Spring Route

The classic aid route going up the middle of the east face of Baboquivari. The nailing is not terribly difficult or continuous on this route, but the often crappy rock holds your attention. The bolted belays are mostly pretty safe now but the fixed gear during the pitches, especially the bolts, are desperately in need of an upgrade. We did this over the course of 2 days (a week apart), fixing the first 2 pitches and then blasting. The 2nd day was a 20-hour day car-to-car (east approach). This worked in the end but I think the ideal way would be to fix the first 3-4 pitches and then blast. If you fix through P4 on the first day you can lighten the load because you only need 1-2 pitons after P4 (on P9). We hauled a light haulpack which really, really sucked on the last couple lower angle (and bushwhacky) pitches. I think hauling a full overnight haulbag + portaledge would be horrific on the upper pitches.

Pitch 1: Steep C2. Scary because rock is probably the worst on the route. Start just left of the spring, following crack/weakness left and then up. The tree is annoyingly close but you can stand on it a bit at times. Helpful to do a few short free moves on upper half. The belay has two rusty 1/4" bolts but there is a good crack for finger size cams just up and right.

Pitch 2: A2, short pitch. Follow crack up and right, passing some fixed pins and placing a few sawed off angles/cams/cam hooks. Traverse right on four rusty 1/4" bolts to hanging belay (down and right). Belay has 1 good bolt and several old 1/4" bolts. (110' down to Lion Ledge).

Pitch 3: A2. Go up and slightly left (not right!) following a few fixed pieces. Pass an intermediate anchor (one ok bolt, one hanger-less rivet) and bust a 5.9 free move on a flexing flake. From here continue up and left to a large fixed angle. From the angle either make an awkward pendulum down and right or use beaks to go horizontally right to large 4" crack. Hanging belay is just above (several old bolts and one new one). From the anchor at the top of P3 to Lion Ledge it is probably about 165'.

Pitch 4: A2/A3 5.9. Continue up faint crack, utilizing sawed off angles to reach a bolt. Probably the trickiest nailing of the route, sawed off stacked angles and z-tons probably useful (possibly could go clean with the largest totem cams?). A little ways above the bolt do some awkward free climbing/ french-free to finish the pitch. There is an old anchor at the top of this pitch that can likely be supplemented with cams.

Pitch 5: 5.8. Can be linked with P4 (we did), but the rope drag gets bad. Follow the 5.8/5.7 ramp up, then staying slightly right, eventually traversing left to a bolted anchor at a stance (one new bolt and two old ones). 

Pitch 6: 5.10 or C1. Move right, then left (might need to garden to get pro), to gain the large right leaning corner. Follow this corner to its end using mainly hand to offwidth sized cams, passing an intermediate anchor. Where the corner ends continue straight up, climbing through a tree to arrive at a ledge. Belay has one new bolt, a #3 supplements well. 

Pitch 7: 4th class up to small ledge at base of right facing corner. Can belay off a single #1 in a pocket or get larger cams at the base of the corner. 

Pitch 8: 5.9. Go up corner to ledge. Belay on ledge has 1 old bolt that can be supplemented with cams. (can belay higher but is uncomfortable and rope drag gets bad).

Pitch 9: 5.9/A2. Start with 5.8 runout on face. At small tree head up and left to base of thin right facing corner (large hole is further left and off route).Free climb or nail 1-2 beaks to reach a fixed head and a fixed ball nut. From there continue up corner to top (C1-C2 and some 5.9), passing two sets of intermediate anchors (1/4" bolts). Belay from ledge using small tree and one new bolt. This is probably the longest pitch of the route but still only about 130' long.

Pitch 10: 5.5. Bushwhack to left then go up ramp, bushwhacking to the top of the feature. Awkward belay off trees. A handsaw and some light work with it would drastically improve this pitch. 

Pitch 11: 5.8R. Climb up and right following dike with sparse protection. As dike peters out climbing gets easier. Trend up and right to summit area. Belay off cams.

Starts immediately left of the main spring on Lion's Ledge. 

East approach via Thomas Canyon is highly recommended. (2-2.5 hours) 

Park at end of high clearance 4x4 road. 31.7488, -111.5798

From the parking area, walk 1.5 miles up Thomas Canyon, passing the old ranch, and crossing the wash a few times; wear pants!! Where the trail crosses the wash and the wash starts to steepens significantly, the trail cuts right (east) and zig zags up and away from Baboquivari. The trail is pretty easy to follow from here as it gains elevation up to the northeast saddle (31.7741, -111.59177). 

From the northeast saddle, follow faint trail south, with some scrambling to gain Lion's Ledge below the big east face. Spring is about halfway up along the ledge.

Double set of cams to #3 (totems best), single #4 and a #5. Also 1 set offset cams (especially the larger sizes). 1 set nuts.

Light nailing rack: 2-3 beaks (mostly large), 5 or so sawed off angles (medium-XL). Cam hooks (medium-XL). I think we nailed about 8-10 piton placements on the entire route, and at most 4 in one pitch.

I can't emphasize enough how important offset cams and sawed off angles are for the many shallow pin scars.