Isolation Canyon Rock Climbing

Mark: what's the point of posting it if it is "show and tell only". You don't put a beer in front of a recovering alcoholic. By the way, Paola gave me your info and I'll give you a call when I get to flag. Cheers, Erik. Apr 16, 2006

The point of "show and tell only" is that we don't mind sharing this area but we want to be discreet because we don't want to see it grid bolted. Post me, or other informed users if you want to go and we'll take you out there. Apr 24, 2006

Do you have a general vicinity? i.e. northern, central, or southern Arizona. Knowing that might make me consider if it is worth contacting you for a trip there (i.e. how far is it from Albuquerque, or northeastern Arizona.) May 1, 2006

As posted other places on the Internet...

Pine Canyon... near Strawberry, AZ Jan 15, 2007

So, whens the "show and tell only" going to go away???
Looks like there's 70 plus routes there already.
The words out, no grid bolting, or bolting cracks. We hear and obey.
Hell, I climb with a guide book author and even though he has a financial interest in not posting topos he still does.
Lighten up and post a topo already!! Apr 4, 2007

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am! I got to have a personal tour of this really cool place by Manny. Now it isn't often that an old crag rat such as myself gets too worked up over new crags but I have to say I was absolutely enchanted by Isolation Canyon. This area will inevitably end up a "destination location". The rock is fantastic beautiful stone. Manny and his friends have worked tirelessly to establish trails and routes of the highest quality. Please respect not only their efforts but the area as well. BE AWARE OF AND SENSITIVE TO THE WILDLIFE! This is after all their home we just visit. If you run across Manny or any of the locals buy them a beer they deserve it! Manny Thanx for the tour believe me I will return. Apr 11, 2007

WOW, don't let anyone tell you the mountain doesn't get hot.
Yesterday, over 100f. It was a tough hike out from the main wall.
Bring lots of water.
Love the rock at Iso. Jun 21, 2007

Went to Iso again this week, and as alway totally alone. In the last two weeks have done Manny's classics Angel Wing, Walking Dead Arete, La vida Loca and Everything Gone Green and Gone Grey, even got on War Hippies third pitch sweet......first time to see a critter. Mike enconter a small rattler on a ledge as we rapped. Best time to arrived this time of year 9:30am. Corner climbs in shade while rest of wall cooling off.
Highly recomment Spinous Process and Allez Lou for a mix of trad and sport fun.... Aug 16, 2007

Been here twice now. Still can't figure out where everything is from the info on MP.
The climbing is very good, however.
Thanks for the great stuff you guys, I will be back again and again.

One comment, no one who would want to "grid bolt" this place will ever do it. It's to hard to get on top of these climbs and rap bolt them. This always filters out 90% of the wood be bosch-ers.
I really think your concerns about this are now unfounded. Time to post an overview with all routes listed in order.
Save us Isolation Canyon enthusiasts a head ache would ya!!

Cheers, Nov 2, 2007

How about unveiling the location of this crag to the masses? Jan 29, 2008

Manny is putting together a guide, it's a bit complicated to find the area/ routes on you own; therefore: go with someone who's already been or wait for the guide or take your chances with the info available on MP. Apr 3, 2008

I fully support the show and tell ethic. it reminds me of the stories i have heard of other climbing area in AZ like Granite Mt and Paradise forks. Lovejoy has told me stories of the early days of GM and how only few people where climbing there and how it keep the mountain quiet and peacefully. Stay strong and keep your climbing areas as secrets as you want, because once the circus arrives in town the fun will be over. Aug 7, 2008

If one wants to keep an area secret, perhaps one should refrain from posting the area on the Internet in the first place. Aug 7, 2008

There's a somewhat detailed description of the hike in on the internet. Just takes a search engine and a little patience to find it. Jan 13, 2009

rattlers are out, saw two last week. be careful! Aug 29, 2009

How long must we wait to find out where this is? Mar 5, 2010

toddshikingguide.com/Hikes/… May 2, 2010

The exploration is half (or more) of the fun! Anyone who wants to find this place will figure it out after a few trips. Oct 21, 2010

as far as finding your way out there being fun, i gotta concur with roman. today we headed out there to climb main wall and decided to be in the sun instead. the sunny climbs are much fun. especially if you are on-sighting with no guide, just route names someone has written on wooden sticks and wedged in the cracks at the base of the climbs. it was fun looking around, reading the sticks, guessing at the grade, and the routes are well bolted... Nov 14, 2010

Howdy ya'll, I have been sorting routes in order, and changing up the boundaries of the walls to be congruent with Manny's new guide. The routes for the Main Wall North and Center are now in proper order as you go down the wall. Though not every route has been entered here on MP. Hope this helps make more sense of the place for those of us who don't know it all that well yet. A big thanks to Manny for the info, and all his hard work there. The new guide looks very well done, and I can't wait to feel the heft of it in book form. Jul 16, 2011

I wanted to announce that I am working with Manny and we will be launching the website shortly for the new guidebook atisolationcanyon.com. It will have some content and we will be happy to showcase pictures that you have from your visits.
Feel free to backlink our site in your Facebook posts so that we can build SEO - Thanks!

Shiloh
CLimbPHX.com Jan 13, 2012

Congrats to Manny for getting the guide out for Iso!!! I already got my copy and can't wait to read it cover to cover. Jan 13, 2012

Mark I'm not sure about PRG, but I know they have them in stock at the Arizona Hiking Shack. Jan 24, 2012

Yes the book has approach beta - PM me if your still looking for
one.
Shiloh@ClimbPHX.com Jan 30, 2012

so in other words its 'show and tell only'...unless there's money to be made from a guidebook?

i think that speaks for itself. Apr 2, 2012

Net of expenses (printing, retailer's markup,etc...)how much can he be making off this guidebook per hour invested? $3 an hour?

What's left over is probably not even enough to cover the cost of the bolts he put up.

Sheesh... Apr 4, 2012

It can get pretty hot out there anywhere in the sun.

There is shade all day at the base of Shadow Play on the Main Wall - North. The rest of the Main Wall goes into shade around 1:00pm this time of year. Apr 25, 2012

Random question. I got suckered into driving because my car is the most fuel efficient out of my group of friends. Is my Honda accord going to safely make it? I took it to Jack's and was worried because the wrong turn off was taken and things got bad and I just don't want to destroy my car Apr 19, 2013

I haven't been to Iso in awhile, but in the past we've always taken a car and been fine. We usually park at a small open area on the right of the road, 200 yards or so shy of where the high clearance vehicles park. Unless the road conditions have dramatically changed, you'll have no issues. Apr 19, 2013

I climbed here for the first time last weekend. It is some of the best rock in Arizona. Really cool climbing.

Manny, I do recommend that the guidebook ratings get adjusted in the next edition. We found them to be on average one or two full letter grades soft compared to the rest of Arizona. May 1, 2013

Eric, thanks for the feedback. Ratings should evolve and I'll keep your comment in mind next edition.

Ratings are subjective and they reflect my feelings on it when I did the FA (except for Proposal, that was Lisa Stern and Jon Apprill).

On a second note, people keep removing rocks from the trail. Please leave them alone. They control erosion.

Someone cut a new trail as it nearly reaches the main wall ledge. Please keep to the path. It may be a bit hard to follow but do not bust out and create more erosion. Jun 25, 2013

Had an enjoiable climb for the first time at Isolation back on Sep 1 with my Bro in-Law. Getting in was quite the experience, but once we found the routes we were looking for it was a great experience. Getting out took a fraction of the time as getting orientated. Next time it will be a pinch easier :D Oct 1, 2013

Thank you for whoever put this area together and established it! This is an amazing crag in a cool town!! The lines I have been on so far have all been worth climbing and doing again! Im heading back to Iso this weekend hope to see folks out there pulling hard! Nov 8, 2013

That Brewery is a great place to chill after a day in Isolation or while driving home from Jacks Canyon.

Good food and great beer. Jul 20, 2014

TO WHOEVER SHIT AT THE BASE OF FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN- go clean your shit up. Get a bag do something with it. I don't care if it was an emergency. please respect ISO and also trad routes... Just cause bolts aren't on it doesn't mean it's not a route. - Don Feb 9, 2015

Just posted a photo of the changed parking for Isolation. Easiest of all is to park at Pine Trailhead and walk southwesterly on the Arizona Trail to the meeting with the climbers trail. You could also turn right after crossing the cattle guard (south/west side of road) near the horse crossing sign on Hwy 87 (about Mile Post 266.2) and drive down this dirt road til it meets the Old County Highway and park. It is a bit shorter walk. Sep 27, 2015

What a fun place!! Rock is way better then it looks from the approach trail. Grades are a little soft compared to some other areas but who cares its fun! The bolts seam very thought out and where they need to be.. Great work by the FA's equipping these line... Definitely an AZ gem... Will be back for sure! Aug 26, 2016

Does anyone know if this area is now closed? May 25, 2018

Isolation Canyon is now open, as the fire closures have been lifted! See the press release available here: fs.usda.gov/detail/tonto/ne… May 31, 2018

Where is the best place to camp for this area...we will be heading out there tomorrow morning for 2 days. Sep 28, 2018

Kyle Murphy drive along Old County Road / power line road that's on the photo with the alternate parking and approach. Good spot just off the highway. Sep 28, 2018

It might have just been because of the flooded, slippery and frozen canyon conditions, but me and my friend tried to find this crag twice and had no luck, the directions for where the actual wall is were super unclear. Parked at the trailhead, crossed the road and the campfire with the skull on a stick and the ranch gate, then tried both going immediately left into the canyon following the creek and hiking straight past said turn and around the corner up the hill. Both took like 2 hours, and neither got us to the wall of climbs. Had to bail out of the section on google maps just before the area called The Narrows because the going got too bad as the sun was going down. Can anyone show me the actual trail and location of the intended crag? Jan 22, 2019

Graham - I added a driving/approach map for Iso (see "Getting There" above - click on the link to see a bigger version). Hopefully that will clear things up. The usual miss is going down the big drainage towards the canyon rather than crossing and heading up the other side to get on top of the right/west side of the canyon. Jan 23, 2019

My partner and I spent the day here yesterday and were alone the entire time! What an amazing location. All the routes we climbed were prime! Parking at the end the Old Country Road worked for us with a SUV but if we had any lower clearance we probably wouldn’t have gone all the way. Greg’s approach map really kept us on track despite the fact that we scrambled up the hill too early on and had to bushwhack for a bit. On the way back we realized the trail was pretty distinguished and we just went up to soon. Right after you enter the gate with the ranch to your right, the climbers trail is 15 feet to the left of the main trail and it takes you along the left side of the creek until you cross over a little bridge and it’s pretty clear from there on out. But yes part of the adventure of this place was the trek to get out there, it made it that more exciting. We tried to get a guide book from AZ Hiking Shack but they hadn’t received a new order yet so maybe they’ll be restocked soon! 36 mins ago