North America, United States, Arizona, Baboquivari Peak, I'itoi Dance

Publication Year: 2002.

Baboquivari Peak, I'itoi Dance. In April 2000 Jackie Carroll and I climbed a new route on the southwest face of Baboquivari Peak in Southern Arizona. It starts at the lowest point of the wall on a small buttress, between The Crystal Line and Times Lost. A bolt 15 feet off the ground marks the start. Pitch 1: Climb the buttress (5.6) to a tree-covered ledge. Pitch 2: From the left end of the ledge climb up and left past two bolts to a clean right-facing dihedral. At the top of the dihedral move right through overlaps past three bolts (5.10) to a leaning, left-facing dihedral. Belay at its top. Pitch 3: A short 5.7 crack leads to a large left-leaning ramp. Climb above the ramp, trending up and right to a circular break in the horizontal roof that forms the bottom of the large headwall in the middle of the face. Pitch 4: Move over the bolt-protected roof (5.10a), then connect cracks and seams to a ledge with a pine tree in the middle of the headwall. Pitch 5: Climb straight up to a mantle, then left on a dike, and surmount a bulge, passing two bolts. A right-facing dihedral takes gear well but closes down for the final 5.10 move off the headwall. This brings you to a large sloping ledge, I’itoi’s Patio. Pitch 6: Scramble up easy ground for a full pitch, trending left towards an obvious water stain. Pitch 7: Climb a crack and pass four bolts on an arête left of the stain to a ledge with large oaks. (Note: You may be able to scramble to the summit by climbing the tree filled gully left of this pitch.) Pitch 8: Move right out onto the face, passing some flakes (5.6), to a large ramp and cross the route Born of Water. Pitch 9: Instead of climbing the ramp head straight up to an undercling/overhang (5.6). Up and right leads to the summit plateau. Bring a full rack of cams, nuts, and slings. Tri-cams may be helpful.

Mike Strassman