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Tom's Thumb
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Select Route:
Deep Freeze 
Garbonzo Bean 
Hard Drivin' 
Hot Line 
Pinto Bean aka Garbanzo Bean Direct 
Sacred Datura Direct 
Succubus 
Treiber's Deception 
West Corner 

Tom's Thumb 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Elevation: 3,000'
Page Views: 7,381. Good page?   
Administrators: Greg Opland, James DeRoussel, JJ Schlick, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Anonymous Climber on Feb 21, 2006

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
  Print a Mini-Guide with routes

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Access: MORE INFO >>>


BETA PHOTO: McDowells

Description 

Tom's Thumb is a prominent 140-foot plug of desert granite that perches atop the McDowell Mountains ridgeline. It is visible from miles in all directions. Originally called "The Dork" by the old time Phoenix climbers, it was rechristened Tom's Thumb in honor of climber Tom Kreuser back in the day.

The rock and the routes on Tom's Thumb are mostly in the excellent range. The harder routes here are some of the best you'll find on any granite crag in the Phoenix area. Because of the slightly burly approach, and the general notion that granite climbing is out of style these days in Phoenix, you're not likely to have to share any routes while visiting the Thumb.

Beautiful, incredibly classic place to climb.


Getting There 

Approach as for Gardener's Wall parking, but pick out a trail through the desert aiming for a drainage leading straight down the hillside from the Thumb. Watch out for snakes in the warm times of the year!

A nice day of moderate climbing can also be done by approaching Gardener's Wall, climbing a route to the top, and then downclimbing off the back and hiking up to Tom's Thumb for more fun!


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Tom's Thumb:
Treiber's Deception   5.7     Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet   
Garbonzo Bean   5.7     Trad, 2 pitches, 160 feet, Grade II   
Sacred Datura Direct   5.9 PG13     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   
Succubus   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch   
Hot Line   5.10b     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   
Hard Drivin'   5.11a     Trad, 2 pitches, 120 feet   
Deep Freeze   5.11-     Trad, 1 pitch, 130 feet   
Browse More Classics in Tom's Thumb

Featured Route For Tom's Thumb
Zoom in on Garbonzo Bean. Also note the sickness of deep freeze the 11 left of garbonzo bean on your next trip to the thumb! Thats me on top after I soloed it last winter. LOL

Garbonzo Bean 5.7  AZ : Central Arizona : ... : Tom's Thumb
This is the obvious upper offwidth crack on the West side of the N. face of Toms Thumb. The first pitch climbs a nice hand crack with good pro 5.7 that progessively gets easier up some face and crack to an alcolve roof directly below the upper offwidth section a good belay can be found here. Next P2 Traverse left onto the face "very exciting" and continue up to the wicked exposed and scary offwidth "grand fun" maybe pro with a 3.5 and a 4 camalot although we found ourselves moving up a 4 with so...[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ


Photos of Tom's Thumb Slideshow Add Photo
A perfect day at the Thumb

BETA PHOTO: A perfect day at the Thumb

Treiber's Deception

Treiber's Deception

New trail signage near Tom Thumb directions to Morrell Wall

BETA PHOTO: New trail signage near Tom Thumb directions to Mor...

Full moon rise from the new trail to Tom's Thumb after an epic day....pretty sweet to take in Morrell's Wall and Tom's Thumb in perfect conditions in a day!

Full moon rise from the new trail to Tom's Thumb a...

North facing view of Tom's Thumb

North facing view of Tom's Thumb

Ubangy Lips and Pretty Girls Make Graves on the North Face.

BETA PHOTO: Ubangy Lips and Pretty Girls Make Graves on the No...

North face, right side.

BETA PHOTO: North face, right side.

Tom Thumb with a climber at the 1st roof of Treibers Deception

BETA PHOTO: Tom Thumb with a climber at the 1st roof of Treibe...


Comments on Tom's Thumb Add Comment
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By Tony B
From: Around Boulder, CO
Jul 16, 2009

New access Fund Update:

Update: New Access for North Area of McDowells
In May we reported on the recent success of the Arizona Mountaineering Club (AMC) and local Arizona climbers in working with the City of Scottsdale to open the north area of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve to climbing. Part of the climbing management plan requires that climbers use official parking areas and designated trails, which the local climbing community is currently working to establish. The AMC is pleased to report that the new Tom’s Thumb trail is now open and can be accessed from a temporary parking area in the general vicinity of Morrell's Parking Lot, where the permanent parking will eventually be located.

For more information on the Tom’s Thumb Trail and designated access to the other historic climbing crags in the area, visit the Arizona Mountaineering Club's website.

By ClimbPHX.com
From: Mesa AZ
Dec 3, 2009

Please be aware of the new trails and signs that have been placed in the region. To protect the environment, we ask that travel be restricted to the maintained trails.

Trail Signage will look like this.
Trail Signage will look like this.
Submitted By: ClimbPHX.com on Dec 3, 2009

By ClimbPHX.com
From: Mesa AZ
May 4, 2010

There is an active hive moving about the rocks just south of the Thumb. - Beware - the bees were moving in a swarm and were aggressive.

By Trad Nanny
Sep 25, 2012

It's about an hour hike from the new parking lot to Tom's on the new trail. Might be harder but faster to go to Gardners Wall then scramble up to the Thumb.