summit to large tree ledge 80’ below. (top of Lock & Load p. 7) [2] Sling on large ledge to sling on tree at top of pitch 5. (top of L & L p. 6) [3] Down and (climber’s) right to 2 bolt rap station (not used on climb up.) [4] Directly down face, over cave to a tree. [5] From tree down and right to 2 bolts at huge corner at top of pitch 2 of Lichen to Live [6] From top of pitch 2 to top of pitch 1. (small ledge with bolts) [7] Down to ground!!

Protection 

We brought a set of nuts, including micros, a single set of C3s, and C4s from .3 to 4. The 4 was not necessary but came in handy in several places. This rack was just about perfect although I might bring an additional .75 camalot next time. Lots of long slings are essential, for wandering pitches and the occasional chickenhead.

Photos of Lock and Load Slideshow

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topo by jeff mayhew