Warpaint, 5.10+, 5 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Warpaint is the easiest 5.10+ I have climbed at Cochise.  MP.com rates three of its five pitches at the grade.  I find the cruxes on Get the Flock Out of Here and Poultry Emulsion more challenging.  But the movement on Warpaint is sustained and rock exceptional by Cochise standards.  The first pitch offers all slab for the most part.  The second pitch is short and easy for the given grade, the only junker on the route.  The third pitch offers more featured climbing than the first, but still steep.  The fourth pitch offers by far the most climbing variety, including a trough corner, awkward chickenhead mantle and a lot of traversing on slab.  The fifth pitch has a punchy crux off of the belay on pocket crystals.  All and all Warpaint is a very good climb, but also popular with the sport climbing crowd because it is so well bolted. Expect crowds (relative to Cochise) on good weather weekends.

Park at the end of the road for the Whale Dome area.  Approach as for Whale Dome, northward up a drainage from the parking area.  Once even with Westworld Dome's west facing wall, before you reach Whale Dome, look for a cairned (2021) trail that heads straight up to the southwest corner of the wall.  Once you hit the main wall, keep circumventing up and right to below a bolted slab buttress which is Warpaint. 

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 130’-5.10+/ MP.com insinuates that this is the crux pitch of the route.  In reality, it seemed to be typical 5.10 slab.  It is engaging and sustained, but I never felt a sequence was anything to figure out, the movement was fast and efficient. No gear placed as I recall, 9 clips.  Semi hanging fixed rap. 

2^nd Pitch- 50’-5.8+/ The guide gives this pitch a 5.8+ rating, but it is more 5.7 than 5.8.  Move the belay over to the base of the right facing corner.  Climb the wide crack that protects adequately with small gear.   Belay at fixed rap stance.

3^rd Pitch- 115’-5.10+/ A bit less sustained than the first pitch and definitely offers more features vs just slab.  Again, not any more difficult than any other 5.10 pitches I have climbed in the stronghold but engaging from bottom to top.  We used a #.5 placement, but well bolted. 

4^th Pitch- 130’-5.10/ This is the more versatile pitch by far.  Traverse 5.10 slab up and right through several bolts.  Gain the short left facing corner.  It has a bolt near the top and takes small gear.  The next 5.10 move is height dependent.  At 6’ you reach right for the large chicken head and make a full mantle.  If shorter, use a diagonal body stem with feet against the left wall which helps you reach the chicken head and make a dramatic swinging mantle.  Place a #.5 in the plates above, long sling it and traverse back left across a bolt and follow the bolts as they trend up and left.  The bolts on slab are more spacious on this pitch relative to the rest of the route.  The bolts lead out to the featured arete up and left.  Fixed rap at a stance. 

5^th Pitch-110’-5.10+/ Warpaint joins another route at the start of this pitch.  The other route goes up the hanging arete up and right.  Warpaint traverses up and right through a few crystalized finger pockets, the crux of the pitch.  Then climbs the slab below and left of the arete above.  Fixed rap on a shoulder below the summit. 

Climbing Sequence

Descent

Rap the route.  When at the top of pitch 1, I can make it down with a 70m comfortably, but the safer option is to make two raps straight down from the top of pitch 3.  There is a modern (2021) intermediate rap.  You will have to walk back east a short distance to your packs. 

Essential Gear

70m rope.  Single from micro to .#5.  Mix of draws and slings.  Route gets good mid morning to all day sun exposure in the winter.

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ZeeJay - Dec 21, 2021 7:00 am - Hasn't voted

Route page?

I was wondering if you really meant for this to be a trip report and if instead, it should be a route page?

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