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Luke Slingwalker

5.7, Trad, 250 ft (76 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 2.3 from 6 votes
FA: Gary Gray, Doug Davis, '93
Arizona > Southern Arizona > Mt Lemmon (Sant… > Mt Lemmon (Cata… > 8 - Summit Crags > Ravens > Raven C > E Face
Warning Access Issue: Potentially unavailable to climbing February through July if raptors are breeding here. DetailsDrop down

Description

This route will take some route finding ability and the discipline to not head for the bolted routes that bracket it. IF YOU ARE CLIPPING BOLTS YOU ARE OFF ROUTE. The easiest climbing and best traditional pro goes up between the bolted routes.

Location

Approach is the same as If You Bolt It They Will Come. Start from rock above the main ledge on the far left side of the cliff face. P1) Climb chickenheads past all fixed gear to a big ledge. P2) Step across chimney and pull on to face and work your way on the easiest ground to the top of the tower. A set of chains over to the right of the route when you are looking down it are a little spooky to get to. A 99ft. rappel gets you barely to a set of anchors. From these another single rope rap will get you to the bottom of a big chimney. As you exit this drop down and left 100 feet to the next short chimney. Scramble up this to get back to where you started.

Protection

Standard rack and lots of long runners for chickenheads.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Topo showing where Hotshot and Slingwalker share a ledge.
[Hide Photo] Topo showing where Hotshot and Slingwalker share a ledge.
First pitch from leader's point of view
[Hide Photo] First pitch from leader's point of view
2nd pitch
[Hide Photo] 2nd pitch
The airy step across from the ledge to the start of the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] The airy step across from the ledge to the start of the first pitch.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Sasquach Broom
Flagstaff, AZ
 
[Hide Comment] If you want to get another pitch in do Han Solo (5.7R) to get up to the ledge where Luke Slingwalker begins. Sep 16, 2009
adrian korosec
tucson, az
 
[Hide Comment] It's really too bad the first pitch of this route is "bracketed" by bolts. Hotshot's first pitch is what, 3 feet to the left? Nice. Slingwalker should have served as the approach pitch to the upper pitches of Hotshot, which is off to the left.

As a result, the first pitch of Slingwalker, which existed before its neighbors, is somewhat lost in obscurity. As in, "oh there's a bolt, I better not go that way. Oh there's another bolt, can't head that way either". Now, what was once a line that was thought provoking and followed natural weaknesses, ricochets back and forth between bolts.

We climbed Quickdraw McGraw on Wheeler Wall and it suffers this fate as well. However, that act was at least performed by the first ascentionist.

Crossing and crowding routes...bad form. Oct 8, 2012
[Hide Comment] Lets see the line I want to do is a trad line. Bolts to the left and bolts to the right? I know I'll climb between them and place gear and sling heads on the way. Damn that WAS hard to figure out!

You had better stay away from the Stronghold and the Druid if bolt lines around old existing trad lines gets your panties in a bunch.
Plenty of moderate trad lines with no bolt encroachment on Rap Rock also.

Luke Slingwalker is a fun climb but hardly a classic to be revered. Oct 10, 2012
adrian korosec
tucson, az
 
[Hide Comment] Hey Jimbo,
Yep, truly a shame at the Druid and some parts of the Stronghold. I'd rather not think about it as it makes me sick. We really need to ask ourselves before we drill, "does this route add to the quality of the crag, or is there a different reason I'm tempted to begin drilling". I'd say most serial drillers have other reasons in mind.

But we've been through all this before and what's done is done. No use getting upset over it again. I'll try my best to forget about it.

I did enjoy Slingwalker and recommend it. Just remember to find the Hotshot anchors to rap from the top. Not the older, more obvious bolts. Both descend to the west but you are looking for the new ones just a bit more north of the old, seasoned ones that are more obvious.

Cheer,
Adrian Oct 11, 2012
Scott M. McNamara
Presidio San Augustine Del…
[Hide Comment] The first ascentionist's (Gary Gray, RIP---8/19/91) mom just wrote a book about Gary's death.

Gary died in the North Cascades on the North West Couloir of Mt. Shuksan from a serac.

Roaring Mountain, Shirley Gray 2012.

I believe the route was put up in 1983. Oct 11, 2012
[Hide Comment] Thanks for that note Scott.
Had to order the book from Amazon.

Gary was a great guy and a fine asset to the Tucson scene of the '80s. I believe he did a bit of work with the Summit Hut under the counter guide, some of which helped JS with his later work.

He and Doug did a number of fine back country adventures together. My last time I saw him was on one of his trips through NM and we had an awesome full on Tele powder day up in Santa Fe in about '90. It was snowing so hard that every run was fresh tracks. Good memory of a lost friend.

FYI, for the FA info, Gary's last name is Gray, not Grey. Oct 17, 2012
Lisa Levine
Tucson
[Hide Comment] The name Slingwalker made me think they would be good slings. Silly me.

If marginal pro on 5.7 suits you, the first pitch will be fine. Doesn't seem ideal for a beginning leader, despite the grade. Chickenheads don't have much lip. That's what I would have named it.

Also, from the chains on summit's west side, the ones the route passes/ends at, a 70' did not quite reach the belay for Hot Shot's second pitch. I was able to reach the rap rings with my safety from a foot ish above the knots in the end of my rope, but I wouldn't choose that descent.

Big cams work for belaying from the true summit. Or don't carry the weight, use the chains, then scramble up for the outstanding view.

My partner saw an old anchor on the east side. We didn't try it. Aug 24, 2019