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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 10, 2013 - 05:39pm PT
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Thanks for the recent votes of confidence ("prolific big wallers") of still being part of the big wall fun club. I'd thought I'd continue by putting out some of my big wall info folders (I have dozens about big wall areas around the world). Unedited, there might be some odd stuff in some of the folders, and much of it will likely be outdated, but there might be a tidbit or two... Let's start with Babo, a cool mini-big wall in Arizona:
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2013 - 05:49pm PT
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should be working now... forgot about the [img tags
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jun 10, 2013 - 06:01pm PT
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wow! sweet!
ChiricaWHO??!!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jun 10, 2013 - 06:11pm PT
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Never did a big wall on Babo,just the arete, but some beta on the western approach. Trail to the saddle and around the east side was really easy to follow and wouldn't be bad at all to hump wall size loads up.
The Tono O'hodam have a really nice campground with plenty of shade from large mesquite trees and some water buffaloes. (surplus military water trailers) on the west side.
They were really cool with us, but it was a couple of grey haired dudes with no hippie vibe going. had the whole campground to ourselves and when someone did show up he said just stick the payment (10$ a night) thru the screen on the office.
A word to the wise;
The Tono O'hodam have been at war with Mexican traffickers for 20 years or so with casualties on both sides. There's a no tolerance policy.
Leave the herb at home, keep the alcohol out of sight.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Anyone want to post up a story?
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Munge/Cowboy-
When are we going?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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John- There is a website that Bob Hutchins has put together called climbaz.com.
Bob has reproduced the contents of the Bob Kerry Backcountry Guide to Southern Arizona climbing now out of print.
While the guide is pretty poor in many respects it has good information on Babo climbing because John Steiger supplied him with lots of the topos done while the East Face was being developed.
The topo for Cradle of Stone is mine as I did the FA with Jim Waugh and posted it on the ST.
The note on the FFA of the Humongous Woosey from the now lost Summit Hut guidebook is cool. Ed Webster (Lil' Eddy) and Brian Becker(The Hobbit) nabbed the FFA by freeing the lone pendulum at 5.10+ (make sure to bring the #1 Stopper for the crux).
Just for the sake of clarity climbing is not allowed in the Chiricahua National Monument at all. Bob Kamps and company climbed a few formations before the ban was put in place.
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ground_up
Trad climber
mt. hood /baja
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Deuce... awesome post
In the late 70's I lived in Sierra Vista , so. of Tucson
climbed a lot at Cochise , this was before there was much climbing
activity , as we drove around looking for other formations I saw
Babo out in the distance .. it left an impression on me.
Never got out there but knew a few routes existed, thank
you for bringing back memories of a time and a place
where adventures lurked in a place few knew about but
were in the backyard.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Mucci mon, Early Feb?
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Talk to me about it fellas, when the time comes. The man said spring.
I have a feeling that you both are a tad heavier duty than myself, but hey, you might need a rope hauler to Lion's if what you are doing requires more mojo than I possess at the time.
That said, the time be about now. What route?
Don's Crack looks pretty rad.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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I did the fourth ascent of the Spring route while I was still in high school in the mid-seventies.
If the weather is stable it is a good place to climb in the winter and the best part is The Spring that magically flows on Lions Ledge. When Bill Forrest and George Hurley made the first ascent of the East face they hadn't discovered the Ledge and climbed from the base. When they reached it they encountered the resident puma which gave them quite a surprise!
A remote big wall that doesn't require hauling water weight up there is pretty sweet. Just be patient and don't try to improve the spring as it would be a drag if it failed to keep running.
Don's Crack is a striking line but not reputed to be as good as it looks. I never got around to doing it while I lived there.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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The Climbaz site is prime, thx!!!
No choice on line right now, but Spring Route has much history.
Resident Puma! Talk about your objective hazards.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dons Crack was climbed in a rush once the rumor started that Forrest and Hurley were planning on going up exploring so it was pretty pristine territory when they got there. Pumas don't care for people but the water source guaranteed good hunting and easy living for the big cat!
I posted the account of the FA of the Spring Route on the Bill Forrest RIP memorial thread. I missed Bill but plan to interview George Hurley in the near future to hear about this adventure.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2027415&tn=60
Bob Kerry didn't get very much support from knowledgeable locals in Tucson due to the way he went about his business so the Cochise Stronghold section is riddled with mistakes and inaccuracies.
The website is really good and Bob Hutchins has done a real service to the climbing community through his efforts.
I am currently encouraging the right group of people to do a Stronghold guide. Some locals are way too drill happy these days and making a mess of the place.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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So, SG, on the soiled-britches scale, how gnarly was the Spring route?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Babo rock is andesite as it is a big volcanic plug much like Shiprock with radial dikes and all. The Spring Route was A4 when it went up but it has been done nearly clean by now certainly. My friend Fig bravely did the first solo ascent of this wall as his second wall ever after we did The West Face of the Leaning Tower clean as his first. We were beyond impressed. Fig hardly pounded any pins on his excellent adventure. Dave Baker wrote the note in the OP about it.
The rock is so soft that it was almost impossible to get an A1 piton placement and the rack changed with every ascent. Needless to say bolt placements weren't so hot either and most parties dealt with old split shaft Rawls pulling out! We had one fail and my partner Gary Hervert gave it a quarter turn and banged it back in. Spooooooky!
Most of these routes will go free as the rock is very featured but the quandry about changing the character of the aid climbing by placing big bolts is difficult to work out. Still a very special remote place where brave climbing is the name of the game so I hope folks consider their conduct very carefully and keep the place wild.
It wasn't that long ago that even mentioning this place to outsiders was taboo. It is still a sacred place for us and needs to be respected for the spirits that live there. If you are quiet while you climb there they can come alive for you. The summit is a power point so spend the night on top and groove on it.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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links are good, thx Bob!
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