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Arribas Ameobas

5.10+, Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 4 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 3.4 from 34 votes
FA: Bob Kerry & Wit Wisniewski
Arizona > Southern Arizona > Cochise Stronghold > E Stronghold > Out-of-Towners… > S Face of Out of Town…

Description

A good climb on good rock with some "Oh-My-God-I Can't-Possibly-Be-Standing-On-That" moves. The very top can be improved by finishing on the final face and roof of Out Of Towners (a vertical bolt line you will cross under) and skipping the easy finish around the tree.

P1: (140' 5.9+) Climb up the bolt line just right of the large arch, and just right of where a tree pinches to the wall. The crux of this pitch is in the middle third and is small holds and some friction, making this pitch a great warm-up for the crux pitch to come. You can't retreat easily with out 2 ropes, but it would be possible to pendulem over to lower anchors on another climb. Belay from a bolted anchor.

P2: (120' 5.10+) Up and right past a bolt, through a slightly harder move to bolt #2 at a bulge, then past a uber-thin crux to bolt #3. There are a few hard moves here and it is an insecure area. A fall could get somewhat long just before reaching bolt #3. Pay attention. Shortly after the 3rd bolt, the climbing mellows out and you pull onto good holds and work up and right past a crack, going to low-angle rock. Continue for 1/2 rope length (70M rope) and belay at a good stance.

P3: (5.9, 100' PG-13) Up and right you will see a large roof with the under-the-roof belay of Out Of Towners. That route is the more obvious at this point, continuing up just left of the end of the roof through light-colored rock. Look further left to see your pitch. Climb Left and then up and left past a few clips and some gear, passing some tricky moves through overlaps and cracks to reach an additional belay.

P4: (5.7 or 5.9+*, 100' or 80') Work out and right toward the base of a large tree groing from a crack. Climb below that and then turn uphill to the top of the wall. Or better yet, keep an eye out for a few bolts after about 10 to 15 meters of the easy rising traverse and climb up past those over two overlaps (crux, on big jugs for hands) to a bolted anchor at the top of the wall. This is great climbing on cleaner rock and is more challenging. It is the very top of the last pitch of Out Of Towners. Belay from bolted anchors.

Walk off as described on the Rock Page.

Location

The trail splits at a boulder prior to arriving at the base of Out Of Towners Dome, with the left hand brach leading closer to the start. From the left branch, walk left along the base until you find a left-leaning arch overhead, then come back to the next line of bolts to the right of that feature. This is the first pitch of Aribas Ameobas.

Protection

A light rack from .4" to 3" plus a dozen draws and some slings. The cruxes are bolted, but not the whole route.

Bolts and top-anchors updated by CASA in 2017.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Route Overlay of some of the popular routes on Out of Towners' Dome.
[Hide Photo] Route Overlay of some of the popular routes on Out of Towners' Dome.
Ron Roach follows a long pitch of 'Aribas Ameobas' on the Out Of Towners Dome in Cochise. Photo by 12/24/07.
[Hide Photo] Ron Roach follows a long pitch of 'Aribas Ameobas' on the Out Of Towners Dome in Cochise. Photo by 12/24/07.
Guidebook said a 70 worked for the 1st rap, but our 70 was just short of the anchor. We ended up having to rap off a couple of single bolts.
[Hide Photo] Guidebook said a 70 worked for the 1st rap, but our 70 was just short of the anchor. We ended up having to rap off a couple of single bolts.
Jeremy Bates on p1
[Hide Photo] Jeremy Bates on p1
Jeremy pulling over the roof on p3
[Hide Photo] Jeremy pulling over the roof on p3
State of the "tree that pinches the wall" near base.
[Hide Photo] State of the "tree that pinches the wall" near base.
Looking up Pitch 1 from the base of the route.
[Hide Photo] Looking up Pitch 1 from the base of the route.
Pitch 2.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 2.
Pitch 3.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 3.
Pitch 4.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 4.
2nd pitch of Arribas
[Hide Photo] 2nd pitch of Arribas

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

John Hayes
Bend, OR
  5.10b/c
[Hide Comment] I'm pretty sure that Bob Kerry put up this route. I'm not sure who he did it with so we'll have to check on that. I haven't done it for a while, but I've done it a bunch of times and my memory of each pitch is different than the description here (probably mostly due to my bad memory.) In any case, the lower pitches are 5.9 to 5.9+ with safe but sporty leads between bolts. I recall 4 star climbing on the lower pitches. There is only one move on the whole climb that might be 5.10b (or maybe c.) It is definitely a thin, move that requires some thought but nothing to worry too much about--the difficulty slacks off above the hard move. The rest of the climb is fairly moderate, but VERY fun and well worth the heinous approach. Jan 9, 2010
[Hide Comment] Hmmm. It's really not that hard to correctly credit a route when the guidebook is available online: climbaz.com/Backcountry/pag…

That's Bob Kerry and Wit Wisniewski if you look up the abbreviations.

I haven't done the climb but I can say that the approach is about as non-heinous as it gets in the stronghold. No big deal. Jan 9, 2010
John Hayes
Bend, OR
  5.10b/c
[Hide Comment] Thanks for the reminder--I forgot that Wit did this with Bob. I'm pretty sure I did the second (or maybe third) ascent of Aribas with Bob after he put it up. As I recall, he led me up the drainage and then straight up hill through underbrush, cactus, brambles, shin daggers, and crumbling hillside to the base of the climb. There may be a casual, non-heinous approach, but I don't think I've ever been on it and my memory is etched with my first experience with Bob. IMHO, the climb is worth it no matter what you think of the approach. Dec 5, 2010
Bob Graham
Portland, OR
 
[Hide Comment] Not sure if we got on the correct start the crux blank slab move on the first pitch, I thought was harder than anything I have climbed yet at Cochise, or perhaps equal to Warpaint. I started off the ramp behind the tree and reached over to clip the first bolt high up. I was left of the water streak bolt line that is very close to the right. Any thoughts if I was on the right route? Jan 10, 2011
Catherine Conner
Phoenix, AZ
 
[Hide Comment] Hey Bob G-i do have some thoughts (was just up there a few days ago)... I ended up in the EXACT spot you describe (and had luckily read your post before heading out/THANK YOU!!)-you were indeed on a different route! You should be happy to know that you were not on Arribas Amoebas (what you did looked much harder), I also do not think you were on Loof Lirpa after reading the Kerry description-so perhaps an unknown? When I found myself at that bolt after the crack/tree as you described, and my partner and I discussing-I diagonaled up and over to the route on the water streak about 10ft to the right of where you were/as you mentioned seeing. Much more along the lines of 5.9+, thank goodness. This route was good, the crux is hard slab moves-Dave K did excellent leading it... had fun doing what must have been a variation (seemed kinda spicy) on the 3rd pitch-straight up from bolt rather than continuing left-so ended up on some overlaps about 5-10ft to the left of out of towners route-made an interesting belay below the OOT roof. Dave finished on on Out of Towners, and pulled off the crazy roof move-great day! Jan 31, 2012
[Hide Comment] If you fall before you get to the first bolt you are going to really regret it. Oct 19, 2012
Dj telle
Mexico City , Tucson, AZ
 
[Hide Comment] this was a fun climb. however, i found it to be over bolted especially on those roofs up top. My partner and i found it to be a fun sport climb since we did not even place one cam Dec 22, 2014
[Hide Comment] The fixed anchors on this route were updated by CASA in 2017. See the full list of updated climbs at theclimbershome.org/about-t…

Hardware and tools are paid for by your donations, a grant from Access Fund & American Alpine Club, and support from Rocks & Ropes and The BLOC. Jul 11, 2018
Rhys Beaudry
Edmonton, AB
[Hide Comment] To find the start of the route, look for the left leaning arch as described. There is a bolt line that can be reached by leaning out right from the vertical portion of the arch, this is NOT Aribas Amoebas. AA is one bolt line to the right of this, and ascends the highly textured portion of the wall (it should look like 5.9!).

The tree that pinches the wall has fallen over since the description was written. Look for the fallen tree with the base touching the starting ledge. Feb 11, 2020
michalm
  5.10-
[Hide Comment] P1 is a 4 star 9+. P2 is good but only has a move or two of 5.10. The climbing above is forgettable.
The route can be rapped from the top of P2 in 2 raps with an 80m rope. Only bring draws for P1 and draws + 1x hand sized piece with a sling for P2. Dec 29, 2021
Lane Baldridge
Norman, OK
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] Couldn’t find bolted anchors for p3 if there are any, not sure if it’s mentioned anywhere if there are. Built a belay above 10’ left of a oddly placed bolt that sits left of the ramp up to the p4 tree. Great route but better to finish on the out of towners last pitches. Jan 6, 2024