Typical McDowell Mountains face climb with 1980's style bolting.  Climbing-gym-hipsters beware.  A sport climb with one opportunity to place a shiny cam or rusty nut.

Lost and Found

Hanging Mantle

Sweet Surprise

No Easy Four

Sweet N' Low

We climbed the bottom half through the mantle and exited right and finished straight above using two old SMC bolts.  Climbs nicely with some potentially tricky protection but the rock is solid.  We top-roped the upper section that contains the flake, rock stays great and flake is solid.  Crux maybe around the roof, the section getting to the flake looks scary but is clean and safe.

While looking for another route (Zig Zag 5.9)--we never could locate though--we discovered another little gem.  As good as rock as you can get in the McDowells.  Short face with crack to corner, horizontal crack to vertical crack.  Crux felt like turning the corner (stuck nut) but the protection is great and the crack is better.  Watch and listen for the resident bat that likes the taste of bloody tips and sweaty pits.

Perhaps the neatest route on the formation.  Fat cracks, thin cracks, no cracks, ample opportunity for protection.  At end of crack(s) either trend right and clip rusty hangers with rings (upper section of route Sweet N' Low) or stay left and clip SMC hangers.  Either way feels the same.

Basically the same route as No Easy Four.  At end of cracks just climb the opposite of what you did on the route No Easy Four (i.e., instead of clipping SMC hangers, clip rusty-ring hangers).

Warm and cozy in the winter, hot and hellish in the summer. No crowds, some bolts, nothing new school, edges, cracks and *seclusion**Don't mind the distant dog barks, hum of blowers, car alarm beeps, and constant chatter from hikers across the canyon.*Some confusion around the area: the route Half N' Half is listed in the Lost Wall area (in the guidebook Phoenix Rock) but I believe it is on the wall directly below this area that is also called Half N' Half Wall with a route named Half N' Half (5.8).

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Lost Wall