Photos by sonso45

GReat day, rock is so rough that it was fine climbing in balmy drizzly weather. OW has great hands in back and the top out is slabby. Emilio Rangel took on nikon 2100 030304.

Beautiful day in the Rock Tank. Steep moves and slabby moves on incipient cracks and edges make it a cruise. Sonso45 on nikon digital 022904.

TeePee Rock has two major lines that split the center face. This is the right crack. Adventure climbing at it's most basic level. The leader must not fall is a given. It isn't too steep but it is committing since there is no fixed protection at all. Besides, the crack angles and retreat would be difficult. Sonso45 and Mark Trainor FA 101503. Photo by sonso45 022204 nikon digital.

Sonso45 on bald boulder's overhung arete swinging well into the barndoor and flying off. The rock is rough on the hands and slick to the foot. Thanks to Steve T an Steve H for the spot. Slowdive took on digital 022104.

This photo is the same spot that shows Steve H from above. Not as hard as it looks due to the great edges you can use to stabilize while you slide your cheek in. Sound good? Steve Tweito took nikon digital 022104.

Perfect hands to OW with edges to use if you want to avoid the thrashing. I was more secure thrashing in a wide roof move than committing to the edge. It all worked well. Steve Tweito took with nikon digital 022104.

The route is vertical but no more than that, caution at the mid-section til you get to the solid rock at top. Steve moves methodically and ultra stable on any route. Steve and Jeremy look on. Great winter climb in the shade. sonso45 took on 022104 w/nikon digital.

Slap and Tickle has a great exposed finish to the first pitch. Steve has to pull on the jug under roof to stem out and reach over the lip. Easier if you work the stem higher before letting go of the jug under the roof. Sonso45 101003 on nikon digital.

We hiked the canyon and loved all of it. The boulders are a day of fun in themselves. Sonso45 nikon digital 021904.

Alex Cameron on the last part of pitch one, visible are the large edges that make it a fun ending; the starting crack is below him. The wall to his right is a homeland for small annoying flakes. Sonso45 on nikon digital 2004.

Broken Arrow 10c is a great route. Long and steep with a couple bulges on great rock makes for an interesting and solid climb. The wind was the only imperfection on this fine winter day. Digital photo of sonso45 by Steve Crow 020804.

Alex Cameron belayed by Fritzski on 2nd pitch of Adios Larry after it was retrobolted. Still need to pay attention near the top even if it is jugs to top slab. After a bulgy couple cruxes at start of the pitch, it stays steep and clean. Great rock, wonderful day with good friends. By Sonso45 on olympus digital 010804.

My disciples praise my ascent of the center top out! At least that's what it looks like . Steep and committing top out make this a group effort. Great edges and a flat landing help. Taken by Alex Cameron 122303 nikon digital.

Brian on new project that is way overhung with solid rock and good edges. On 2nd tier to the southside. 122003 by MR nikon digital.

I called it CC after the similar boulder at Yosemite. This one is a wee bit smaller and more exciting. A steep slick arete with a rest midway and a jug at the end, stellar. The landing is the thing, bonecrushing potential. YC and ebelay spotting. By Jeff Herbert @1999, slr camera.

Climbing R to L on a thin seam and thinner footholds gets you to the center of the problem where you climb up to top. Brian M. spots the steepest moves. Great problem. Sonso45 on nikon digital.

Matt and I found and cleaned this problem. It is thin edges and steepens til it tops out. R to L and up makes it longer than you want. MR used nikon digital 121303.

Some friends and I found this area a several years ago. FA of "another day's work" by Scary Larry 1994 +/- and repeated by me every so often. Clean crack, smooth face, requires decent technique or a super strong liebacking sportwad. Sonso45 on 2nd ascent; photo by Mark Trainor.

Brent tries to hit the top of Tsunami statically and doesn't quite make it. A great day anyway. By sonso45 on nikon coolpix digital 112603.

Scott leads the 4th pitch just above the limestone band. Despite a flaring crack, good protection makes it an enjoyable pitch. This pitch has a bit of loose small stuff; nothing to worry your belayer. By sonso45 on nikon coolpix 10/19/03.

Scott (sed) is near the crux moves, about to leave the lieback and get into the pod with a large flake in the back. Undercut feet and insecure holds made it exciting. Sonso45 takes photo on digital nikon 10/03.

Shana hangs at first belay as Lou finishes p2 at last ledge in huge fissure. Photo taken from up the highway from Atlantis parking area.

Scott watches MR climb mangler arete, after clipping this bolt, mount the overhung arete and head for the top.

Steve belays Paul on 1st pitch of Slap & Tickle. Crux is roof just below anchors. Semi-hanging belay starts off on cracks to small roof, stem-squeeze-jam and it's over on pitch 2.

Working the bottom portion of Buddhist, Crackaddict cranks on the steep edges that make this 200' slightly overhung face fun. It is on north facing wall that provides shade all day. Sonso45 took shot 9/03.

On a trip a couple years ago, I stayed at La Pagoda. It is closest to the park entrance, rooms are fine, pool was cool. I would stay there over the other places. Taken by sonso45 2001.

Sonso 45 trying to stay warm on upper portion of route; the falls were frozen that day. F. Drew took photo.

Curt dashes up Old Glory on R finish, an alt to going L and the finishing mantle. Taorock and Tigre spot him.

Pockets look larger from the ground than they turn out as you reach them; sonso45 in the rain as taorock snaps shot; 7/03.

This overhanging boulder starts on L and moves up and R to steep and tall finish, Taorock cruises it 7/03; photo by sonso45.

Steep pockets or go for the arete? MR takes the arete and makes it much easier/safer, staying off arete is harder since pockets are 2-3 finger x 1" or less deep. Clean rock.

Chris grabs overhanging flake to top out on rounded mantle on great rock, we called it Old Glory since it looked like a stone flag to us. It proves once again that AZ is climbable on 4th of July.

Andrei climbs 2nd ascent of Ghastly Rubberfat 5.10c; took a 15' whipper a couple moves after the photo. Route looks loose and scary, but it isn't as bad as it looks; just follow the bolt line. It is 15m from the south end of Headwall. Taken 12/2001 by sonso45.

Ed, Paul, Jim and Steve celebrate Steve's party at Courthouse Rock, 2001; I took it just as sun fell behind the cliff. That was my first visit. Sonso45 took on nikon digital.

Mark followed Chalkline, Kiril took photo as I belayed. We started at the ground and found clean solid rock in the cracks.

At the confluence of the Upper Salt and Chalk Creek is a U shaped wall of 150' tall rock. To walk in you must rap the falls.

At the confluence of the Upper Salt and Chalk Creek is a U shaped wall of 150' tall rock. It feels like Paradise Forks with better friction on the face. This route takes fingers and hands up to a tree; sling and rap off.

Bouldering over the spring was fun and committing, water was at least chest deep in the center and the moves were all solid and comfy enough. Sonso45 to top May 03.

Lots of other rock nearby and the water was nearly all gone; May 15th was a hot day and the springs we found were great.

We found this boulder in the canyon just east of the Electrical Transfer station near Upper Devil's Canyon. Easy to hard problems up this face.

I stopped at last bolt on 4th pitch for photo of Warpaint sweeping below Brent; I had an epic getting to the anchor minutes later the wind picked up and nearly blew me off the steep arete above. Manuel

The north face is a pleasant long steep scramble to a crested top. One scary and avoidable move with serious exposure gets you to top. Brent and MR did it 3/03.

The south face is hard rhyolite that has several large crack systems that feel like basalt.

The tall pinnacle is found in east side of Rock Tank and has an overhanging north face. Gila Manster goes up the far side.

Looking for a way up an overhanging rock that has potential, Jeff & Brent may have found a way.

15 bolts in 150' on one battery 1/25/03. The Leap is a prominent north to south cliffband that runs for a couple miles with much potential for long routes.

Numerous ways to top of Tower on east face. Silas follows Durrance route; Mark and Manny go left on wide crack, 09/02.

Mark Trainor ties in below the overhanging pinnacle. Pro is 1 pin, 1 nut and 2 bolts for a runout finish. Manuel Rangel took photo after another scary lead.

Mark Trainor shoots Manuel Rangel on the second pitch of El Matador. It starts as a wide stem/finger crack and gets narrower at the top; enough to keep you locked in to the end.

There are 2 routes on this 1000' volcanic rock. The regular/mountaineer route goes up the huge gully/shadow L of center; The Groover is on the L end.