A-M aidline

This old aid route was first done in the late eighties by Todd Applewhite and John Middendorf. The Toula book describes it as 2 pitches and A3. Joel Unema and I attempted it with the intention of establishing as a free route, and logically breaks up into three short pitches.

P1: start behind a nice tree in a grungy crack narrowing to a seam and face. Follow a long rivet ladder that beelines towards the left facing dihedral above the apache limestone band. C2+/C3- (depending on your faith in the 25 year old rivets). Bring many thin rivet hangers or small wires (at least 15-20?). Belay at a stance at the start of the dihedral from a new 1/2" bolt and gear. Joel was able to work out the free moves at 11+/12- on TR.

P2. 9+/10-. Excellent thin hands flake grows to wide crack dihedral. Camalot 0.5 thru 2, (2)3s,(2)4s, maybe a 5 and couple of finger size pieces. Hanging belay with two uninspiring bolts that can be backed up by a fixed nut and #2 camalot. 130' to ground.

P3. The biz. We didn't complete this pitch yet because the rock quality turned into a chossburger and would take more cleaning than was in our budget. A bolt and a few hangered rivets lead off the belay to a thin crack and up to the overhanging and leftward leaning crack. Expect wide dirty pods that pinch to a seam (possibly A3?) with the occasional rivet and up to a bolted belay under a small roof. Maybe 200' to ground(?).

This route has the potential to clean up into a difficult free route with excellent position, depending on one's motivation and tenacity. As an aid route, prepare for a serious Sedona adventure...

who knows, we may be back ;)

Located on the west side of the Flying Buttress. Continue just around the corner and over the saddle from Technicolor. You will see the obvious overhanging and leaning crack of the third pitch.

Typical Sedona sandstone style aid rack, although it is likely the third pitch will go hammerless. Bring plenty of small wires or rivet hangers for the first pitch, and some wide gear for pitch 2 and the pods of pitch 3. After that, possibly small wires, cams, blades, etc.