Arizona
> Northern Arizona
> Winslow Area- H…
> E Clear Creek
Winslow Wall is a wonderful little crag tucked away in an unlikely location. Those willing to do the drive and complicated approach & exit will be rewarded with a beautiful, secluded canyon filled with many sport & trad routes that scale the steep sandstone walls.
The rock is mostly very good sandstone, and often covered with a hard, dark patina a la Red Rocks. Trad routes tend to be steep, splitter-style cracks with occasional face holds and good pro. The sport routes are generally steep, and often feature patina crimps and/or technical face climbing. Winslow Wall is also known for scoop routes that feature technical stemming through 1 or more scoops, body to bus sized huecos.
The prime season to climb at Winslow Wall is late Spring through mid-Fall. The water levels are generally too high during early to mid Spring, and late Fall can be too cold in the canyon. The hottest summer days can be nice if you chase the shade. Most routes are single pitch, but there are a few 2 pitch routes to be found. To my knowledge all single pitch routes can be climbed with a single 70 meter rope, and for many 60 is adequate. Although there are a few easier routes, enough for a day or so, most routes are solid 5.10 or higher.
To the best of my knowledge, early routes at Winslow Wall were of crack lines, most notably The Kingsnake, The Hanging Judge, Darkstar, and Stick It. First ascensionists include Tim & Larry Coats, John Steiger, Ray Ringle, Jim Haisley, Tim Toula, Stan Mish, and others. Later on several sport lines were developed on the faces between the cracks. First ascensionists include David Bloom, Rodney Blakemore, Doug Lafarge, Rich Ludwig, Chris Hahn, and others. There is still a tiny bit of FA potential in the main area. There is a ton of FA potential up-stream from the rap in gulley, but you will want a boat (a small inflatable works best) as the water gets deep. Please do not bolt near gear placements, squeeze between routes, or alter existing routes.
There is a small amount of primitive camping at the parking area. If the camping is full one can drive a short bit back the way they came in to find some other camping spots. However, if camping up the road please make sure you are not doing so on private property. The area is barren, so expect exposure to wind/sun/etc... There are no toilets, water spigots, trash cans, or designated campsites. Pack out ALL trash. Use existing fire rings instead of making more. Take proper pooping precautions. Don't trample or otherwise damage vegetation. You know the routine.
Winslow Wall is an isolated, delicate, environmentally sensitive, & incredibly beautiful area. Please keep it that way. Please pack out EVERYTHING you bring in. Please poop only above the rim.
A few considerations:
-Watch out for occasional patches of poison ivy in the canyon.
-Please avoid excessive chalk & clean off any tick-marks before you leave.
-The area is occasionally used by boaters floating up from Ft. McHood. Please be courteous & considerate of them.
-The darker rock is often harder than the lighter rock, but not always.
-A couple of the older routes on the West Wall have anchors atop the 1st pitch, but climbing the second pitch requires topping out, walking downstream on the rim to the end of the climbing area, scrambling down another gulley, then rappelling back into the canyon.
To get there: Start on highway 87. Turn east on highway 99 (1/2 mile south of Winslow) and drive for about 6 miles, passing over the Ft. McHood bridge (east Clear Creek) along the way. At the 6 mile mark there is a left hand turn, which is the signed Territorial Road. Just after this is a fence on the right. Immediately after the fence is a dirt road to the right. Turn right on this dirt road and follow it for about ¾ mile as it parallels the aforementioned fence. Some of this road is on private property, and continued access is appreciated, so please be very respectful of the area. After almost mile the road comes to a Y. Bear left at the Y (leaving the fence) and follow this road for about ¾ mile until it ends. Park here.
At this point you will be able to see the canyon below. Follow an obvious trail that parallels the canyon rim for a short while (maybe 1/3 mile) to a small slot leading into the canyon. Scramble down this for a short way to reach the fixed rappel & haul lines. Rap in & enjoy! Most of the routes are to the right (downstream) of the rappel, but there are a few great ones to the left also. To exit, most people either climb out the rappel gulley (5.4-ish) using a gri-gri on the fixed ropes, or just jug the fixed ropes. One can also climb out via a few routes that top out.
PAYSON
Cave Creek, AZ
1.) From the 87, turn east onto the AZ-99
2.) Travel for 5.9 miles. At 5.9 miles you will see a road on the left called Territorial. Directly after that will be a cattle guard. Cross the cattle guard and you will see an immediate turnoff onto a dirt road on your RIGHT.
3.) This dirt road will parallel a barbed wire fence on your right. Follow this dirt road for 0.6 miles. At this point you will see an obvious dirt road heading LEFT. Take that.
4.) Follow this dirt road for another 0.6 miles. The road will lead to an obvious parking area with a stone fire pit.
5.) There is an obvious trail to the right of the parking lot marked along the way with cairns. This trail follows the canyon south.
The descent ropes get replaced over time but definitely get weathered. Exercise caution before using a fixed line.
In addition, please consider packing out your waste as there are no good places to relieve your #2. Cleanwaste GO Anywhere toilet bags (also known as WAG bags) can be purchased from REI or Amazon and cost just under $3 per bag. You can also make your own for cheaper and the process is super simple. 1 gallon Ziploc bag + doggy waste bag filled with some cat litter. Go #2 in the dog bag, place it in the Ziploc bag, pack it out, throw it away. Some wet wipes in a Ziploc sandwich bag take care of the wiping, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer ensures that you don't give your climbing partner a dirty high five afterwards. Oct 11, 2009
Phoenix, AZ
Valley of the Sun
Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
The Oven, AKA Phoenix
The driving and approach directions are clear enough, and it is easy to find the obvious trad lines like King Snake and Dark Star once you are in the canyon. After that, identifying most of the routes is easy. It took us a little bit longer than expected to get out, but ascending the fixed lines or climbing the gully with a pack is not all that difficult.
I cannot say enough positive things about this crag and cannot wait to go back! Oct 20, 2012
Flagstaff, AZ
Salt Lake City, UT
- WARNING* the nut on the 4th bolt of Beer Snake is hand tightened. When I was cleaning the route last week i noticed that the hanger and nut was loose but didn't have anything to tighten it. If anyone is going to the winslow wall and wants to get on the route, bring a 9/16 socket and wrench! I pretty sure you could go in direct to the 3rd bolt and reach it.
Nov 10, 2017Cave Creek, AZ
Tucson, AZ
-All of the descent rope/hand lines are pretty F'd. Bring a rap line or be prepared to deal with some pretty gnarly mank.
-Lots of loose hangers. Loc-tite would be a great public service to the community. Every sport climb we got on had hangers that could be easily removed by hand.
-The climbing here is insanely good. I can't believe it took me this long for a first visit. Thanks to all of the WW route developers. Sep 29, 2019
San Luis Obispo
Cave Creek, AZ
Cleanwaste GO Anywhere toilet bags (also known as WAG bags) can be purchased from REI or Amazon and cost just under $3 per bag. You can also make your own for cheaper and the process is super simple. 1 gallon Ziploc bag + doggy waste bag filled with some cat litter. Go #2 in the dog bag, place it in the Ziploc bag, pack it out, throw it away. Some wet wipes in a Ziploc sandwich bag take care of the wiping, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer ensures that you don't give your climbing partner a dirty high five afterwards.
We (climbers & outdoor enthusiasts) are responsible for maintaining the beautiful public lands that we recreate on. This is one great way to do that and help ensure a pleasant experience for others. THX! Aug 16, 2020
Flagstaff, AZ
Maine