Cochise Redemption

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Saturday

Endgame

Shirley leading pitch 1 (stellar!) of Endgame 5.10-. For a different angle, see here (Dec. 2009).


Having found a good airfare deal from Portland to Phoenix, Shirley & I fly in Friday night after work. A quick two-hour drive puts us in Benson, Arizona & an even quicker night of sleep is followed by an early rise. Morning hike up to the Rockfellows Group and once again we are at the base of the classic Endgame…Shirley with her fond memories of leading the beautiful first pitch and I with my less fond memories of popping a shoulder. It is cold and the sky is cloudy. It’s best not to linger too long in such circumstances or there’s a chance that the desire for a hot breakfast in town might win out. Shirley starts up the familiar first pitch. Crimps to first bolt. Slab moves to third bolt. Why is she hesitating so much at the 5th bolt – try slight left, try slight right. No go. “I’m gonna go straight up – watch me!” Shirley yells down. Things look kinda thin above her for a 10-. I yank the new topo out of my pocket: ”Think you’re off route.” I yell before she launches up. We failed to note that in the two years since our last visit to this route, a new 11c branch-off variation was bolted in. A quick lower off and re-tying of the ropes and Shirley dispatches the rest of the pitch without issue. In retrospect, I should’ve let Shirley deal with the 11 variation – not knowing what it was, she might have enjoyed it. The first pitch is stellar – as I follow, I wait for the same side-pull move that dislocated my shoulder two years back. It never comes. Guess I found a different way through. We swap leads and pitches two, three and four go uneventfully. The climbing is stellar though on all of them! An amazing route even if we’re getting blasted by increasing wind gusts! Pitch four puts us on a large ledge below the final summit headwall. We’re directly in line with the somewhat famous runout finishing pitch of Days Of Future Passed, reportedly a scary 5.8 R. I know that the standard and well bolted finishing pitch of Endgame is just around the corner but…screw it, if I get the DFP final pitch done now, I won’t have to deal with it when we come back for that route! I start up. Things are crimpy but mostly straightforward. I clip the first bolts (yes, there are two of them right next to each other – an old and a new one) at about 25 feet above the ledge and continue up. The going becomes lower angle but more slabby. The second bolt is about 60 feet up above the ledge. Focus. Breathe. Clip. I exhale a sigh of relief. The terrain above eases all the way to the summit of End Pinnacle. Runout but mostly straightforward climbing – though I think it’s less secure for shorter folk (i.e. more true slab moves vs. reaching high for crimps). Shirley comes up and we’re trying to decide which way to descend while freezing in the constant wind: the standard way via the N/NE side of pinnacle or down the SW face and DFP/Jimmywacky lines. The wind is coming from that direction and so we opt for the former. Indeed that side of the pinnacle if much quieter. We do couple of raps (per mountainproject beta) which put us in a deep groove/chimney. This then turns into a true cave and we belay a short section of bouldery spelunking to the final rappel. FUN stuff and all the rope pulls are easy & smooth! Definitely should descend that way at least once. Not a soul in the East Stronghold all day long as far as we see and hear – a great (if cold) day. On the hike down, we discuss what we will climb the next day and finally zero in on coming back for the classic DFP just around the corner…with the worst-reputed pitch out of the way, how bad could it be? Our main concern is that we are light on big gear but we figure we’ll make do.

Sunday

What's My Line

Starting up pitch 2 of What's My Line (Dec. 2009).


Knowing that we have to be driving by 3pm to catch our flight home that evening, we wake up extra early. The sky is clear (unlike Saturday) but the wind is noticeable even at the trailhead. We’re at the base of Days Of Future Passed on the west side of End Pinnacle by 8 or so and are shivering in the shade and the blasting wind. The line looks spectacular. I rack up and start up the first pitch before my mojo leaves me. I A0 the improbable “5.10” traverse (looks a lot more doable from below!) and am shivering the whole way. Shirley complains that she can’t feel her hands while belaying me….Shit, perhaps not the best conditions for it. I climb up as high as the slung chock stone in the OW & we bail. The sunlit east face of Cochise Dome across the way looks so much more appealing! We make the short hike and start scrambling up to the start of the classic What’s My Line route. The approach from our packs to the start of the line via the 4th class chimneys is more strenuous and probably takes longer than the line itself! Finally, I start up via the A0 penji/lower out to reach the start of the famous “chicken head highway”. It’s amazing – like an exposed ladder of granite chicken heads. There’s not too much pro on the first pitch (most of the chicken heads are not positive enough to hold a girth hitched sling reliably). I enjoy myself so much that I screw up the route finding (going up and right vs. the more correct right and up) and find myself with a section devoid of chicken heads (or much pro) and a mandatory slab/crimp move (not 5.6) to the belay. Shit! Some mumblings of profanity & I finish the pitch. The rest of the route goes uneventfully though it’s super fun all the way and there’s a cool slung chicken head belay in the middle. Very unique climb IMO – and very worth it even if the 5.6 grade (5.6 A0 to be specific) does not inspire you. We rap off and quickly hike back. Make Phoenix airport by 7pm and are home before midnight. One of our funner outings to the Stronghold. With so many more classics – both new and old – to tick, we’ll be back.

Photos

Endgame

Endgame

Very cold Shirley on approach to Endgame route on End Pinnacle (in background).


Endgame

Endgame (III 5.10-) on the SW face of End Pinnacle in the East Cochise Stronhold. All belays shown - final pitch has the alternative Days Of Future Past (left) finish or the standard (right) finish. View here is from top of Chochise/What's My Line Dome (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley leading pitch 1 (stellar!) of Endgame 5.10-. For a different angle, see here (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley leading pitch 1 of Endgame. Different angle, roughly same time...here (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley pulling the bulge at the top of pitch 1 of Endgame (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Yours truly on the finishing jusgs of pitch 1 of Endgame - a great pitch (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Leading pitch 2 of Endgame on the End Pinnacle - easy climbing if slightly runout. Wide angle view of this is here (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Leading pitch 2 of Endgame on west face of End Pinnacle (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Leading pitch 2 of Endgame...despite how things appear, it's not a dihedral but rather a prow of sorts (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley nearing the top of pitch 2 of Endgame (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Top of Endgame's pitch 2...still freezing conditions.


Endgame

Shirley leading pitch 3 of Endgame -- this was in our opinion the crux of the route, in fact the frist two clips were harder than they looked from below. View of this section from afar/below is here (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley (in red) leading pitch 3 of Endgame belayed by yours truly (sporting cammo green; Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley in the cruiser part of pitch 3 of Endgame - very fun climbing here (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Topping out on the crux pitch (#3) of Endgame (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Leading the easier pitch 4 of Endgame with the rest of the Rockfellow Group in background (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley following pitch 4 of the beautiful Endgame route on the End Pinnacle in the Rockfellows Group of Cochise (Dec. 2009).


Days Of Future Passed

Finishing Endgame by leading the runout finish of the classic DFP...why? Because I figeres when we come back for DFP, I'll just be able to do the tightly bolted Endgame finish around the corner instead....i.e. get the stressful shit out of the way you see? Clipping the first bolt. Next one (last one) is 30 feet higher. Not too bad excpet it's all above a big ledge (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

View down to the big ledge from 2nd/last bolt of final pitch of Days Of Future Passed (=our finishing pitch of Endgame; Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Which way do we rap?? Consulting the MP beta on the issue on the summit of End Pinnacle. This would be a great spot for a nice cooling off of your feet had it been over 30F and not blasting arctic wind at us (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley hiking along the summit ridge of End Pinnacle to the start of the rappells after our climb of Endgame (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley hiking the summit (with its pretty ice-filled holes) ridge of End Pinnacle to the start of the standard rappells (Dec. 2009).


Endgame

Shirley spelunking on the standard descent from the End Pinnacle summit after our climb of Endgame (Dec. 2009).

What’s My Line

What's My Line

What's My Line (II 5.6 A0) on Cochise Dome as seen from near the top of End Pinnacle (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Listen - I know whatchagonna ask: why do you need one green kayak on the rack for this What's My Line here? It's simple: you just never know what might come in handy! End Pinnacle is in the background with most of Endgame route visible. December 2009.


What's My Line

Shirley following (not all too happy) my version (ahhhem, screw up) of pitch 1 of What's My Line on Cochise Dome...call the final move here 5.6++ (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Starting up pitch 2 of What's My Line (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Pitch 2 of What's My Line on Cochise Dome (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Shirley (red) & yours truly on the chickenhead highway that is pitch 2 of What's My Line (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Shirley in a sea of chickenheads on pitch 2 of What's My Line (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Shirley arriving atop pitch 2 of What's My Line...line.


What's My Line

Shirley at the 2nd belay on What's My Line...the chickenhead belay. Some sounded kinda hollow to me so I figures slinging more of them chickens can't be bad eh (Dec. 2009).


East Stronghold

Amazingly shaped granite boulders in the East Cochise Stronghold of Arizona. For reference, the trees around the base are in the 30+ foot range (Dec. 2009).


What's My Line

Unknown climber following pitch 2 of What's My Line on Cochise Dome...a sea of chickenheads (Dec. 6, 2009)


What's My Line

Unknown party on pitch 3 of What's My Line. Wide angle view of this is here (Dec. 6, 2009).


East Stronghold

Shirley hiking out of the East Cochise Stronghold. Cochise Dome is in the background with a party of two seen high on the final pitch of What's My Line route (Dec. 2009).


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