Guide to Delta
This Tony Lusk discovery is straight downhill from The Steep. But that's probably not the best way to get there. I've done it that way before… it was a thrash. See the end of this post for a description of the best approach.
This crag is kind of a red-headed step-child. Not easy enough for most weekend warriors, and not hard enough for the tough guys. But overall it rivals The Steep in quality. And it won’t be crowded ! You can find sun OR shade at this crag. It has routes on all sides.
Back when we were developing The Steep, we used to look down Sabino Creek, and across the canyon, and try to identify interesting crags. Delta was 4th on my list that included Alpha (still untouched), Bing (untouched), Charlie (Charlie Dome), Delta, Continuum and Spectrum. We could also see Ireland (pre-development), but it did not look like much from The Steep. You couldn't get a good idea of the angle of the steep parts of Ireland until the big fire removed enough trees for good viewing.
Delta didn't look that great from The Steep. Tony Lusk went down and did some routes, and showed me some topos he made, but it took me a while to get down there. But finally in 2013 I made it down.
And what a beautiful spot ! No people, great looking stone, big trees untouched by fire, and you can hear sabino creek running just below. Tony had done several routes, but also left the best-looking face alone, and had never red-pointed one of the best routes. So I drilled a few holes and did some climbing. To my surprise I ran into some of the best vertical routes I've done. The Steep has some excellent 11s (George, Blue Sky, Spiderman), but I think the >>SIX<< 11+s at Delta are as good or better.
One of the few Mt Lemmon crags that require technical climbing to reach the summit. The Steep is another. If you are looking for a real, old-school reach-the-summit experience, do the East Crack route, climb past the anchor and belay on top of the crag.
The FIN is a really cool rock feature. It is an (almost) free-standing tower about 100 feet high, leaning against the main dome. Its NE face is made of incredible rock...really nubbly with lots of side-pulls and fingery stuff. It's really fun, a true 5.11 heaven. The FIN is also a natural windbreak against the prevailing southwest wind. You can probably climb comfortably on Fin Arete, and the routes to the right, even on windy days.
The 11s are no joke. Several of them tickle 5.12. There is a fun bouldery 5.12 too. And the Southwest Rib is probably 5.12, but needs work (like rebolting) to be an actual decent route.
Shout out to Josie, Cres and Jeremy. They all helped a ton getting this crag going.
The routes (working right to left, clockwise around the crag, starting on the steep north side):
Crystal Meth 5.12b ** (JBaker, JWodraska, CSnyder, DAdams, Sep 2014) Excellent movement on chossy crystals. I am probably the only person who would give this route 3 stars. But it is exactly the kind of roped bouldering I like. It reminds me of the Beach at Milagrosa, pretty steep and action packed from first move to last. 6 bolts to mussy anchor (probably NOT Climbtech). Bolts are 3.75 x 3/8 SS.
Hobo Sapien 5.10 **1/2 (JWodraska, JBaker, July 2014) A long-ish, fun, knobby face climb. Shares 1st bolt with East Crack route. Uses some of the holds in the crack before branching right towards the NE corner. Starts near NE corner of crag. Start on East Crack and follow the bolts that branch right. 11 bolts plus mussys. Bolts are 3.75 x 3/8 SS except bolt 2 which is a half incher.
East Crack 5.9+ ** (Tony Lusk ?) This is a TRAD route. 2 bolts lead you to a trough crack system. Obvious crack system between Book of the Dead and Hobo Sapien. Shares a 2 bolt start with Hobo Sapien, then Sapien branches right. 3 bolts and a standard Lemmon rack protect the climb. My comment from MP: This is a pretty good trad route. It's worth bringing a light rack along to do it. It has one somewhat run-out section. If that concerns you, a #5 Camelot would probably work in that stretch. This is the quality way to reach the technical-means-only summit of the crag (by climbing past the anchor). Old school ! July 2014 w/ Josie.
Book of the Dead 5.10 ** (Tony Lusk and ??, circa 2000) The main feature of the east face of Delta Dome is a huge, mostly-detached fin. The right edge (north side) of the fin leans against the dome to form a steep open book with an offwidth/jam-crack/chimney at the intersection. Tony bolted this feature even though half of it could be protected by traditional means. Whatever. It's pretty fun, and is not your typical slabby Mt Lemmon 5.10. Located at extreme north edge of the East Fin. Protected by bolts… plated steel, circa 2000. OS w/ Remy Oct 2013.
The Eagle’s Gift 5.11+ **** (JBaker, JParks, CKafura, Apr 2014) Complicated, devious, and pretty pumpy. You could call it knob climbing, but there's much more to it... seams, pinches, underclings, side-pulls, thumbs... they just keep coming. Drilled by Tony Lusk but never redpointed. Located in the middle of the NE face of the East Fin. Has a 2nd bolt permadraw to assist the sketchy clip. Protected by bolts, mostly non-SS, circa 2000. FA redpt w/Remy Apr 2014.
Over Under Sideways Down 5.11+ *** (JWodraska (OS), JBaker, CSnyder, PSobik, June 2014) A great route. Very sustained, lots of cool side-pulls, pinches and underclings. Keeps you thinking all the way. Located between Fin Arete and Eagle's Gift. Protected by 3.75 x 3/8 SS bolts, and has its own set of Mussys.
Fin Arete 5.10d *** (Tony Lusk and ?? circa 2000) About as fun as a route can be. Pretty airy. I was laughing out loud while climbing this. A bit grainy yet, but it will clean up. Located on the arete of the giant East Fin. Protection is plated steel bolts circa 2000. Some oddly placed. Mussys at the anchor. OS Apr 2014 w/ Jeremy.
Fin South Face 5.10+ ** (Probably Tony Lusk circa 2000) Mostly low-angle but with a faintly old-school, alpine-ish feel. Some people won't like it at all. But my partner and I thought it was reasonably fun.
Start by chimneying up to a high bolt. Stem across the chimney and start heading up. Sometimes you are fully on the Fin, sometimes you are stemmed across to the main crag. Mostly easy but fun, but has a couple of cruxy sections that may surprise you.
It's a bit grainy yet. I snapped a foothold that almost pitched me. And I'd like to test a couple of the features with a hammer. The bolting is just a touch sparse and there are a couple of places where a fall would not be pretty. It's fun, but be careful. Location: Name tells all, or look at the topo drawing. Protection ios bolts and leaver biners. OS Apr 2014 w/ Josie.East Face Slab 5.11+ *** (Probably Tony Lusk) A truly beautiful, sustained, slightly slab-ish face. Very technical. Joe Kreidel loved it, which should be all you need to know. East face of main dome, just left of the chimney separating the Fin from the main dome. Bolted. Not sure what the anchor is currently.
The Nose 5.11(+?) *** (JBaker, CSnyder, Dave Jones, June 2015) A classic-looking “proud” line that goes straight up the south nose of the formation. Based on looks alone I might give it 3 stars.
A harder-than-it-looks slabby arete/stem trough....followed by a cool, easier-than-it-looks overhang....then a delicate, vertical, bear-hugging arete with a hard-to-read crux bulge at the end. 13 bolts (I think) plus Mussys. Long QDs to prevent rope drag. Maybe double draw the bolt on the midway ledge.
Southwest Rib 5.12 (?) ** Hard to give FA info on this striking-looking route. For sure it was originally bolted by Tony Lusk, but when Joe Kreidel led it in 2014, he found no anchor and had to lower from the top bolt. In 2020 Josie and I added an actual anchor (with steel biners), but didn’t like Tony’s bolting especially at the crux off the ledge, which had been mentioned as an ankle-breaker. And the original start just looked awful… no fun. Josie has since found a much better start, but we haven’t finished fixing up the route. Soon I hope.
Josie’s start is interesting delicate face climbing for 40 feet to a ledge. Hard crux off the ledge to gain the awesome rib feature. 105 feet so use a 70 !!
There is a huge fallen tree at the lowest part of the toe of the dome (the southern-most point of the crag). It fell over just after the 2020 fire. Left of the stump there are 2 starts to this route. The right-hand start is Tony's original and it looks awful. The left-hand start was found by Josie Wodraska and it is actually pretty fun. We will bolt this start. I'm pretty sure it will become the standard start. It will have stainless steel hardware. Tony's start is plated steel. The 2 starts are about 10 feet apart. Tony's start will not be chopped, but I don't plan on maintaining it either.
Both starts lead to the same ledge just before the technical crux of the route.
Going to be all bolts once we get it all straightened out. Old bolts at crux and up the rib will be replaced.
West Face Direct 5.11+ *** (JWodraska, JBaker, CSnyder, Sep 2014) This route begins by doing the direct start to get to the ledge on the west face. Then it continues up to take in the crux of Journey To Ixtlan, but instead of hand-railing left on the chickenheads, you clip the cable-draw and then stand on the chickenheads and head straight up to the top of the crag.
There are 14 bolts and then Mussys. One of the bolts has a cable-draw, so the route could be done with only 13 QDs. But... you'll want to use LONG draws on this route or you will probably have rope-drag. And it's probably best to DOUBLE-DRAW the cold-shut on the ledge, the bolt after the cold-shut, and the cable-draw. So taking 18 or so long quick-draws is about right.
USE A 70 METER ROPE FOR THIS ROUTE !Tallest stretch of stone on the west face.
Journey to Ixtlan 5.11c *** (JBaker, JParks, Sep 2013) The pretty west face of Delta has an obvious stemming trough way up high. But how to get to it ?
Start from the south end of the ledge in the middle of the west face (2 old cold shuts there), or do the direct start to reach the ledge from the ground near the South Rib.
From the ledge, move up and right on progressively harder ground to a cool side-pulling, under-clinging crux. Continue up to a line of bizarre chicken-heads that take you on a rising, leftwards traverse towards the stemming trough. Big reach around a corner gets you into the trough. Great palming/stemming up the trough, past some giant heads, takes you to the Mussys.
THE DIRECT START ADDS 30-35 FEET TO THE ROUTE LENGTH SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE END OF THE ROPE. And, if you do the direct, read the description of West Face Direct for info on lessening rope drag.
The direct start (leading to the cold shuts on the ledge) can be done as a decent, 4 bolt, 5.9/5.10 in its own right.Petty Tyrant 5.11b *1/2 (JBaker, Craig Kafura, Jeremy Parks, Nov 2013) This short route adds a bit of fun to the crag, and another climb facing SW to give more options regarding sun/shade.
Easy but fun climbing up to a ledge. Steeper and harder from there to anchor. I can't give it 2 stars, but 1.5 is more like it.
See the overview topo for location. SW face of NW rib. 7 bolts and an anchor.
And finally… the Summit Access route. Free solo for 20 easy feet until faced with a gravelly insecure 5.9 move. There is a bolt there. Now you are on top.
How do you get to Delta ? The path to Delta wasn't really changed by the 2020 fire. It just cleared out some jungly stuff and burned up deadfall. The firefighters actually used the old Delta trail to build the 2020 firebreak.
Park at Marshall Gulch picnic parking. Go earlyish on a weekend or you may get aced out of a parking spot. Take the Aspen trail SOUTH out of parking. NOT the sunset trail, NOT the streambed, NOT the Marshall Gulch trail. Follow the ASPEN trail for 10 or so minutes until you hit the wilderness boundary sign. At this point pick up the path heading east into the 2020 firebreak. After about 100 yards you will be on the ridge crest. You can see Ireland way across the canyon to the east. There is a big stump here with a cairn on top. This stump marks the turnoff south to the Steep BTW.
At this point you are very close to Echo. If you keep heading east for 100 feet, and THEN turn south, you will be there in about a minute.
For Delta, keep heading east (more or less towards Ireland), down the slope, until you get back into actual forest again. Then swing south, following cairns, paralleling sabino creek, slowly dropping down to the crag.
It takes 15 min to get to the ridge crest near Echo, 20 more to get to Delta.
It is also POSSIBLE to get to Delta from Raycray, but I leave that to the student.
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