Zappa Dome  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  9,023. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  Greg Opland, James DeRoussel, JJ Schlick, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  kBobby on Dec 31, 2005 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 99° | 68° 97° | 63° 97° | 61° 93° | 63° 90° | 63°

A busy day at Zappa in Feb 2006.

Description 

More sport climbing in the Stronghold. The rock here is more interesting (IMO) than Isle of You, and the bolt spacing is much closer (both vertically, and horizontally). You can decide for yourself if this is a good thing. With the exception of just a few bolts near protectable cracks, most of the bolting is quite good on a solid and unbroken face. This is a predominantly moderate area with most of the routes in the 5.9 to 5.11 range. South facing and warm, with little shade. Beware, in places the rock is still a bit flaky.

I believe that most of these routes were put up by the prolific Scott Ayers.

Getting There 

Just as you enter the Stronghold, you will pass a cattle guard. There is a sign here and a spur road to the right leading up past a couple of campsites (and the trailhead to Entrance Dome) toward Batline Dome and Owl Rock. Take this spur. This road gets pretty rocky toward the top, but I made it up with my Honda Accord, and I've seen other passenger cars up there as well. At the top is a small parking area under Batline Dome, and above a sinkhole/ravine. Obvious across the ravine is Owl Rock (home of Nightstalker, 5.9 **). From the southeast corner of the parking area, you can see Zappa Dome up the drainage (there is a big tree at the base of the wall). The Kerry guide, and the Falcon guide both have directions to Batline in them, but not Zappa Dome.

From the trailhead drop down into the ravine toward Owl Rock. As you get to the bottom of the stream bed, look for a faint opening to the left (continuing straight will take you to Owl Rock). Go up the stream bed under a gray buttress on the left (with a couple of bolts) and then back into the stream bed. Continue until a well-cairned trail climbs out of the drainage, up through the slabs and talus to the base of the wall.

Approach time: ~20 min.

The Classics

Featured Route For Zappa Dome

We're Only In It For the Money 5.10a  AZ : Cochise Stronghold : ... : Zappa Dome

Easy start on 5.7 type holds. The route moves onto slab just below a bulge. The holds get even thinner moving up to and over a second bulge which is probably the crux. The route remains solidly on 5.10a climbing on up to the anchors....[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ

Photos of Zappa Dome Slideshow

Add Photo

JT on a steep 5.8+	Zappa Dome in the early fall, not another party in...	Ron Roach follows a typical Zappa Dome sport climb...
BETA PHOTO: Climbers on the Zappa Wall (sport climbing area.)	BETA PHOTO: Zappa Dome: (L-R) We're Only In It For the Money, ...	BETA PHOTO: Zappa Dome: Token of My Extreme (yellow line), One...
BETA PHOTO: Topo of Zappa Dome