The Mace | chossclimbers.com

December 25th: The Regular Route on The Mace

The Mace (amazing looking tower!) from the approach.

As it would turn out later in the evening, sleeping in a Mo 6 in Flagstaff (for ~$35) was a sound economic decision. We drive 30 minutes south to Sedona with plans to go for the most popular route there (you know, Christmas day – most climbers should still be at home and drunk) – the (51st North American Classic) Regular Route on The Mace.

Good times! Short approach – looks and feels like a city park – and soon we’re looking up at the first pitch. Bit of run-out 5.6 and a short pull through a bulge in a limestone band and I arrive on a nice ledge (all belays are on nice ledges here) to find a single, very fat bolt. Next pitch starts as an awkward 5.9 handcrack and after some huffing and puffing I finish the pitch via an easier OW crack – very happy to have brought one #5 Camalot. Pitch three is also pretty fun – an airy face traverse to a 5.8 chimney. Time for a beating: pitch four starts OK enough (cool views from below of one of the handful of “bulbous” summits that make up the formation) but gets hard near the top. I huff and puff some more and eventually stand on the single bolt to get through the short OW section.

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Beginning the lead of the fourth (crux) pitch of the Regular Route on The Mace.

Now for the fun part: the last “pitch” (only about 20 feet long) requires you to step across (kinda wide) a chasm that separates the lower tower from the true summit using some 5.8-ish face holds on the other side. After some (10 minutes 🙂 ) thinking, I finally get across. This really makes the route!! Shirley needs a bit more thinking than me but makes it across shortly as well. On top a very unique summit register container awaits which also happens to be the rap anchor.

Signatures, raps, hike (many, many hikers and tourists – “so did you guys rope the dog to the top too?”….yeah, that’s pretty clever – haven’t heard that before) and cold beer at the trailhead. No climbers encountered all day.

The Forest Service campground right outside of the town is nice…..it better be nice as it turns out to be the priciest camping we’ve experienced at $18/night. Shiiiiiiiiit!

December 26th: Oak Creek Spire Failure

Oak Creek Spire as seen from the (wrong) approach…it towers above the suburban hell that is Sedona (Christmas 2005).

Wake up at whenever hour – figuring it’s a short approach and only 5 pitches – and head for the trailhead just outside (opposite side) of Sedona. No self issue box for the required $5/day (another rip off) Red Rock Pass. Oh, well. Let’s gamble. We decide to follow the officially sanctioned directions (per Green’s guidebook) that avoid the sprawling development around the spire. The key seems to be following an established trail till a side trail heading for the spire becomes apparent (never did to us). Directions are vague but after 2+ miles of hiking and seeing the spire progressively shrink into nothing off in the distance, we decide that maybe we should’ve cut through the (goddamn) private property lots on a direct heading for the spire. It’s after twelve by the time we hike back to the trail head. Sedona the town kinda sucks – development seems to be sprawling out of control and the town seems to be too high class for a supermarket. Let’s get out of here. We head south. Baboquivari Peak has some nice routes listed on it in the Kerry guidebook.

We pass through Phoenix and Tucson and are soon driving through a few reservation villages with the aim to do the west side approach. The books mention the required camping fee charged by the Indians but fail to mention the “membership” fee required to use their land. Should’ve done more research. Our route of choice has the west side approach recommended. Don’t want to risk another day of no climbing. Screw it – next time. We change course and arrive in the Western Cochise Stronghold late at night. Stellar camping and it’s free.

Photos

View of The Mace from near the trailhead (Christmas 2005).

The Mace (amazing looking tower!) from the approach to its Regular Route (Christmas 2005).

Prepping for the first climb of the road trip (Christmas 2005).

Starting up pitch 1 of the Regular Route on The Mace (Christmas 2005).

Shirley pulling through a steep limestone band on pitch 1 of The Regular route on The Mace (Christmas 2005).

A Euro-style belay set up (single, beefy glue-in) atop pitch 1 of the Regular Route on The Mace (Christmas Day 2005).

Beginning the lead of P2 of Regular Route on The Mace. This is the 5.9 awkward move mentioned by topo (December 25, 2005).

Shirley following pitch 2 of the Regular Route on The Mace (Dec. 2005).

Shirley climbing the wide (~5.8 OW) crack near top of P2 of Regular Route. One #5 Camalot (walked it up) sort of felt like a minimum gear to make this section safe (December 25, 2005).

Beginning the lead of P3 of the Regular Route on the Mace. Pitch starts with a 5.7 face traverse (1 bolt) and finishes via a 5.8 flaring chimney (December 25, 2005).

Shirley belaying me on the 5.7 face traverse move that opens P3 of the Regular Route on The Mace. Another bonus of this route is the fact that all belays are on very comfortable ledges (December 25, 2005).

Shirley following the 5.8 flaring chimney on P3 of Regular Route on The Mace (December 25, 2005).

View into the interiors of The Mace that you get at the beginning of the fourth pitch of the Regular Route. A bulbous tower balancing on a narrow shaft (December 25, 2005).

Shirley belaying from the mouth of the chimney atop pitch 3 of The Regular Route on The Mace (Dec. 2005).

Beginning the lead of the fourth (crux) pitch of the Regular Route on The Mace. You chimney into the interiors of The Mace and then make your way up a weird crack/groove passing a short but hard (bolt-protected) 5.9+ OW section (December 25, 2005).

Shirley belaying me atop P3 of the Regular Route. This is at the mouth of the chimney that is the start of P4 (December 25, 2005).

Shirley coming up the 4th pitch of the Regular Route on The Mace. This is the 5.9+ OW (December 25, 2005).

The last pitch of the Regular Route on the mace. This is a wild step across from the sub-summit block onto the main summit with much air below your feet. The face move on the other side is about 5.8. This IMHO makes this route a classic (December 25, 2005).

…and committing to the step across move on the final pitch of The Regular Route on The Mace (Dec. 25, 2005).

…and the great fun summit!

Shirley committed to the step-over move.

Great summit views.

Yours truly on the summit of The Mace following our climb of the Regular Route. Note the interesting summit register built to withstand a direct nuclear attack. This is fortunate as it also serves as your rap anchor off the summit (December 25, 2005).

Oak Creek Spire as seen from the summit of The Mace (Christmas 2005).

Shirley rapping off the summit of The Mace (off the interesting summit register) down a slot between main tower (left) and subsidiary tower on right (December 25, 2005).

Shirley and a mountain lion at the base of The Mace (Xmas 2005).

Oak Creek Spire as seen from the (wrong) approach…it towers above the suburban hell that is Sedona (Christmas 2005).

Shirley & Blondie lost on (failed) approach to Oak Creek Spire (Dec. 2005).

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