This route starts by scaling a pillar of rock that is shaped and coloured like a bottle of Cholula hot sauce. It then charges straight up a clean, steep slab to the summit ridge of the Earthship. The two pitches could not be more different.Pitch 1 (5.9, 110 feet): Climb the right-facing corner on the right side of the Cholula Bottle. Four bolts protect stemming down low, then gear takes you up through a mudcrack and into a funky crux bulge. Near the top, a bolt protects a slab move. Boulder onto the bottle-cap, take a seat, and belay from the two-bolt chain anchor.Pitch 2 (5.10, 100 feet): Climb the clean, steep slab past 11 bolts to a two-bolt chain anchor on the summit ridge.Scramble 20 feet up easy ledges to the scenic panorama. You might continue north along the ridge to the summit with a 3rd class scramble and one short 5.8 pitch. If so, you can rappel Maiden Voyage.Descent: Rappel the route with one 70m rope or two 60m ropes.

The Cholula Bottle

Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage is a friendly cruise up the striking east buttress of the Earthship. Four short pitches of moderate slab climbing, including a memorable headwall crux pitch, lead to a spectacular summit towering above Boynton and Long Canyons. With a straightforward approach, sweeping vistas, and a minimal gear list (one set of quickdraws and just three cams), it's a pretty low-key outing. Your first Sedona summit, perhaps?Pitch 1: Locate the boltline at the toe of the buttress. Venture up the lumpy mudstone slab and through a miniature roof crack (#2 camalot) to the two-bolt anchor just left of the tree. (5.7, 70 feet) - Pro: 7 bolts + #2 camalotPitch 2: Climb up and over the limestone band (#0.3 camalot), past a bulge in wildly-featured limey sandstone, emerging onto a clean low-angle slab. Cruise up to the two-bolt belay. (5.7, 100 feet) - Pro: 6 bolts + #0.3 camalotPitch 3: The crux headwall pitch. A dash of wind makes those balancy dimes seem extra thin. After scaling the headwall, clip the directional bolt and walk 20 feet left to the two-bolt anchor. (5.9, 80 feet) - Pro: 7 boltsPitch 4: Walk a bit further left from the belay and scramble up into a blocky left-facing corner. Scum the corner and float the final steep face on patina crimps. Clip a directional bolt and walk right to the two-bolt anchor. (5.8, 40 feet)  - Pro: 2 bolts + #0.3, #1, #2 camalotsVariation to P3+4: From the base of the headwall pitch, you can traverse hard left into the chimney/gully (5.7) that gains a tree belay on the summit ridge. Then, turn right (north) and boulder up a squat triangular block (5.7) to merge with the standard Pitch 4 corner. This was the original FA line and goes fine with the three listed trad pieces, but it's not nearly as good as the headwall pitch. - Pro: #0.3, #1, #2 camalotsDescent: Rappel the route with a single 70m or two 60m ropes, skipping the P3 anchor below the summit block.

The Earthship is a very prominent landmark of West Sedona. The summit looks like a giant red doorknob when driving north on Dry Creek Road near the Devils Bridge turnoff. The whole thing is really more of a massif/cluster than an individual formation. In terms of climbing, the highest point (the doorknob) is technical on all sides, though it is flanked by subsidiary towers that can be scrambled/soloed (all FA'd by John Burcham). There is an unknown rappel route (?) down the lower west side of the formation, starting at the most prominent notch/chimney. The east face of the massif now hosts a moderate slab route called Maiden Voyage (5.9) as well as the slightly more challenging Cholula Bottle (5.10).

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Location

Protection

Routes in The Earthship