Net Positive Impact

In the environmental impact statement from Resolution Copper, they claim that the copper mining project in Queen Creek will have a "net positive impact" on the water future of Arizona. With even a tiny bit of critical thought, one can understand that this is simply impossible. Tug at the threads of the impact statement, and you'll find it unraveling rather quickly. 

This route exists to show what a "net positive impact" might actually look like. A great day out on moderate terrain, well protected, established by a wholesome community of lifelong climbers that would prefer we not blow the place into a 2000ft toxic crater.  

P1: Starts just left of a hand crack and follow the shiny bolts. It gently trends up and left, then straight up to a 2 bolt belay with chains in a little alcove. It might look runout from the second bolt, but it isn't. There's a bolt hiding just out of view.

P2: Step up and right into a flaring chimney, climb as it widens and eventually commit to face climbing moves to climbers left. A few reachy moves here, but lots of bolts and great edges. 2 bolt belay with chains on a decent ledge.

P3: The MONEY. follow a column-like feature to a roof, and pull on through. Can feel pretty wild. Save a bit of gas in the tank for some smaller (but very positive) holds above. 2 bolt belay with chains at a slightly better ledge than the last.

P4: Reward yourself with a lower-angle cruise and top out at another set of bolts with chains. Sweet!

Bring a 70, 18 draws, and maybe a few small cams. Lots of gunksy horizontals you can plug for bonus points. Each pitch has ~13 bolts. Rapping in from the top is probably better than coming in from the bottom, it's quite a thrash as is.

Note that this route is about 100 or so feet climbers left of the main Hall of Legends area, with it's own set of anchors.

DESCENT BETA: (NEW AS OF 01/07/2025)
Due to popularity, there is now an alternate rappel line for NPI. The original rappels were directly on the route, but now there’s a rappel line to climber’s left and uses the same top anchors as NPI (at the end of pitch 4). Both descents can be accomplished with a 60 meter rope, but tie knots in your rope, just in case. 

All anchors, with the exception of the top anchors of NPI, are two bolts with rap rings. If you pass an anchor without rap rings, it's not the rappel line.

If you look down from those top anchors you'll see a Yucca plant sticking out of the wall. The route, and original rappel line, is climbers right of this Yucca plant. The new rappel line is to climber’s left. Use the alternate descent if you even suspect there might be a party on NPI. Don’t rappel down on top of them. Instead, use the alternate line. The first rappel ends up on a tiny ledge down and left of the anchors at the bottom of the last pitch.

The second rappel continues almost directly straight down and ends up and climber’s left of the anchors at the top of the second pitch. This stance is fairly comfortable compared to the one above.

The third rappel continues straight down and ends up on a large pedestal in the middle of the first pitch of Goyahkla (5.9).

The last rappel is straight forward and ends a bit left of the start of Goyahkla. 

FA Gang:

Charlie Brown, David Gunn, Ian Gunn, Chiara Mingione, Ben Ramsey, Jason Conlon

Trimming cat claw, carrying water, bolts, drills, batteries, whacking trail, you name it.

Base of Knotty tower (for reference if hiking from bottom)
(33.2864857, -111.0772343)

Base of NPI
(33.2868058, -111.0766690)

Top of NPI (for reference if rapping in)
(33.2869709, -111.0763462)

Bolts. A few horizontals that take smaller cams.