The Refuge 

Note that better resolution topo maps will be in the mini guide and that climb descriptions will all be posted as soon as possible.

yay!!!!! i am so glad that you guys have posted up this wonderful area!

arjun, david, and friends did a terrific job of putting up some truly fun routes. i was lucky enough to climb a couple of these routes already and have had a great time every time i have gone there.

take some time to check out these climbs, they are definitely worth it!

Thanks Geir! You and Marcy were major sources of inspiration for me with your development in LDE. I absolutely LOVED those days of being over there while you two were getting that area going and it was awesome to meet DAS and have a route-setting partner (thanks to Marcy's introduction!) at the same time that the road cleanup gained us such easy access to The Refuge. Yay indeed! Good timing all around, and it continues to be a delightful refuge for us all. Hopefully more can now enjoy.

As far as the road goes, as of November 2011, if you can drive to Lower Devil's, you are able to drive up to the Refuge. Also, I would recommend helmets for the belayer as there is still some loose there. Nice job on developing the area! Still a lot of rock out there!

I like to see the new stuff getting posted. I'm pretty excited to see what you've done to the area. All this activity just as I leave AZ for CA full-time. Guess I'll start reversing my trips and head east for the cool stuff.

Keep 'em coming guys! Very exciting!

Was great to see so many folks out in The Refuge the last couple weekends. Glad to see interest growing and hope you all give us feedback and input to help us improve the area and also any suggestions. Am posting a draft version of a mini-guide (i.e. w/o any formatting and haven't done a detailed proof-read yet) to help as you find your way down there. Please bear with me as I figure out how to get the high resolution images that the topos were based on down to a manageable size for a mini guide. For now, the resolution isn't great.

This draft is now posted thanks to Geir on his web site:
www.geir.com/refugeclimbing.pdf

Folks,
David and I remain psyched to see so many new faces around the Refuge. Glad you're enjoying and do post comments and any input about grades and rock quality as we would love your input.

ALSO, PLEASE PICK UP YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS! We found a bunch of Marlboro butts scattered around at Dog Town yesterday and it was awful. Would really appreciate you picking up your trash and being respectful of the efforts that we and others have put into making this a real refuge. Thanks much!

Arjun, David - Great job on the Refuge-I love climbing there! Glad it's posted, it's cool seeing people headed out there. So much FUN!!!!

Thanks Catherine! It's very cool to get good feedback and to see so many folks out enjoying the place.

Also, I found a blue jacket in Dog Town yesterday and have it with me to return to whoever lost it. Just get in touch. Will post on Dog Town too.

See above Refuge description for link to new mini guide.

I just looked over the new Refuge guide and it is fantastic. Nice work!!

As a result of the fire and the recent rains, the numerous stream crossings on the road to the Refuge (~10 crossings?) have a large amount of mud/silt. If there aren't ruts to drive through, there is a high risk of getting stuck. The mud/silt can be a foot deep. If there has been any recent rains, make sure you have good 4x4 skills or plan on walking the road.

Hanna and I managed to get back in to The Refuge last weekend and it was a terrific day to be out there. Mild in the shade (late morning in Heaven's Gate, after lunch at the Glade Wall) and totally pleasant. Yes, the road's in bad shape after the rains. Yes, it's sad to see the post-fire damage to the groves of trees that helped create the aura of the Refuge, but recovery is a natural part of these cycles. With the exception of the loss of the older oaks and juniper, most of veg will likely be back within a couple years. The soils, on the other hand, will take longer to replenish and so we have much trail work to do to repair the access to the areas. Fun times once it gets cooler for trail work!

Lastly, the road is definitely high clearance now and there are a few parts, especially getting back up the switchbacks, that are helped considerably 4WD.

Hey Arjun!

Psyched to hear thet the Refuge temps are getting comfortable again. I look forward to getting out there and climbing some more of the routes you guys established!

Hey Geir!
I was looking back over the years and noting that this is about the time when I've gotten back into LDE (the years before we got into developing The Refuge) and, before that, LD, and so many fond memories of my favorite area. Yes, looking forward to being out with you again soon. And, for a fantastic occasion very soon!

On another note, the "pink" rock that David notes in his photo from earlier in the summer turns out to be fire retardant. Hanna and I noted the swaths of pink from on top of our first climb in Heaven's Gate (one of yours and Marcy's) last weekend and investigated more closely when we headed over to Glade Wall after lunch. Well, the helicopter or plane obviously laid down these broad bands of fire retardant to help stop the spread of the fire! So, we've got nicely painted pink rocks all over the place now ... not nearly as bad as it sounds. You should see the turquoise pom-poms.

Thanks for the update, Arjun! Geir and I are planning to be out that way very soon, perhaps as quick break from planning the upcoming festivities in the Stonghold. Looking forward to seeing you and Hanna again!

An excellent weekend in the Refuge and the road improvement that Ben mentioned for LD extends all the way to the drill pad. Such an honor to have Geir and Marcy wind down their climbing honeymoon in The Refuge, and to have Jim come out for the first time and check it out. And, Lori's Jeep gets ready to tackle the road south!

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun climbing. A great combination of great routes and great people. We climbed stuff from 5.7 to 5.11 and it all had great movement on truely unique rock.
The horizontals are outrageous for gear and hand holds!!

Hoot! The season is open. If you are ever looking for me you can find me here!

STASH STOLEN!! Am afraid I have bad news to report. David and my development stash was stolen from its hiding place behind rocks and brush just uphill of the Dog Town parking area and camping spot. It was one of those large Action Packers, spray painted brown, and filled with a new static line and 3 dynamic ropes. A big loss in terms of gear, but a bigger loss in terms of our faith in humanity. This theft will obviously result in some seriously bad Karma for whoever took it and this post is just a heads up to our community in case you may have witnessed something, or have word of such gear suddenly for sale somewhere. I will try to keep the faith, but this was a seriously bad discovery yesterday while we were out there on a stellar day. Thanks for any input/help if you have it.

I posted up on the Queen Creek page but thought I would add a response here too. Sorry to hear about this David and Arjun! I will be happy to donate to you guys to help recover some of your loss.