Overview
The Fin is a very exciting climb with plenty of exposure. This formation gets very little traffic on the summit and there is no maintained trail to the base. One can complete this climb at a casual pace and be back to the car in less than a 4 or 5 hours. Climbers may take any one of couple of 3rd class scrambles to the base of the climb. The most obvious is a ridge line that will take you to the middle of the slick rock layer where you can take a fairly airy traverse west to a drainage that will take you to the top of the slick rock. From there you can scramble to the bottom of a pronounced 4th class ramp, with one 5th class spot, that leads to the summit ridge. The climb becomes 5th class, and is rated 5.7 at the top of the ramp where you will climb the west arete in 2 pitches. From that point the summit ridge is 4th class. The rap anchor is a questionable tree so you might want to bring a bolt kit along with the following: stoppers, cams to BD #3, pitons and 2-60m ropes.
Getting There
From the intersection of 89-A and 179 in Sedona. Go north on 89-A for a half mile and go left on Jordan Rd. Go about a mile to the end of Jordan Rd. and take a left. The road comes to a cul-de-sac on the far right hand side there is a road that takes you to the Jordan Rd. Trail Head it's about a mile and it's a pretty bumpy dirt road. At the trailhead park and you will hike north and cross an abandoned shooting range. Bushwhack north to the ridge described above.
Red Tape
The $5 Parking Passes are sold at the Brewer Rd. Ranger Station, most hotels, gas stations and vending machines on many of the trail heads.
The Fin is in a "Wilderness" and should be respected as such.
When To Climb
Spring and fall are the most popular times to climb. Summer rains soak the sandstone making it more dangerous to climb. It is recommended not to climb for a few days after a rain.
Camping
No camping is allowed on the mountain or in Sedona. Camping is availible in nearby Oak Creek Canyon.
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