One drives through border patrol checkpoints and gravel roads onto Tohono O'odham land. There are cautions about human and drug trafficking in the area which adds to the sense of adventure. At heightened speeds I floated over the chunky roads in my rental sedan and reached a sheet-metal camp with spray-painted signs around midnight. I dozed in the car under a $20 Walmart bag and set out at first light, which wasn't quite enough light for me to pick the main wash to start. In hindsight the trick is to follow trails of mule dung, the fragrance of which is much harder to miss at midday.
I traversed around in the dry brush a bit, fancying myself an illegal. The Southwest can be significantly more pokey and scratchy than the Northwest, though still far more easily navigated. Eventually a trail materialized and sunrise and a mild hypoxia crystallized my euphoric state.
The upper forest was all burned out from either a) reckless recreationalists, or b) desperate desaparecidos, or perhaps even c) scorched earth agent orange tactics? Nah...
I scrappled around gaining the 'Lion's Ledge' while listening to The Old Man and the Sea audiobook. I started up the SE Arete which I had surmised is the best easy route. It was semi-positive WA Pass style granite scrambling in perfect lovely sunshine. There were cool trees and cute cacti on the route, and no snakes or loose rock.
There was one steep short pitch at a spectacular notch with great exposure to the west. I reclined in the cool breeze and convinced myself there had to be 5.6 holds on it, and there were (though the feet felt rather sporty). There was a cool lieback pitch after that. Near the top I was buzzed by a border patrol helicopter.
At the top is a little pile of rocks with climber offerings. The Tohono O'odham people made up legends that a 'mischievous creator god' I'itoi lived inside the peak and these were offerings to him, the 'man in the maze.' I brought a cool polished stick that I found on the trail.
The scramble down was pretty easy assuming one reads the beta closely. The 'Ladder Pitch,' where an iron ladder had once been installed and later removed, is an easy and obvious short downclimb (if you go be careful not to downclimb the other rap routes).
As usual the trail was twice as long on the way out as on the way in, even though I was jogging. I was partly relieved and partly disappointed not to have had any close encounters with any snakes or migrants for the full on experience. I did find the proper dung-paved wash on my return, and had a nice visit with the laid back Tohono O'odham camp manager, making my visit seem reasonably authentic.
Best views of the peak were on the way out.
The SE Arete is the right skyline. Descent (mostly walking) is via the great ramp under the shady face.
I'itoi, 'the man in the maze.'
I recommend it for anyone who finds themselves in Tucson with a day to spare. Tucson itself can be interesting too
The horse lubber grasshopper, Taeniopoda eques
