Climbing Baboquivari

What Am I Doing Here?

A grandfather on the edge clings to the cliffs of Baboquivari by Bob Kerry photograph by Peter Noebels CLINGING TO A TINY HANDHOLD on the precipitous Southeast Arête of Baboquivari Peak, I know I will fall. The climb is not hard for a good rock climber; but I am not a good rock climber anymore. I am a 61-year-old grandfather, rusty as a result of a motorcycle wreck and back surgery. How did I end up in this predicament? The answer is euphoric recall; remember the good, forget the bad. When photographer Peter Noebels invited me on this October 1 climb, I remembered great times climbing Babo but forgot the grinding hike and the honed skills.

Sixty miles southwest of Tucson, Baboquivari Peak rises just west of vast Altar Valley and harbors the 2,065-acre Baboquivari Peak Wilderness. Just north of Mexico, it marks the east boundary of "Babo" looks impossibly difficult to climb. It is a tough, technical climb, but the easier Forbes Route and the dramatic Southeast Arête draw the most climbers. The Forbes Route is named for Dr. Robert H. Forbes, who failed in several attempts until he brought along Jesus Montoya and grappling hooks in July 1898. They built such a triumphant fire on the peak that night that residents of Altar, Mexico, thought the peak had erupted. Forbes climbed the peak six more times, the last on his 82nd birthday, although it's a remote and dangerous route.

Our six-person climbing party set out on the distinctive Southeast Arête route. In mountaineering a sharp ridge is called an arête. French is the language of mountaineering, with words like belay, rappel, carabiner. The Southeast Arête rates an "easy" 5.6 on the Yosemite scale of difficulty, so it seemed like a perfect climb for me.

We approach Baboquivari through Thomas Canyon with the peak's dramatic east face in full view. Several years ago, a rancher's dogs treed a rare jaguar in these mountains. Photographs were taken and the jaguar went free. We do not expect to see a jaguar, but could see anything from mountain lions to coatmundi, social creatures that look like a cross between a monkey and a raccoon and travel in bands of up to 20. Even on the highway at dawn, we glimpsed several bobcats sniffing after the huge jackrabbits that float out of the predawn dusk, ghostly white in the headlights.

We park near the Humphrey Ranch headquarters where The Nature Conservancy maintains a trail access. We immediately run into problems. On the good side, the canyon is cloaked in brilliant yellow flowers. On the bad side, the chest-high flowers hide both the trail and the barbed branches of fairy dusters and catclaw, which tear at our bare legs. Soon the trail eludes us in the thick brush. I keep thinking, This is going to be impossible if we come out in the dark.

Finally, we shift to the creek bottom, with its bad footing but fewer thorns before leading on to an open hillside. Soon we reach the dramatic Lion's Ledge, which runs across the vertical east face of Baboquivari Peak. A permanent spring, rare in the desert, runs along the middle of the ledge. My 1997 guidebook observes: "Once on Lion's Ledge you will weave in and out of heavy brush close to the rock. If you can stand the exposure it is easier to traverse the tops of the slabs, out of reach of the brush. Just be careful you do not slip to your death doing this." We chose the safe route through the brush.

At the end of Lion's Ledge, we rope up and start climbing. We conquer easy slabs at first and then get to a steeper section. Finally we get to a place where I cling to a big, rounded edge and try to pull myself up to the next ledge. Tied in above and below me are two other climb-ers, both much younger and fitter. We are climbing two and three on a rope to save time and avoid that hike out in the dark. Three on a rope is risky, but we are "belayed" from above by Noebels, the best climber among us. This section challenges my climbing skills. The rock above me looks featureless. Reaching around the buttress, my fingers latch onto a tiny hold, but I am offbalance and puffing like a freight train. At last I give out a labored noise and heave myself up to grab a handhold above the blank section, relieved I didn't fall and pull everyone off the cliff.

After scrambling into a huge notch, we face the "crux" or hardest part of the route-a short, steep section of exposed cliff. Climbs up the overhanging east face rank as extremely difficult and require days of foot-by-foot progress. Climbers sleep in hammocks slung on the wall.

We are not climbing one of those heroic routes, but we could fall just as far.

It is 1,000 or more feet to Lion's Ledge. Ignoring the exposure, Noebels makes quick work of leading the short but difficult section. We follow in quick order and find ourselves scrambling on easy ground to the summit, where prayer flags flutter from poles placed in the rock cairn on the high point. Climbers have tied small, spiritual gifts to the poles and tucked them into the rocks. They vary from written prayers to plastic toy cars. We look around excitedly, read the summit register and take pictures. As we eat lunch, a slow silence settles us. The wind caresses us into a dreamlike state enfolded in the vast solitude.

Eventually, we rouse ourselves for the return. We get lucky on the way out and stay on the trail most of the way. We all breathe a sigh of relief when the truck comes into sight with a smidgen of daylight left. Al Bob Kerry lives in Tucson where he practiced law for 30 years in between hiking and climbing all over the state. Now he's moving into river-rafting.

Peter Noebels of Portland, Oregon, says he's in awe of Baboquivari: "After climbing the mountain at least six times, my respect for it never ceases."

Location: 60 miles southwest of Tucson. Getting There: From Tucson drive west on State Route 86 to Robles Junction. Turn left (south) onto State Route 286 and continue for 30 miles; after Milepost 16 take the first right and go 2.7 miles, turn right and drive until you see a gate with a sign directing you to the trail. Travel Advisory: High-clearance vehicle recommended. Please respect the property rights of the owners and do not cross or use these lands without their permission. Additional Information: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Baboquivari Peak Wilderness, (520) 258-7200; www.blm.gov/az/rec/baboquiv.htm.

tucson

Burning Sky The setting October 1 sun fires an expansive sky over the saguaro forests of the Tucson Mountains and the west unit of Saguaro National Park. JACK DYKINGA To order a print of this photograph, see inside front cover.