Queen's Creek - Sport Climbing in Arizona

OK - so we were trying to figure out where to go - so on Sat - we decided to hit up a "closer" crag - and that being the Volcanic sport climbing area - Queen's Creek - about an hour East of Phoenix.

Its actually pretty RAD - the location sucks a bit - since its right next to and overlooks a major highway - but I was down with that =) The climbing was QUITE good - very remiscent of the RRG - except in mini - small pockets - techy face climbing - mostly vertical or slightly less than vertical.

To quote Madonna, sport climbing for me - being pumped was "like a virgin, pumped for the very first time!" oh wait - that was really bad....but well - I got pumped - it was weird - I've never gone so long without sport climbing before - so I totally got pumped on EVEN the warm-ups =) It was funny though.

I have no idea about grades - since I've been bouldering so long - but basically - I was able to onsite all the 5.11s - some were harder than others - but I didn't really feel like I was going to fall at all.

Elodie and I are staying with her friend Megan - totally Rad chic - and Elodie and I have been taking turns cooking dinner -


Here was my tick list:

Pocket Party (5.10b) - Cold Shuts for bolts - I remember very distinctly that on the box of these - they say "not for human loads"...well whatever I guess....so this was a good route - Megan says it was "well traveled" - but I managed to break two holds a foot hold and a hand hold....I didn't fall of course...

The route right of Pocket Party (5.10-)? - Kinda cool - a little more techy, less pumpy. Not in the guide.

To rig for photos, I did what felt like the best route of the day:

Pocket Puzzle (5.10a) - Superb climbing - lots of jugs up a gently overhaning wall, which is unfortunately broken at 2/3rds height by a horizontal jug/semi-ledge...but whatever...very cool

Then I did:

The Soft Parade (5.11b) - which actually felt kinda soft for the grade - well I dunno - it was easy but whatever - two I guess cruxes - one techy crimpy section - and one "grab onto the sloper and pull down" section...kinda cool - good route - and once again - cold shuts for hangers...

next I did:

Casting Shadows (5.11b) - at first, I didn't realize that you actually climb the crack 5 feet left of the bolt line for most of the route - I did probably a V4 boulder problem before I looked over and saw the crack - after that - I was fairly pumped, but managed to do the rest of the route....

the last route of the day was:

Loc-tite (5.11d) - I think I actually clipped a few hangers on this one, but once again - cold shuts mostly...good techy climbing - a slabby/vertical face with good pockets the whole way up. You basically climb just right of a crack/corner system the whole way - if you climb the crack - its probably like 5.9...The crux was cool - I actually thought it was easier than Casting Shadows - but you get a couple good holds and stand up for a good drilled pocket - I was glad to have the same reach as the guy who did the route...

And that was our day =)