Pitch 1: 5.11 OW money pitch long daddy 43m Pitch 2: 5.10 Sandy fragile mixed sport 15mPitch 3: 5.9 Great chimney fragile finish 50mPitch 4: 5.8 Crack to thick bush gully. 15m Pitch 5: 5.old school chimney, top out right, head up to bush meadow. 20m We hiked out to the right of the upper headwall section by hiking as far right as you can you access a gull that takes you back to car

Locus Pocus

Reign of Sand

Denied Bail

Daedalus

three evils

Wide Pride

Shenanigans

Life Without Parole

The Jamaican Bobsled Team

Insomnia Spire - 25 to Life

Heir To The Throne

Valhalla

Enter Sandman

Moloch

A proud spire hidden deep in the West Fork, located in a sub-drainage canyoneers call Insomnia Canyon. It's a little complicated to climb this tower but it is an awesome and awarding adventure in beautiful and seldom visited place.   

  Casey and I did the first ascent of this route and tower just after both of our 25th birthdays. We wanted to do a birthday challenge but were too soft to do 25 pitches in a day and couldn't think of anything else so this is it. I have no idea how the climb relates to the number 25 so if you think of anything clever let me know.

 Route:   Start from the obvious large flat ledge area after the last approach rap.  

  P1: Climb up low angle ramp, traverse across top, and belay from furthest small pine tree separating the fin you are on from the spire proper. 5.6 R, 150' (note: this pitch is downclimbed on descent) 

  P2: From small tree belay downclimb northeast into the notch to where you can stem across to a 2 bolt anchor (uncomfortable wide stemming or hanging belay). 5.8 50' 

  P3: 5.10+ crux is moving up left for 5-10' off of the belay (now has one protection bolt) and gaining the arete and the opportunity for protection. From here the rest of the pitch is 5.9+. At a small tree 30' up move left onto crack in the north face. Climb up crack and large patina edges to the top and belay off the 2 bolt summit anchor. 5.10+, 120'.  

  Descent:    With a little swinging around you can do a single rope rap from the summit back to the tree belay at the end of P1. From here reverse P1 down the ramp.

From the anchor at the rim make 7 raps down Heir to the Throne. Rap 1 is down a low angled slab to a ledgy zone. Hike right out to a point with an anchor. Rap 2 goes across a gap around skiers left of a mungedoo and then over a lip to the right (40' Rap). Rap 3 straight down to an anchor in a alcove (35m). Rap 4 down to a anchor in the middle of a blank face (60'). Rap 5 down to a large ledge (100'). Rap 6 straight down (80'). Rap 7 straight down to ground (90').  Start on a sweet patio.

 P1 - 5.12-

 The Crux. Rad and unique mixed pitch.

 P2 - 5.12-

 Traverse left past a hard boulder problem then around an arete and across a corner moving up to a belay by a tree.

 P3 - 5.11

 Mega money pitch. Go up and don't pump out. Belay at bolts on a good ledge Long pitch ~160ft

 P4 - 5.11-

 Move directly right off the ledge and round the hanging arete into a wide crack. Move up past some cracks and a couple bolts to an alcove belay.

 P5 - 5 .10+

 Climb the wide crack above briefly before moving left to a face/arete with good horizonals. Move up and over a roof and bust right to an arete with a couple bolts.

 P6 - 5.6

 Move up and around the mungedoo

 Intermission - Walk up right then left to the face you rapped down.

 P7 - 5.9 d

 Dresdoom memorial pitch. Start in a tree and go up.

The other line on the tower. The obvious full-length line on the tower. the 2nd ascent of the tower did this sit start. The first ascensionist K. Kent (first name withheld to protect the guilty) also envisioned this route but arrived a week too late, only to bail from partway up after seeing bolts.  

Pitch 1 5.11

  Climb slabby crack through wide boxes to ledge and bolted belay. This is the same first pitch as Life Without Parole

Pitch 2 5.11+

  Work up the slippery, hero tips crack past 2 bolts. At the ledge, step right into the other hero crack. at the roof, move right to a belay. 

Pitch 3 5.10

  Go up the thin hands crack to a horizontal, skate right to the arete, clip a bolt and keep moving up and right past another bolt to a belay alcove. 

Pitch 4 5.10-

  Box up the fist crack through a bulge, step right to a hand crack. Gently push your way past wide cracks into the bolted  

  Pitch 5 5.9+ PG-13 

  Join 25 to life and quest you way up the north face to the summit. 

  Rap Life Without Parole with 70 m 

Approach:

  Drive out woody mountain road to FS 778 follow this, taking rights at any forks to a primo overlook and campsite on the rim of the West Fork. From here blast down the ridge straight out of the parking lot. Follow this ridge down cutting left when needed. Right above the gully/drainage cut right following ledges right and zigzagging down some steps to continue down the ridge. After about 10 min you will reach a outcropping of magical red rainbow rock. Continue about 200ft and cut right into the far too gnar couloir. Ski down the brown pow avoiding dense vegetation and locus. When you join another drainage continue down another 100 yards and look for an escape ramp to your right. Follow this contouring into the canyon and join a slickrock slab. Head up canyon along the sidewalk cutting up into the veg when the sidewalk ends. Bushwack up to the base. The route starts on the east face.  

  Approach time: 

  3 Man Bobsled Record 26:15 

  Approach time may vary. Consult the Approach Estimator™ chart below 

  Approach Estimator™ Chart   -------------------------   Base Time - 26 min - Add 15 min for each box checked*   -------------------------   X - Are you reading this?   X - Are you reading this on the approach?   X - First time doing this approach?   X - Is it dark?   X - Are you lost?   X - Did you forget your headlamp?   X - Did you get a flat tire?   ------------------------- 

boxes may be checked multiple times 

  Deproach - Reverse your steps, take your approach time and double it

Great mixed climbing up the central pillar of Insomnia Canyon’s east wall. The first 5 pitches are outstanding and worthy in their own right. A splitter 5.13- A0 king swing variation to pitch 3 brings the grade down to a more sustained 13-ish A0 and is very fun. P1. 12+/13- 4 bolts, fingers to hand size cams. P2. 5.12. 12 bolts, tips to finger size cams at the start and a #4 or a sneaky .1 near the end. P3. 5.13+ “The String” 5 bolts, med nuts, tips to fingers P3. Var. 5.13- A0 “The Splitter That Never Sleeps” One of the best splitters around, but it just gets smaller and smaller until it disappears into the blankness. After clipping the chains lower down, back clean some gear and pendulum into “the String” above the business, climb the last part of the string (12-) on a second rope. Bring extra .3 and .4s for this Var.P4. 5.13 12 Bolts, few finger size cams to startP5. 5.12+ “Wax Wings” 3 Bolts, tips to hand size cams, med nuts. Steep!P6. 5.10 1 bolt fingers to hands, kinda chossy Rappel Beta. Rap every pitch with a 70M rope, the 5th pitch is very steep, place directional gear or keep a swing. Bring your own long anchor sling for the top. All other anchors are equipped. 

A direct line up the slightly overhanging west side of this lil side canyon.  Mixed quality rock ranging from excellent to poor. a definite adventure! Rap route with 1 70 meter ropepitch 1: A reachy bolt ladder leads to a spicy move to gain the crack system. shallow offset placements eventually lead to a finger then short hand crack to anchor.  Might go free at 5.hard? A hook and #2 beak would come in handy C2    35 mpitch 2: A few hard moves thru a roof on suspect rock lead to a left facing handcrack full of shrub but good gear and jams. then a steep bulge on good rock with 2 options, we went right, to anchors.  5.10+    20 mpitch 3: money pitch. up varied hand size crack thru several steep bulges on very good rock. nice patinas help thru steep climbing. 5.10-   25 mpitch 4: Up dirty hands to off width to chimney crack thru a bush or 2. then a move right to a ledge. continue straight up th face past 2 bolts and a couple cams to a spicy topout.  5.10 pg-13    30 m

Good wide climb with good sun for colder days. Good adventure.  Pitch 1: 5.9 Hands to chimney to OW 35m Pitch 2: 5.9+ Great hands with some OW 15mPitch 3: 5.11+ MONEY PITCH. Smalls to BIGs, OW. 35mClimb up easy stone to single bolt. rap to bushy ledge Pitch 4: 5.10+ Good. Smalls to BIGs. OW. Top out, hike left under tower. Rap down notch hike across and climb to hike out.

5 parts excellent climbing, 2 parts fun shenanigans. This route connects a series of cracks inside a narrow chasm. The shenanigans start when the route switches from the north wall to the south, then back.Pitch 1: start up a sandy low angle corner ramp to the bottom of a chimney, climb the chimney placing gear in the OW/hands/fingers crack, switch cracks nearing the top and belay at the 2 bolt island ledge. 5.9 42m,  optional #4Pitch 2: leave the island to the north, clip a bolt and gain the ledge, travers right, clip 2 bolts through soft rock off the ledge, thought provoking crack climbing leads to a 2 bolt anchor at a stance. 5.12- 30m, 3 bolts Pitch 3: traverse left past 3 bolts and some gear to the arete, climb up past 2 more bolts before traversing back right placing gear, to the furthest right steep finger crack, take this to a large sloping ledge with 2 bolt belay. 5.11 30m, 5 bolts Pitch 4: the first of the shenanigans pitches, there are a few ways this can be done, maybe the safest and most comfortable way is to climb back down ~15ft until even with a jug on the the opposite wall, get to the jug, make a few moves to a 2 bolt hanging belay, a seat is nice here, top belay partner over and pull rope. It’s possible to avoid the hanging belay by building a lower anchor on the north wall and linking the move across into P5, without 2 ropes this doesn’t protect the leader well. 5.? -5m, Red c3 Pitch 5: splitter fingers to a hand pod, head left and up, around arete past 2 bolts to another finger crack, take this to a 2 bolt anchor at a ledge. Amazing pitch!5.12 30m, 2 bolts, extra finger size cams Pitch 6: the 2nd shenanigans pitch, from the ledge clip the high bolt, throw out an uncomfortable amount of slack and make the leap back to the other side. Clip 1 bolt on your way to the 2 bolt anchor 5.? 5m, 2bolts, approach shoes or Air Jordans are nice. Pitch 7: boulder problem protected by a bolt and cam off the ledge, 2 more bolts up steep corner, small gear crux leads to steep choss blobs and hand crack in a corner to finish. From the ledge below the summit clip the bolt with a runner to prevent rope getting stuck, climb up easy terrain to the right and back left to top anchor. 5.12 38m, 4 bolts Rappel Beta: bring an extra anchor sling for the top anchor, everything else is equipped to rap. With 2 60s. Do a short (~15ft) rap from the top to a ledge with an anchors positioned to keep the rope out of the crack below, then to an anchor at the base of p7 corner, from here make a shorter rappel to  big sloping ledge, then a long rap to the island belay and one more to the ground. Can be done with a single 80m rope if you use the P2 anchor and don’t mind coming up a little short before the ground. You can swing over and leave shoes to jump in on top of pitch 5.

Life Without Parole is a magical adventure up the south face of Insomnia spire, those who dream of this route never sleep again. 

  Pitch One - 5.11   Climb slabby crack through wide boxes to ledge and bolted belay. 

Pitch Two - V3+   Move belay left 40 ft. 2 bolts. 

  Pitch Three - 5.12   Look up, yes, you get to climb that. Blast off the off belay ledge, following 3 bolts to the obvious splitter above. Jam your way to the anchor. 

  Pitch Four - 5.11-   Climb magic hands to magic fists to magic offwidth to magic munge to magic anchor. 

  Pitch Five - 5.10   Awkward thin hands to bolted OW. You are on a tower. 

  Pitch Six - 5.11-   Boulder around to the north side, joining 25 to Life and quest to the summit (5.9+ PG-13).

Approach:

  Drive out woody mountain road to FS 778 follow this, taking rights at any forks to a primo overlook and campsite on the rim of the West Fork. From here blast down the ridge straight out of the parking lot. Follow this ridge down cutting left when needed. Right above the gully/drainage cut right following ledges right and zigzagging down some steps to continue down the ridge. After about 10 min you will reach an outcropping of magical red rainbow rock. Continue about 200ft and cut right into the far too gnar couloir. Ski down the brown pow avoiding dense vegetation and locus. When you join another drainage continue down another 100 yards and look for an escape ramp to your right. Follow this contouring into the canyon and join a slick rock slab. Head up canyon along the sidewalk cutting up into the veg when the sidewalk ends. Bushwack up to the base. The route starts on the east face.  

  Approach time: 

  3 Man Bobsled Record - 26:15 

  Approach time may vary. Consult the Approach Estimator™ chart below 

  Approach Estimator™ Chart   -------------------------   Base Time - 26 min - Add 15 min for each box checked*   -------------------------   X - Are you reading this?   X - Are you reading this on the approach?   X - First time doing this approach?   X - Is it dark?   X - Are you lost?   X - Did you forget your headlamp?   X - Did you get a flat tire?   ------------------------- 

boxes may be checked multiple times 

  Deproach - Reverse your steps, take your approach time and double it

 CUZ CO© NEW ROUTE GUARANTEE - You will have fun or your money back, oh yeah, that's right, you didn't do anything, you're just climbing. Have Fun.

A good route with an emphasis on wider climbing.  

 P1) A loose start up a chimney past a bolt leads to thin fingers up high and deposits you into the base of the super chimney. (5.10-) 35 M

 P2)  Follow the cracks in the back of the massive chimney to a small ledge about halfway up. (5.10-) 20 M

 P3)  Continue up the back of the massive chimney up the steepening cracks to a traverse at a bolt and to the good ledge on the outside of the chimney. (5.10) 20 M

 P4)  Follow the right facing corner that starts wide with a bolt, goes to fists down to hands and then a bunch of blue collar offwidth to a small stance in the notch. (5.10+) 35 M

 P5)  Follow the wide chimney/ stem past a tree to a sandy ledge belay. (5.8) 20 M

 P6)  Follow the wide crack on the left, walk across the ledge and finish on the exit of "Enter Sandman" (5.9+) 20 M

From the anchor at the rim make 7 raps down the route. Rap 1 is down a low angled slab to a ledgy zone. Hike right out to a point with an anchor. Rap 2 goes across a gap around skiers left of a mungedoo and then over a lip to the right (40' Rap). Rap 3 straight down to an anchor in a alcove (35m). Rap 4 down to a anchor in the middle of a blank face (60'). Rap 5 down to a large ledge (100'). Rap 6 straight down (80'). Rap 7 straight down to ground (90').  Start on a sweet patio.

 P1 - 5.12-

 The Crux. Rad and unique mixed pitch. 

 P2 - 5.11-

 Continue straight up (Reign of Sand goes left) to a great ledge.

 P3 - 5.11+

 Keep going up the corner and out a crazy roof moving left (bolts), continue up another steep crack to featured lower angle terrain. Move left to an anchor. Long pitch ~160ft

 P4 - 5 .10+

 Climb the wide crack above briefly before moving left to a face/arete with good horizonals. Move up and over a roof and bust right to an arete with a couple bolts.

 P5 - 5.6

 Move up and around the mungedoo

 Intermission - Walk up right then left to the face you rapped down. 

 P6 - 5.9 d

 Dresdoom memorial pitch. Start in a tree and go up.

Valhalla, a hall of rock in Norse mythology, where warriors slain in battle fight for eternity to ready themselves to aid Odin in Ragnarok or “Doom of the Gods”. After battle, warriors feast and drink. Prepare for eternal battle. Valhalla packs varied, sustained and quality climbing in a beautiful setting. Bring your confidence and wide gamut A game. 5 Stars! 

  P1 - 5.11+   

  Blerch out of the sand into a rough warm-up boulder problem on bolts. Power out the leaning finger/tips corner. Work the flare/flake, clipping bolts, to a bulge and invent a sequence to the anchor. Stellar! 8 bolts. 

  P2 - 5.12- 

  Prepare for battle. Work up right (Optional #1) and clip a bolt. Then blast off onto the black frey. Tech your way through killer patina until the holds disappear and you can move left into a odd flake/crack/corner feature. Make your way up under the roof (small gear) and pull it on jugs. Stem and climb loafy jugs to the anchor. 9 Bolts 

  P3 - 5.11 

  Grab your jewerly. Move up past two bolts (avoiding a spooky hollow flake in the corner) and some gear in horizontals into a thin corner. Clip a bolt and pull your way up on tips locks. Wrangle the tree and enjoy a short OW warmup. 3 bolts 

  P4 - 5.11+ 

  Prepare for the 2nd day of battle. The best pitch ever! Climb dreamy finger to baggy hands on perfect rock to the base of a A-frame roof. Rest, don your armor and then charge, or squirm.., out the roof on #4s. Continue up more fists and OW to the ice box belay (A layer here is nice, cold air pours out of the crack). Note: This pitch could be significantly harder depending on how tight 4s work for your hand size.   

  P5 - 5.11 

  Grab your big cams and stumble your way up the offwidth to victory. Overhanging but not technical. 1 Bolt 

  P6 - 5.7+/-?! PG-18 

  The guy at the party who sucks but all his friends are cool. Not amazing, but fortunately short. Summit with confidence.

 All Belays are bolted. 

  The first two pitches of the route get sun around noon. The upper 4 pitches are in a north facing dihedral and get all day shade. An early start should allow you to climb in the shade all day.  

  Do to the rap-in, climb out nature Valhalla is a committing endeavor and not to be taken lightly. Be sure you are ready, the easiest bail route would be to rap into the drainage and make your way up a gully/ridge on the west side of the canyon. Then hike FS 778 to FS 231 to FS 9019M or bushwhack back to your car. This being said, the route is well protected and all the hard climbing could be aided/dogged through.

An excellent route that goes through the sizes on almost all excellent rock.  Similar in quality and style to a typical Zion line.  All belays are bolted and equipped for rapping.

 P1) "The Lawnmower"

 Lower quality and an entrance fee of sorts. Start on a small ledge with a tree as an anchor about 8 feet off the ground.  A boulder problem down low through a roof leads to easier face climbing. 3 bolts, 2x .3 and a #3.  70' to a 2 bolt anchor on a small ledge, (5.11) 70' Hopefully will clean up more.

 P2)  Thin face climbing past a single bolt leads into a tips to finger corner leading to a big ledge with 3 bolts.  (5.11)  mostly thin gear and a few hand size. 30 M

 P3) "Bat Country" A tight hands lieback leads to a roof (2 bolts) with baggy fingers above and then more fingers and flared hands leads to another great ledge. (5.11), 35 m

 P4) Tight hands into hands, then a chimney protected by 2 bolts and then more hands lead to a ledge.  (5.10) 30 M

 P5)  A steep chimney with a single bolt and optional #1 lead into steep hands and tight hands and a final large roof protected with a single bolt (for rope run).  Easier climbing (#4) above leads to the "Indiana Jones Tunnel" (5.11), 25 M (The only pitch you need the 4 for)

 P6) Move belay to other set of bolts.  Traverse right into the #6 offwidth which leads to the top of the pillar and then some funky face climbing past 2 bolts and a tree bring you to the top. (5.10), 30 M (The only pitch you need the 6 for)

A solid blue collar affair that has some great crack climbing interspersed with easier sandy chimneys. A easier intro to Insomnia if it is clean, but will require annual cleaning maintenance/traffic as loose sand funnels down the singular crack feature.    3 stars for Sedona 1980’s era but only 2 stars in Insomnia. P1   5.11-   Traverse left past bolt into the flare feature, climbing past hands and fists, through fingers and hands to the roof. Romp hero hands up to the Moloch, a small sandy ledge that will keep this pitch eternally sandy. Easy chimney on poorer rock to the massive ledge. P2 5.11 Squirm out the overhanging OW into the relative ease of twin cracks finishing with a fun chimney to a nice ledge. P3 5.10+  Layback the steep wide crack with great holds though a changing corners. Easier jamming into another chimney and flop into the mondo terrace. P4 5.9  Stem the funky wide slot then mantle into the super low angled slab and walk to the top. Goes into the sun in early afternoon but P2, P3 belays stay in the shade all day.Can leave the #5 and 6 at the top of pitch 1 while rapping.

A striking shear coconino canyon high up in the west fork. Mostly known for its canyoneering route.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Insomnia Canyon