Mormon Mission

"Every young man should fill a mission". In this instance, the mission is rad climbing! The inaugural route in the Northern amphitheater of Mormon Canyon is packed with amazing climbing and requires that you keep moving! Choss lovers beware, the rock is really outstanding on this route. With solid cracks, nice ledges, and Red Rocks style patina face holds in abundance, your mission is to have fun.

Pitch 1: Climb the slightly chossy stem box to a small roof, at point the rock gets better, crank through the left facing finger crack, past a tree to a small stance where a slot looms above. 5.10, 70 feet. Pitch 2: Move 5 feet left through a vortex that transports you to Red Rocks. Emerge into the sweet finger and thin hands splitter with awesome face holds. At a ledge, work left past a crack system into another clean thin hands crack to a stance on a pedestal with bolts. Great Pitch! 5.10+, 130 feet. Pitch 3: From the belay, move up and right to a varnished finger crack, crank thin hands to the roof and laugh your way to a bolted belay on another small ledge. Another great pitch! 5.10, 110 feet. Pitch 4: Scamper up 25 feet and move left around the angry biota to a stance, climb a crack toward a bolted belay on a diving board with a tree. 5.9, 75 feet. Pitch 5: Align yourself into the classic flare and sand hump up with tips and face holds. After a bit of chimney squirming, clip a bolt and slow dance to the bolted belay. 5.9, 100 feet. From here, some 3rd classing will get you up to benches on top of the formation if you are so inclined. There are really nice spots to hang out and take in the views up there.

Mormon Mission is located in the Northern amphitheater of Mormon Canyon, to the left of Rich and Famous Towers. The route faces west and because of its location has shade until early afternoon. The middle of the wall features a flat shield of varnish ending at a wide roof. The route climbs the right side of this roof.

The bad news of this mission is the approach, which is long and devious. If you don't find joy in long walks and humor in brush karate, this will probably bum you out, this approach is as long as anything in Sedona. Hike up Mormon Canyon to its end at a dry waterfall. Take the last exit left through brush to a slab. Up right, over limestone band to more brush. At the slab, solo up to a bolt, crank a move then hike up right (.5 c4 protects the follower from pendulum of the year), to an anchor. Follow bowl up, at its top move right on slabs to the base of the wall. 2HR. 5.10+.

To get off Mormon Mission, rap the route. Once you have rapped back to the top of the second pitch, a 40 meter rap straight down will take you over a roof to another rap station. A final 15 meter rap will land you in a thicket of vegetation. From the base of the route reverse it down the approach pitch. Hopefully there is a beer and a headlamp in your pack, as it is at least an hour back to the trailhead.

A rack with small to med nuts, 1X TCU's, 2X BD .4,.5,1, 1X BD2-4 w/ 4X BD.75's, 1X BD #5 optional. Two ropes unfortunately are needed, but you can ditch it at the top of P2. After Pitch 1, belays are also rap stations. Clippers or hand saw could be put to use on pitch 4 and the approach jungle wack.