An Area Original.   Easy crack climbing between jugs and roofs into splitter hands and wide hands in a corner. A must-do warmup.

Unknown aka Pillar Route

Cubasco

Unknown aka Lost Elden Crack

Cleopatra

Elden Slab Route

Remudadero

Gideon

Wide Eyed

Little history is known about this Nor.AZ classic. J.Mattson was rumored to have climbed the left variation and at some point the right variation was aid climbed by an unknown party (J.M.? J.Gaun?). Until recently there was still a fixed stopper and a worthless "bashie" in the upper headwall. Any prior FFA of the right variation is unknown. 

  Start just right of the "pit of doom", climb up and traverse over to chossy, nest filled huecos above "pit of doom". Place a marginal piece in choss pod and climb through dangerous and unpredictable terrain to good ledge. A fall above the "pit of doom" is not an option and will result in injury. 

  Place good but small gear and climb steep crack to splitter off fingers. Continue up splitter off fingers (5.11) to a decision point.

 Option 1: Make a hero move left to climb fingers in a flake to hands (5.10ish, Rad!) 

  Option 2: Plug small cams and plunge into the powerful and strenuous boulder problem that splits the upper headwalls' orange shield. Use a series of power pinches, strenuous laybacking and tip-locks to gun into a resolution hand jam. There is no gear during the crux sequence but though the fall is big, it is clean. 

  I was able to red point on 10/1/2012 after many failed attempts and resulting whipper therapy. M.Swartz repeated a month later

Start on low angle left-arching splitter crack. Make several burly moves to access  a no hands rest on top of a chockstone. Place some small cams runners useful)and commit to the steep tips and fingers horizontal traverse. Climb until below obvious offwidth. Plug your wide cam and make the cruxy entrance into the OW. Squeeze your way up to easier terrain and a bolted anchor on top of Lost Elden Pillar.

Cleopatra climbs the beautiful bolted left arete of Lost Elden Pillar. Carefully climb start of Remudadero, make big and interesting moves up beautiful arete and into techy scoop. 

  Like most rock in Nor.AZ pull down, not out...

The closest thing Flagstaff has to a Flatiron.  2000 ft of scrambling up the super tacky undulating rock of Elden's south ridge.  Due to its southern exposure, this ridge is the first thing to dry out when the sun comes out.  A damn good way to work on endurance on days your hands need a break and a great prep for long alpine approaches.   

  Be prepared for burning calves on the ascent followed by a proper quad punishment on the way down.  Once you puzzle out the jumble of boulders, cracks, and caves at the bottom, just keep going up, navigating the long vertical tubes of rock near the middle.  Keeping to the center provides the easiest route as things get more steep and exposed on either side of the ridge.   

  Once you reach dirt at the top, keep heading up towards the boulders at the top of the ridge.  If you have any energy left, explore and enjoy the interesting and isolated band of boulders.  Work around the west side of the boulder band and navigate deer trails towards the summit, aiming for the west (left) most radio tower through a maze of brush, rock, and burnt trees.   

  Descend Elden lookout trail.  Total elevation gain from Elden lookout trailhead is around 2500 ft and round trip should be about 4.5 miles.  Great winter morning route, bring microspikes for the descent if there has been snow.

Start on okay rock, plug cam into chossy pod with runner, move delicately onto face. Climb solid face jugs, plug finger sized cam w/24" runner into horizontal. Move into thin seam. Plug gear and commit to face climbing to access the offwidth above. Same finish as Cubasco.    Falling low on the route is not recommended possibly making this PG. 

Beware of unfriendly cactus below seam

A unique and memorable addition to the Lost Elden obscurities. Originally found and possibly top roped on by Flag Old School (E.M.?). Dubbed the "Mini-Grand Illusion" of Flagstaff.  

  Start below on a low angle slab. Climb up unprotected but easy terrain to the base of the looming dihedral. With contention, stem and push your way through the short but physical stem-flare and "mantle" looking directly down at your belayer. 

  A kindergarteners lesson from "Book of Hate"

Wide Eyed starts by "climbing" the ladder below large cave. Delicately traverse right clipping two bolts to access splitter hands and wider crack above.

Lost Elden is a small cirque of quality dacite just North of the old school bouldering hide-away "The Bird Sanctuary". This small area has seen few climbers throughout the years and only hosts a dozen or less quality single pitches.  

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Lost Elden