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rockgeir
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 13, 2014 - 10:44pm PT
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Hey all,
I just made a new guidebook for Cochise Stronghold available for sale:
Toofast Topos: 50 Multipitch Climbs in Cochise Stronghold
The book is available in PDF format here:
http://www.toofasttopos.com/purchase.html
Enjoy and climb safely...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 14, 2014 - 07:01pm PT
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For those of you that have been looking for solid route information for this amazing climbing destination I am pleased to support the guidebook that Geir Hundal is offering to the interested public.
Geir has taken the time to go out and do all of the routes listed in this initial offering after several years of readily providing route information and devoting considerable time and effort toward replacing original bolt anchors on the area classics.
I wrote the foreward to this guidebook and Geir has my full support as he truly appreciates and understands the value of bold excellence in execution that has traditionally defined climbing in the Dragoon Mountains.
These routes are the finest that the Cochise Stronghold has to offer and many less than respectable routes have been omitted. A competing effort to this guide may soon appear, the ignominiously named "Best of the Cochise Stronghold" guide, that isn't worth supporting as it is a self-serving "select" guide and not part of an ongoing effort to document the hundreds of quality climbs that have been done here. (Reciprocal tone edit)
Geir is engaged in the long term effort to record these numerous routes and has the support of the old guard Tucson climbing community. Many of these wild and airy routes wait patiently for suitors and remain the measure of Stronghold climbing. Geir has been quietly doing these testpieces in fine style and reporting the result to help the next supplicant in their preparations.
Thank you for investing in this guidebook. Enjoy the Stronghold and keep it Wild and Spicy!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 14, 2014 - 07:12pm PT
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Love the area.....saw my first mountain lion there. Great winter venue on impeccable rock with super camping, but "spicy" ..... don"t think so.
Geir does great topos, I'll get the book.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 14, 2014 - 07:16pm PT
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Me too!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 14, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
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Jim- I know that face climbing doesn't get it done for you but several Stronghold old school classics would fill in your stat sheet as "spicy" without so much as a smirk.
You must have lead Abra with P2 & P3 as one lead to get you warmed up.
Let's Make a Deal after that. Of course, you will Shake and Bake on that...Won't ya?!? Bet your Greasy Gizzards, you will.
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Jul 14, 2014 - 08:50pm PT
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Like!!
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Jul 14, 2014 - 09:51pm PT
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Jim,
I thought you said that was a jaguar not a mountain lion.
What's up with that dude?
Arne
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jul 14, 2014 - 10:05pm PT
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I can vouch for Toofast topos being real quality!
Ummm, I will also say that I have been on some spicy ground there too.
I have warned many. If it says 5.9+ at Cochise, you should have your big boy pants on.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Jul 15, 2014 - 06:10am PT
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Spent many an extended weekend in Cochise, and I agree that "spicy" is an apropos description of the arena.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 15, 2014 - 07:19am PT
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Sure there are spicy climbs at Cochise but plenty of well protected multi pitch for folks to enjoy. What's this about face climbing? I love it, going out to do some in an hour....just don't seek out slabs but do them when i have to. Went looking for Jaguars near the border...knew I wouldn't see one but it was neat knowing they were in the area.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jul 15, 2014 - 08:10am PT
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Never been there but Cochise got me hooked on climbing. Saw a Climbing magazine at Sport Chalet in the mid 80s, the cover was a Cochise Stronghold 5.9, a boring cover by today's standards. I read that magazine cover to cover, still have that tattered copy somewhere.
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BFK
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jul 15, 2014 - 08:38am PT
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SWEET! Been over a decade since I was down there but it's where I got my 'first' trad lesson on Bee Line. I remember seeing some folks on Abra way back during one of the Bean Fests and thinking it looked pretty stout,... might be time to finally get on it!
Hell I'm gonna dig up that old Abra thread from Steve just for the hell of it!
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rockgeir
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2014 - 01:00pm PT
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Thanks for the props Steve!
I am truly honored that Steve has been so supportive in writing the foreward for the book, providing many of its great photos, and sharing with me a great portion of the Stronghold's history and traditions.
Thanks to all of you who have supported this effort! I have already begun work on the second book.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Jul 18, 2014 - 10:51pm PT
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Yes, congrats on the guide!
It's a rare thing for a guide(book)author to have done every route on the list, especially when it includes many hard and bold routes.
So, big props on the guide and your skill and motivation!
Steve.
It's unfortunate that your ringing endorsement of this guide had to be tainted by dissing others and their efforts, as I'm sure the other guide will have its merits as well.
EDITED my post to delete any gas thrown on the fire
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MisterE
climber
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Jul 18, 2014 - 10:53pm PT
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Super psyched to get an up-dated guidebook to one of our favorite climbing areas!
Thanks for all your work and sketchy run-outs!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 19, 2014 - 09:29am PT
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Lots of folks are biting their tongues and tip toeing around one man who long ago ceased to post on climbing forums for obvious reasons. I refuse to do so any more and my purpose in being openly critical is solid and clear when it comes to this area and the guidebook to this special place which requires a certain measure of vision and integrity in my opinion.
You two are good solid folks and sorry that you are put off by my position but I stand by it. I said no to the other guidebook author long ago on principle and things have gotten much worse since.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jul 19, 2014 - 09:33am PT
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I *heart* Cochise.
The politics of guidebook writing aside...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 19, 2014 - 09:41am PT
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I have used Geir's topos and I think they are excellent. I will purchase his guidebook for my next trip down to Cochise. His effort is, however, a "select" offering as is the proposed competing one. If the other "select" offering has information not supplied by Geir I may also be interested in it. My purchase of guides has always been based on the quality of the information provided not the person who authored it.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Jul 19, 2014 - 10:34am PT
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Hey Geir, it was nice to meet you down in Cochise this Spring, keep up the good work down there and nice job on your guide book to date! Props for climbing all the routes to ensure accurate information.
As a somewhat frequent outside visitor to Cochise, I have to admit I'm disappointed in a number of "new school" routes that have been developed down there in recent years. While a fair number of these new routes are good quality, quite a few others are squeezed or contrived in my opinion, so I understand SG's stance. Overall, Cochise is still one of the best SW desert climbing destinations, love it down there!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 27, 2014 - 09:57am PT
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Bump for a quality guidebook.
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SuperTopo on the Web
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