Cochise Dome Triple Direct, 5.10-R, 5 Pitches

Overview/Approach

One of the better moderate route combinations in Cochise is to climb Triple Direct to the very summit of Cochise Dome, rap, and then climb the two fantastic pitches of You Bet Your Life, 5.10 which starts in the descent gully and raps back into it via the route Concentration.   Triple Direct offers three solid face/slab pitches near or at the grade.  You Bet Your Life offers two great 5.10 mixed (trad and bolts) pitches.  All five of these pitches are long. 

Triple Direct is a combination of existing pitches on the east side of the south face of Cochise Dome.  The first pitch crosses an existing route named What’s My Line Direct.  It gets a runout rating in the local guide and deservedly so, however the runout sections are below grade.  The two cruxes on the pitch are early on, off the ground and the initial traverse left to cross the right facing corner. Both are bolt protected.  The second pitch is long but most moves lean towards 5.8 vs 5.9.  It gets a PG rating from the guide.  The third pitch is essentially some of the 5.6 terrain on the popular What’s My Line route.  The fourth pitch gets a 5.9+ rating in the guide and like most 5.9+ pitches, it is more challenging than many 5.10a’s in the park.  It is well bolted slab/face climbing except for the finish which is below the grade.  The fifth pitch is the same pitch many would climb at the end of What’s My Line to reach the true summit.  It is a short route that can be rapped back down to the top of the fourth pitch where the descent gully raps start.

The approach is not straight forward nor well-traveled.  Hike to the base of the south face of Cochise Dome as you would for What’s My Line.  Bushwhack up to the base of the middle of the south face and circumvent east to connect to the descent gully trail.  In short order, look to traverse left (leave your bags in the descent gully) through mature trees to the top of a narrow gully right below the east face that circumvents back west along a fin of rock that forms a narrow ledge (see topo photo).  At the end of that ledge is a bolt straight up.  You can see a shallow right facing corner up and left on the otherwise featureless face.  The first pitch crosses that corner and ends at a fixed rap.

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 115’-5.10-R/ Three bolts without any gear however you can sling chicken heads after the hard climbing is through.  Off the fin, make a crux slab/tiny edge move up through the first bolt.  Continue up to a second bolt with ease.  If you are tall, you can traverse straight left to a chickenhead for hands with no feet and make a dramatic move.  If 6’ or under, it is best to step down a meter or two and traverse left on slab at the grade to reach chickenheads.  Climb up and left on run out ground to reach a bolt below the shallow right facing corner.  Cross it and gain chickenheads you can sling and trend up and left to a fixed rap. 

2^nd Pitch- 140’-5.9PG/ This pitch is considerably shorter than stated in the local guide (165’).  Climb up the sea of chickenheads trending right to locate a bolt that you cannot see from the belay.  Nice sustained movement at the grade.  Climb through three bolts total and sling chickenheads to a fixed belay.

3^rd Pitch- 75’-5.6/ This pitch is way shorter than the guide suggests (110’).  Angle up and left to a fixed rap.  Stay on the chickenheads, slinging them at will. 

4^th Pitch- 140’-5.9+/ Climb up the slab/edges through six bolts.  The crux is through the first few bolts via steeper ground. As the angle abates, the bolts are spaced more apart. Hit the horizontal crack where you can place a medium to large piece of gear.  Traverse left to gain the shallow left facing corner. Climb it via bolts and a piece of medium gear to the sub summit platform.

5^th Pitch- 35’-5.8+/ Climb to the real summit via one bolt.  Follow the shallow left leaning seam past the bolt to more positive holds.  Rap anchor on top. 

Climbing Sequence

Descent

Rap back to the base of pitch 4.  Locate the rap anchor climbers right out on the northeast facing arete.  Make two single 60m rope raps to the gully below.  Walk back down to the wash or add one of the finer short routes in the stronghold to your day, You Bet Your Life, 5.10, 2 Pitches, midway down the gully and east facing.

Essential Gear

60m single rope.  We only placed a #1 and #4 on pitch four.  Otherwise, take plenty of 60cm and 120cm slings for slinging features.  Haul shoes for the descent.  South Facing