The Tombstone is a pretty vertical slab of rock high above Sky Valley. This east-facing wall doesn't get much attention due to it only housing three routes. Be prepared for loose, gravelly feet and suspect flakes if you venture too far left or right of the route lines.
The afternoon shade makes for pleasant summer climbing and the views are outstanding.
Getting There
Park at the pullout at milepost 18, same as for Boneyard And Ridgeline. Take the same trail for areas that follows a well traveled drainage to the saddle. Hike right as for the Boneyard but continue past until a path leading to the top of the formation becomes apparent. Once at the summit, drop down the north side and make your way east to the base of the wall. The hike time is somewhere around 25 minutes.
[Hide Photo] Climber on Gave injustice, which basically hugs the arete halfway before turning on to delicate face holds. Green. 5.9+ is in the dihedral to the right. Purple. Both are well bolted and fun.
[Hide Comment] This is a really good little area. EFR only gives CJ 1 star in the guide, but that is not enough. And how the line between CJ and Grave Injustice never got done is beyond me. I figured it must be SUPER hard and blank if no one did it. But no, it clocked in at reasonable 5.12.
Grave Injustice looks good, but does not live up to its looks. It has some nasty blocks and fragile looking holds that detract. I may fix that up to give the crag more critical mass.
Left Foot in the Grave looks very good too. But its reliance on gear and its old buttonhead bolts mean no one EVER does it. I have only heard or seen one person do it in 25 years. That was Miles Kunkel for whom it was so easy he basically soloed it. I will ask Hathaway if he would mind if I retro it into a modern sport route. More critical mass for the crag.
Edit... looking at my old notes, I guess Bob Harrington did Left Foot also (TR or lead I don't know). And Mike Argueso and I TRed it early on. A flash on my part. But I bet VERY few have done it since.
Finally... the 9+ that EFR and Jim Scott put up is a nice addition. Def adds to crag.
[Hide Comment] Never been on CJ and was based on the only people who did it. Like many routes in the guidebook the stars are based on the 3 star system used in SQ II. If I didn't climb it I just gave it the stars that were given it in that old spiral bound book. Iam guessing many of you have been surprised by how many climbs with two Stars really deserve three.
May 20, 2020
[Hide Comment] Great crag indeed. Grave injustice would be a classic (by my standards) with a little reinforcement. I thought half the holds were going to break but none did. Yet. That block is spooky. 9+ is very a very fun moderate.
May 20, 2020
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tucson, az
Grave Injustice looks good, but does not live up to its looks. It has some nasty blocks and fragile looking holds that detract. I may fix that up to give the crag more critical mass.
Left Foot in the Grave looks very good too. But its reliance on gear and its old buttonhead bolts mean no one EVER does it. I have only heard or seen one person do it in 25 years. That was Miles Kunkel for whom it was so easy he basically soloed it. I will ask Hathaway if he would mind if I retro it into a modern sport route. More critical mass for the crag.
Edit... looking at my old notes, I guess Bob Harrington did Left Foot also (TR or lead I don't know). And Mike Argueso and I TRed it early on. A flash on my part. But I bet VERY few have done it since.
Finally... the 9+ that EFR and Jim Scott put up is a nice addition. Def adds to crag.
15 min approach... great views. May 17, 2020
Tucson
Grave injustice would be a classic (by my standards) with a little reinforcement. I thought half the holds were going to break but none did. Yet. That block is spooky.
9+ is very a very fun moderate. May 20, 2020