Worst Crag in Az?

Per Jack's, the logic defies me that the most popular crag could be called the worst crag. Granted, I didn't like Avatar but I also could not call it the worst movie ever made. Most of those complaints had to do with the people who go there. The answer to your problem with them is simple; don't go there. The rub lies in that you must want to go there otherwise all the crowding and other factors wouldn't bother you. So, again, the definition of worst eludes me. That opinion may be a parrot of something published in a climbing magazine, and their logic is quit often puzzling.

As for Lookout Mtn, I've not been, but it sounds as though this threa is getting somewhere. As a big fan of "worst" areas--
steve-edwards.blogspot.com/…
--I'll be swinging by next time I'm in the area for sure.

steve edwards wrote:Per Jack's, the logic defies me that the most popular crag could be called the worst crag. Granted, I didn't like Avatar but I also could not call it the worst movie ever made. Most of those complaints had to do with the people who go there. The answer to your problem with them is simple; don't go there. The rub lies in that you must want to go there otherwise all the crowding and other factors wouldn't bother you. So, again, the definition of worst eludes me. That opinion may be a parrot of something published in a climbing magazine, and their logic is quit often puzzling.

It goes along with the "soft" rep Jacks gets. Yes, there are some soft climbs there, but there are also routes right at the grade or even sandbagged. If somebody wants to typify the area by a few people out of the many who go there, or to generalize all the routes by a handful that exist out of hundreds, then go ahead, they just look like a whiner. It's a sport climbing area with sport bolting and sometimes a sport (read: gym-like) atmosphere. I've gone there, waded through the n00bs, acted like a jack-ass (heh), and had a general blast there with good friends. If you don't like verdant canyons with fun climbs, I guess it's not your thing. The camping scene can be good or bad, depending on what's going on and I will grant it's not the most idyllic. Try moving to a state like California where you'd have the same camping but pay $10-$20 a night for the right to do so. Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess.

Lookout Mountain gets my vote as worst AZ crag. I certainly wouldn't rate Jack's as the worst in AZ. I'm not much of a sport climber, but I've always had fun at Jacks and the people I've encountered have been cool. The canyon itself is very pretty with nice grassy areas and shady trees in places. Also, the approach is very 'French.'

It WAS soft but, I think, like Red Rocks once a place has such a distinction it doesn't go away even when it's sandbagged. Last time I looked--long ago--most of the routes that I did right after they went up were downgraded appropriately. Regardless, how do ratings improve or take away from the quality of the climbing?

Stop frigging complaining... here is a simple rule...

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.... DON'T GO THERE...

Just enjoy climbing for the sake of climbing, I mean really if I could do nothing but climb... I would be happy...but I have to work and support my gear habit...

so when I get the chance to climb regardless... I AM HAPPY :-))

Wasn't much impressed with Mt. Elden.

JD Kendall wrote:Stop frigging complaining... here is a simple rule... IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.... DON'T GO THERE... Different strokes for different folks people... Just enjoy climbing for the sake of climbing, I mean really if I could do nothing but climb... I would be happy...but I have to work and support my gear habit... so when I get the chance to climb regardless... I AM HAPPY :-))

I'm pretty sure the point of this thread is to complain?

based off the title of it, yes.

Forest Hill wrote: I'm pretty sure the point of this thread is to complain?

But why complain at all is my point?

Lookout Mountain gets my vote. If you didn't like Mt. Elden, perhaps you're just weak.

Curt

Official vote: Camelback Mountain

Where else can you get injured, maimed, or die from holds blowing, choss falling, tourons gawking, heatstroke overtaking, and killer bees attacking--all at the same time?

JD Kendall wrote:IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.... DON'T GO THERE...

Don't we have to go to realize that we don't like it?

Eric D wrote: Don't we have to go to realize that we don't like it?

LOL... Okay edit statement:

...Don't go there...AGAIN :-))

I kinda like all of the crags!
oooooooh a rock broke off so this is the worst crag....wankers!
It's real rock for a reason! Holds break in the rock gyms as well!

I agree with Kierra on this one, "the worst crag is the one that is closed."

• **Lookout Mtn is crumbly yes, but it is in the middle of the city! You can walk there. The bolt on the boulder on the trail is for belaying. Some people dont like being jerked up the wall when their partners fall.
• **Camelback is crumbly yes, but it is in the middle of the city! You can walk there.
• **I have a great time at Jacks Canyon! Tons of fun climbing! Hundreds of pocketed routes! I however do not like all of the dogs running around free off of the leash with no owners in sight. If you are complaining about modified routes, the go climb a Yosemite crack some day. Those pitons did 100 times more damage than the drillbits at Jacks.
• **The Pit rocks! Tall routes and tons of fun!
• **Queen Creek has close to 1000 routes and 1000 boulder problems. If this place really sucked why is it so popular! Get your hands out of the Parmolive dish soap and get some callouses!
• **If you haven't noticed, there is a ton of crap rock at Hueco Tanks as well. If you are not on the "classic" problem, you will find yourself in a major crumbly world.

On my travels I vote that the stone at South Mtn has been the worst. For every thousand boulders you can find one good boulder problem. It took 10 years for me and my Pals to find 150 decent boulder problems....and our search continues!

My final thoughts....Every Mountain is crumbly! Get used to it or just hang out in the rock gyms for your thrills.

Rock On! Marty

karabin museum wrote:Get your hands out of the Parmolive dish soap and get some callouses!

:)

Pernell wrote:I don't think I've even been at work and suddenly thought, I gotta go to Jacks now. Went once, haven't been back since. Don't think it's the worst or the best. bwtfdik?

I don't think I've ever been at work and thought "wow I'm glad I'm working instead of climbing!"

karabin museum wrote: ***Camelback is crumbly yes, but it is in the middle of the city! You can walk there.

There is kind of a perverse pleasure to climbing there. I led Dr Demento there recently and was taking off entire liebacks and huge features, fingers slipping off grains of sand looking for stability that doesn't exist. Generally, I was finding the route harder than the 5.11+ it is rated at. All for an old Choinard bail biner i'd seen gleaming on a bolt. At the end of it all, I was cursing that route while looking at the blood blister I'd gotten from crimping so hard. Part of me was pissed that a pretty cool route will forever be a chossy, crumbling pile of mud. Another part of me was thinking, fuck I gotta get back on that thing! I settled with rating the thing 5.Choss and leaving it at that.

deleted. i meant it as a joke but i realize it might understandably offend some people.

What about the ICE CASTLES. Not a big fan of Jacks but there are much worse crags in Arizona than that.

I would say Jacks is the worst. Overbolted. Then I would say Sweet Rock. Over bolted. Then Munchinkin land. Overbolted. and some of the bolts are where there are gear placements. Very sad.