Eagle Wall

Approach:The start of the approach ramp is marked by 2 large, healthy pine trees on either end of the creekbed. If you feel like you need a rope, you're probably not on the right ramp.

Descent: Head west on the crest until you reach the end of the sandstone to a red saddle. Drop down to the left and follow the creek back to your packs.

We recently had the opportunity to trash in and out of Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Eagle Dance. Having done the hike before, we knew that it would not be fun.

Because we were expecting a thrashing and were paying lots of attention to cairns and bypasses for the large boulders, the first part of the canyon (up to the fork junction) went surprisingly well.

Just as we were commenting on how this was really not that bad, we started getting religion, crawling under prickly bushes with a full pack while avoiding the cactus is always humbling. After a while we sighted the two gigantic Ponderosa pines, about 150 yards from us and thought we were there... The last damn 100 yards are pretty bad and made the other two miles feel like a walk in the park.

So in the end we got our thrashing. This approach doesn't seem to get any easier even when ypou know where to go.

WT

What a beautiful wall.

We linked Black Orpheus with Eagle Dance. The approach from Orpheus was easy...once you drop into Lower Painted Bowl you can scramble up a 3rd/4th class ramp to the shoulder that divides Eagle Wall from Lower Painted Bowl. It takes less than fifteen minutes from the point you veer off the Orpheus decent route to the base of Eagle Wall.

After rapping Eagle Dance, we decended by going back over to the Black O decent and continued from there. It seems much quicker than having to walk back up canyon from the base of Eagle Wall then walk back down it.

There was very little thrashing to be had.

Hint for the approach: as you get close to the pine trees, the creek bed gets fairly brush filled- cut left out of it onto some easy slabs and follow this all the way to the pine trees. Step through one bush and you're on the ramp.

Edit: For those who dont quite get where that so-called secret approach is up to the eagle wall is- it's the descent for Black Orpheus- this approach takes you up onto the slabs just after the canyon forks, then up the shoulder directly below Ringtail. For those who aren't in shape, this approach takes about 90 minutes as opposed to the 2+ hrs of the std approach.

forget everything you heard about a long approach. you can be at the base of the eagle wall in an hour from oak creek parking if you hustle and take the direct approach.

walk into oak creek, under the solar slabs, and stay high on good trails, occasionally braided, and OUT OF THE DRAINAGE until you are forced in just as the canyon pinches down.

then follow the drainage upstream until you are in full view of the black arch wall on your right. ahead of you is the fork where other slower approachers go.

you- the wily climber, will take the big slab immediately after (left of) the black arch wall. its a low angle slab, started with some varnished plates (4th class or maybe 5.0 for 35', then low angle) then split with a big featured crack system (3rd class) all the way up and out of sight, in the direction of the hidden eagle wall.

approach this slab not from directly below, but from to the left or right. may require pushing a few bushes around, depending on where you go.

follow the crack up the middle of the slab, then where it gets exposed exit right into the mellow gully for a few yards, then routefind up ledges heading towards the painted bowls. maybe a spot of 4th class. no 5th here. this soon spits you out next to the IBM boulder, and you can look down at the poor saps still laboring up the standard approaches.

it is blazing fast, and i cant figure out why more folks dont go this way. the new handren guide has a good aerial photo that maps it out, in case you want to see the sneak preview.

Thanks for the fast approach beta, Anthony! Is this also the fastest way down (i.e. can it be downclimbed quickly)? If so, it would speed up the Black Orpheus descent, etc.

Also, can one get further up canyon from the base of the Eagle Wall? If so, this would also speed up the approach for Coltrane and Catwalk.

well, i dont know. ive never gone down it, and the idea isnt too appealing to me. thats partly because i enjoy weaving down the orpheus descent.

its also partly because i dont treasure the idea of downclimbing the little steep 4th class section at the very bottom, but then ive always gone up that in shoes and a pack, and im no hero. it would probably be a little harder (or feel a little harder) to go down it without ever have gone up it, but it could probably be sussed out on the way down by looking over the edge just past the IBM boulder.

i think for the most efficient descent off the painted bowls i would rap the black arch wall. orpheus will rap with a single rope easily into the lower painted bowl, iirc, and the black arch wall also was a straightfoward rap, although it has been a while there.

as for approaching the next rock upcanyon from the base of eagle wall, im again- not sure. ive never walked up to the eagle wall along the base (always coming in from the slabs from the IBM boulder) so i dont know how easily it connects to the upper canyon. i know it goes, but i dont know how useful it is.

Maybe not as good as the Handren Guide photo but here is one I took of the area from across the Canyon.

The approach crack as mentioned in above posts tops out near the bushes in the bottom left-hand side of the pic.

Black Orpheus and the Eagle Wall Submitted By: Karsten on Nov 19, 2006