Into The Wild

Into The Wild is a long, spectacular new school route up Oak Creek's Sunrise Arete - an unmistakable feature to anyone who is familiar with the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. The route is primarily steep slab and face climbing, but there are a few interesting crack sections as well as an awesome stemming and liebacking corner that comprises the crux pitch high on the route. I'm generally not a fan of slab climbing -- especially on sandstone, but the climbing on this route is extremely enjoyable, and for a new climb, the route is overall very clean. The authors of this route clearly put a lot of energy into it's creation -- both the line itself and the fixed pro on the route have been thoughtfully established.

Approach: Park at "Call of the Canyon" (the West Fork trailhead), just a few miles south of the last switchback after descending from Flagstaff. This parking area is on the west side of the road and is a fee area. We parked at a pullout 1/4 mile north and walked in before the entrance station was staffed (9 AM). Hike along the main tourist trail, crossing a bridge over Oak Creek, following the trail as it turns west up into the canyon below the obvious Sunrise Arete. Cross a smaller creek and after about 50 steps follow a faint trail up a wooded hill. A few small cliff bands must be skirted before scrambling steeply up slickrock to a large, open rocky staging area. A pair of bolts below a finger crack mark the start of the route. 20 minutes hiking from the car.

P1: Climb past two bolts to a thin crack with occasional pods to a bolted anchor far above on easier terrain. If you don't mind a little rope drag, this pitch can fairly easily be linked into the next one. 5.10; 70'

P2: Head up and left to the first of 9 bolts that head up ledgy slabs to a bolted anchor. 5.9; 100'

P3: Climb up and right past 15 bolts to a bolted belay. This pitch is called "The Basketball Pitch" -- you'll see why. For slab climbing, quite good! 5.10+; 120'

P4: Head straight right, then up the exposed arete to a bolt. Continue up past more bolts to a stance below a roof crack. Jam and undercling out this and up to a bolted anchor. I found a key mailslot out left to make turning the roof much easier. 5.11; 120'

P5: Do NOT head up the obvious corner above the belay. Instead, trend slightly right and up a short finger crack to a tree. Avoid this by climbing a bulge out right, clip a bolt, and continue up to a bolted anchor. 5.6; 80'

Unrope here and scramble up over a ridge, then head left through bushy terrain, following cairns, heading up to the upper wall well left of the arete. Probably 200' of 2nd and 3rd class.

P6: Begin at a cairn below a dirty corner. Climb the corner, clip a bolt out right, do a thin step across move to a second bolt, and continue traversing straight right to a bolted anchor and the start of the upper arete. This pitch, and the start of the next, are really the only junky sections on the climb. 5.10a; 50'

P7: Clip a bolt over a bulge just above the belay and perform a very difficult move off of sandy, portable holds to get established on the slab above. Yuck. Continue up slightly better rock past a bunch more bolts. At a large ledge there is a bolted anchor (this is expected to be removed soon); do not stop here, instead, continue up past two more bolts to a higher bolted anchor that is not visible from below. 5.10+; 180'

P8: This pitch is pretty awesome. Climb up low angle rock to a steep crack in the headwall above. The rock is sugary and it's nice to have a #3 Camalot here (we didn't and got away with it though). Pull up through this roof via jugs and continue up a finger crack to a bolt at a good stance below the enormous hanging corner. Follow this tremendously exposed corner via liebacks and stems to a mantle/lieback crux halfway up. Continue to the top of the corner with more steep liebacking. Belay at a bolted anchor after pulling onto a ledge above the corner. The meat of this pitch is protected with bolts, but smaller cams protect the first section and make sure to save a 0.75 Camalot for the last 20 feet. 5.12a; 130'

P9: Climb the steep arete via cool pinches and sidepulls and a few super-exposed moves past 6 bolts to a bolted anchor near the top of the wall. 5.10; 80'

Descent: Rap the route with 2 ropes.

1 each 0 TCU through #1 Camalot. A couple extra finger size pieces. 15 draws/slings. No wires. Two ropes. Optional #3 Camalot is handy for P6 and P8.