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rmiller
Mar 19, 2004, 10:38 PM
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I have lived in Colorado and Southern California quite a bit and I know the test pieces in those areas. As I have only lived in AZ for six months, however, I was wondering what are the Arizona test pieces? What are they for each type of climbing? Each area? I am looking for accepted test pieces in the community, not indiviudal beliefs about what should be a test piece. Thanks for the info.
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climbsomething
Mar 19, 2004, 11:09 PM
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Hey Ronnie,
Per the local sport climbing-specific guidebook (not me- ha!) the following look pretty good for the testpiece title:
Hebe, 13d/14a, Beaver Wall, Lemmon. In fact, it looks like all of Beaver Wall is a good place for the hardman, and lots of stout stuff is around the Windy Point area as well.
The Morgue, 13d/14a, Goosehead, Lemmon. Not far from Windy, either, and actually described in the guidebook as a "thin testpiece."
Middle Earth on Lemmon is a popular place for harder, if not "testpiece" stuff, lots of 12s that are actually steep for Lemmon. Warm-weather crag, since it's high on the mountain, but it's really nice up there.
Some of our local strongmen have been putting up stuff in the obvious cave at Milagrosa Canyon, a nice granite canyon in Tucson, in the solid 12, 13s range. Again, I don't know if these are necessarily quote-unquote testpieces, but Tucson is not known for its super-sick Graham and Sharma-worthy numbers, a'ight? ;)
You want more hard stuff, then check out the state's limestone offerings too. The Dry by Sierra Vista has lots of 12s and some 13s. There's also this place called The Farmhouse in the same general area that I don't think gets checked out much, but it's in the guidebook anyway with some hints at hard 12s, 13s, and mucho virgin limestone just waiting for somebody to make the effort. The Homestead and a few satellite crags (i.e., The Drip, The Coliseum) are steep limestone spots in central AZ (around Globe). The Homestead is, in a word, bitchin'. It has lots of hard stuff but plenty for mortals too. There's no guidebook for the area but a pretty good list of routes is in the routes DB here.
There's also a crag near Jacks that supposedly has some harder, natural lines, but the name escapes me right now and I don't know much about it anyway.
PM me and I might be in town to point you in the right direction, maybe even belay or take a photo... but I ain't gettin' your draws on or off the routes ;) :lol:
Enjoy!
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rmiller
Mar 19, 2004, 11:27 PM
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Thanks Hillary,
I would also be interested in lower grade test pieces in addition to the "real" test pieces (not sure if that is the right word). You know, ones that are way scary or epitomize that grade in Arizona (or the area within Arizona). Ones that are classics, but are also given something a little more than just "classic" status. Does this make any sense? For example, The Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon, Tricks are for Kids in Indian Creek, Primrose Dihedral in Canyonlands, etc.
Thanks again.
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mesomorf
Mar 19, 2004, 11:40 PM
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Abracadaver at Rockfellow Dome, Cochise Stronghold. Closed for peregrine nesting Feb - June though.
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climbsomething
Mar 19, 2004, 11:43 PM
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You make sense. Hmm, uber-classics I have heard about just around Windy Point are Mean Mistreater, a 5.10 (2 pitches, mixed pro), Lizard Marmalade Direct, a long trad pitch at 5.10+, and Space Cowboy, 5.9+ mixed pro. Have never done these - I'm a weenie and just don't lead those numbers on gear - but local sources speak highly of them.
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tucsonalex
Mar 20, 2004, 12:05 AM
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What about Children of the Revolution (5.13c?) on Lemmon?
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socalbolter
Mar 20, 2004, 12:37 AM
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ronnie -
"hebe" on mt lemmon should for sure be on the testpiece list. i tried to do it in the early 90's and did not have enough time to devote to it, so went home without the redpoint. it's a spectacular route! 13d/14a seems about right. mainly a hard crimp route.
the crag that hillary was talking about near jack's canyon is called the asylum and it's really good climbing. it's far less chipped than jack's and the routes are longer and more technical. i've climbed there quite a bit and while there's no official topo i might be able to dig up some of my old notes on the place.
- louie
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epic_ed
Mar 20, 2004, 12:47 AM
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Lots of stuff up at Granite Mountain. Greg (steelmonkey) would be able to give you the low-down, but Magnolia Thunderpussy (5.9) comes to mind for me. Also, Coatimundi White Out (5.11b). I believe they are several others in the 5.10 range, but many in that area are excellent representatives of what cutting edge climbing was like at the time they were put up.
Ed
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scottd
Mar 20, 2004, 12:48 AM
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Here in AZ we don't seem to have "testpieces" per se, but here are some uber-classics.
Abracadaver at 11a definately! My goal for this year is to climb that one.
How about The Classic 5.7 or Coatimundi Whiteout 5.9 on Granite Mtn. in Prescott
Wasteland 5.8, Warpaint 10c, What's my Line 5.6, Bee Line 5.9 in Cochise Stronghold
Necessary Evil in Virgin River Gorge at 5.14c....
The Mace 9+ in Sedona
Steve's Arete 11a Mt. Lemmon
Hope that helps some. There are hundreds of classic routes here in Az, we seem to be blessed with quite a plethora of climbable rock.
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climbsomething
Mar 20, 2004, 1:03 AM
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Yes, the Asylum, that's what I was thinking of. And I forgot all about Granite Mountain. Sposed to be some pretty proud old-skool stuff up there...
And, the Equalizer at the Forks has seen very few ascents. 5.13-R, I think?
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rmiller
Mar 20, 2004, 2:28 AM
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Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I am looking for, mega classics to do and hard stuff to project. Of course 13d/14a might be a little too much for me right now, but there is always dreaming. keep them coming!
Louie, yes, send me notes on The Aslym. I have heard a lot of good things about it, but have not made it over there yet. I am still pulling a lot of the outdoor gym routes at Jacks. :roll:
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steelmonkey
Mar 20, 2004, 5:06 AM
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In reply to: Here in AZ we don't seem to have "testpieces" per se, but here are some uber-classics.
Nope no test pieces here. Recent discussions decided we're light. Try the east coast.
In reply to: Abracadaver at 11a definately! My goal for this year is to climb that one.
Most folks only remember the 11a finger crack as some sort of cool climbing. It's the 5.9 offwidth that really sticks in their memory. :twisted:
In reply to: How about The Classic 5.7 or Coatimundi Whiteout 5.9 on Granite Mtn. in Prescott
Coatimundi Whiteout is 5.11a. Not 5.9. If you combine the first two pitches of Coatimudi with the last two pitches of Candyland, that's 5.9. And you can't do that until after July 15th becuase it's closed for falcon nesting.
G.
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josephine
Mar 20, 2004, 10:44 AM
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josephine moved this thread from General to Regional Discussions.
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scottd
Mar 20, 2004, 2:22 PM
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In reply to: Nope no test pieces here. Recent discussions decided we're light. Try the east coast.
Yeah, that thread is a joke :roll:
In reply to: Most folks only remember the 11a finger crack as some sort of cool climbing. It's the 5.9 offwidth that really sticks in their memory.
I've heard that too. Supposedly it's the "real" crux of the route.
In reply to: Coatimundi Whiteout is 5.11a. Not 5.9. If you combine the first two pitches of Coatimudi with the last two pitches of Candyland, that's 5.9. And you can't do that until after July 15th becuase it's closed for falcon nesting.
I should have mentioned that also.Most people that I know do the Candyland exit. Keeps it sustained for the grade.....Is it just me or are all the raptor closures right in the middle of the prime climbing season. :cry: I sure would miss the peregrines if they were gone though.....So amazingly beautiful!
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granut
Mar 20, 2004, 4:37 PM
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The Joker at The Pit in Flagstaff is one of my favorite 12c's.
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camhead
Mar 20, 2004, 5:16 PM
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nobody has shouted out for the Equalizer (.12+/.13-) at Paradise Forks.
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bootyhead
Mar 22, 2004, 5:17 PM
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Let's see. Paradise Forks- The Equalizer-5.13a R, Pacing The Cage-5.13a are the hardest, but Paradise Lost is probably considered The Classic. The Waterfall in Oak Creek Canyon sports the best basalt crack anywhere. The Terminator 5.12b. Ah, The Asylum- Crank Call 5.14a, Eyewitness Blues- 5.13c as well as about 20 other 5.13's. Nobody's mentioned The Winslow Wall which sports Caligula and French Kissing The Cobra- both 5.13b. And Don't Forget about Sedona- Shangri-La 5 pitches-5.12c and Lost Horizons-4 pitches-5.13a. If you really want Arizona testpieces go to the VRG.
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pk_davidson
Jan 23, 2007, 10:45 PM
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Jeez dudes:
When you talk about Az. Test pieces, you have to include in Leviathan (std route for starters).
and then how about just about any of the Grossman leads ? Try Baradur on the Rap.
And then there's all the stuff at the Reef.
Or gee, what about the South face of Zoro. It's "only" 5.9 for the crux traverse but I'd say you might want to be pretty solid on 5.11 to lead it. Unless sketchy 5.9 off of RPs with a very serious fall back into a huge corner is your cup a tea...
The question becomes, what's a test piece ?
To each his own....
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raymondjeffrey
Jan 23, 2007, 11:23 PM
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Virgin River Gorge has some shit too.
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sidepull
Jan 23, 2007, 11:33 PM
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. . . alas, it seems there are no bouldering test pieces in our arid state . . .
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sidepull
Jan 23, 2007, 11:43 PM
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The broad use of "test piece" here piqued my curiosity - where does this term come from? I would have defined test piece as a difficult route (or problem) that, at the time it was created, defined a high grade or set the standard of difficulty for an area. So for me, test piece is purely about difficulty (I realize that that's necessarily abstract, most really hard things also have an aesthetic component but "test piece" doesn't describe the aesthetics).
However, the OP seems to conflate the difficulty of "test piece" with a sense of quality, as if test pieces are also 5-star routes or must do climbs. So, here are my questions:
1) where does the term "Test Piece" come from?
2) what does test piece mean? is it just a label regarding difficultly, quality, or both?
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pk_davidson
Jan 24, 2007, 6:56 PM
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sidepull wrote: . . . alas, it seems there are no bouldering test pieces in our arid state . . .
SAY WHAT ?
Never heard of Bob Murray ?
How about the PBC ?
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