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Lower Highway
Black Diamond Chase Backpack - Women's - 1340-1465cu in

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Browning Kenai 10 Degree Sleeping Bag Super Wide

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Black Diamond Apollo Lantern 2011

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Amateur Hour Crag 
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Bug Spring Wall 
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Choo Choo Rock 
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Forgotten Wall, Control Tower & Up The Creek Wall 
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Hairpin (Hairpin Rock) 
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It Cliff 
Jailhouse Rock 
Lost Wall 
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Rivendale 
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Stonewall (aka Airmen Peak) 
Sun Spot Crags 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Crag 
Wall of the Flying Scorpions 
Weathertop 

Lower Highway 


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Elevation: 2,500'
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Administrators: Kristine Hoffman, Greg Opland, James DeRoussel, JJ Schlick, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: James DeRoussel on Jul 11, 2010

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View from Thimble Peak lookout before a monsoon

Description 

This area covers climbs from the bottom of the highway (milepost 0) up to Kessler's Corner (milepost 8.6).

The lower portion of the Catalina Highway offers varied climbing in a Sonoran Desert setting. Warm temps among towering saguaro cactus make climbing here a unique experience.

Rock quality in this area tends to be poorer and more varied than higher on the mountain, so take that under consideration. Still, in the winter months, the crags here are hard to beat for climate and accessibility.


Getting There 

Catalina Highway


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Lower Highway:
On the Rocks   5.10a     Sport, 50 feet   Boot Hill
Cheers   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Boot Hill
Dragon's Back   5.10-     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Jailhouse Rock
Blood Book   5.10-     Trad, 60 feet   Forgotten Wall, Control Tow...
Big Bull   5.10     Sport, TR, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Hairpin Turn (Lefthand Wall...
Virgin's Airline   5.10     Sport, 1 pitch, 115 feet   Forgotten Wall, Control Tow...
Black Feather   5.10+     Sport, 1 pitch   The Ruins
English Breakfast Crack   5.10+     Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Sun Spot Crags
GAC Rulz   5.10c/d     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Hairpin Turn (Lefthand Wall...
Rosie   5.10d     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Hairpin (Hairpin Rock)
Safecracker   5.11a/b     Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Jailhouse Rock
It Crack   5.11b     Trad, 1 pitch, 40 feet   It Cliff
Crime and Punishment   5.11     Trad, 1 pitch   Jailhouse Rock
"Moms Rock"   5.11     Sport, 90 feet   Hairpin Turn (Lefthand Wall...
Armed Robbery   5.11     Sport, 1 pitch, 45 feet   Jailhouse Rock
Solar Flare   5.11     Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet   Sun Spot Crags
Solar E-clips   5.11b/c     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Sun Spot Crags
Aurora No Boreals   5.12-     Sport, 45 feet   Sun Spot Crags
Sentenced To Hang   5.12b     Sport, 50 feet   Jailhouse Rock
Jailbreak   5.12     Sport, 40 feet   Jailhouse Rock
Browse More Classics in Lower Highway

Featured Route For Lower Highway
The roof

Sleepy Hollow Project V11  AZ : Mount Lemmon (Santa Catalin... : ... : Molino Basin Boulders
start on a slopey, blocky undercling. pulling off the ground takes some muscle. throw a HUGE move to a good hold, toe hook next to your left hand on the starting undercling, fire to a left hand side-pull, and figure out the rest. a stout project. although it goes with out saying, the name is tentative and in place for practical reference....[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ


Photos of Lower Highway Slideshow Add Photo
stick and move or bob and weave

stick and move or bob and weave

Reachy for me...

Reachy for me...

Blinded by the Light (5.10a), Mt. Lemmon

Blinded by the Light (5.10a), Mt. Lemmon


Comments on Lower Highway Add Comment
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By Derek Anderson
From: Tucson,AZ
Dec 27, 2010

Hello fellow Mountainprojectors(ha) Just wondering if anyone could help me find out any beta for an area. The crag is just before the pay station and the pull out everyone shoots at, It has 3 bolted lines up the first face( directly off the road)with various trad slings on other lines in the surrounding area. I see people climb here a lot, but I'm not sure on the beta. Any info would be helpful! Thanks and climb on!

By Jimbo
Dec 29, 2010

Chris Pruitt did these routes I believe. PM him for more info. He also did a bunch of stuff at the Butterfly Wall.

By Chris Prewitt
Jan 2, 2011

I climbed several trad lines on those cliffs but never got around to actually bolting anything, and I think Tony Lusk said they climbed there WAY back in the day. A couple months ago I saw some folks on that wall so I'd expect they placed the hardware. Not sure who it was. What I did climb was fun enough given the amount of effort needed to get to the crag. Rock quality varies greatly.

By Derek Anderson
From: Tucson,AZ
Jan 10, 2011

Cool , thanks for the info. Chris/Jimbo if you get a chance
to try the bolted lines there let us know what you think, ;)

By Jimbo
Jan 11, 2011

EFR and I stopped by several weeks ago and did the 3 bolted lines.

The two on the right were good. Worth the stop for sure. 5.9ish maybe easy .10.

The left hand one was bolted strangly and contrived if you tried to stay one the line of the bolts. Still worth doing but the worst of the 3 for sure. Some 5.10 moving on this one.

By Derek Anderson
From: Tucson,AZ
Jan 17, 2011

cool ty for the info/beta.. I kind of leaned that way on the bolted lines aswell Jim. Seemed the left one was contrived.