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?
Gear
- 70m rope or two 60m ropes (needed for rappel)
- 8 quickdraws (or 15 if linking P2-3)
- One each #0.3, #1, and #2
- No nuts
- No parking pass needed
Approach
30 minutes, 1.5 miles, 595 ft gain. Park at the Long Canyon trailhead (a series of gravel/dirt pullouts on the west side of the road leading up to the Seven Canyons Golf Resort, no parking pass needed). Hike the Long Canyon Trail about 15 minutes until a left turn onto Deadman’s Pass trail. Head west on Deadman’s Pass trail for ~3 minutes until you can cut directly right (northwest) toward the base of the route. Reach the base via a dense network of social trails. The route is visible for nearly the entire approach, at times framed nicely above the trail.
Sun angle
On the east face of the wall, sunlight from sunrise till ~1pm.
P1 – 5.7, 70′, 7 bolts + #2 cam
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.
Midway up P1 
End of P1
P2 – 5.7, 100′, 6 bolts + #0.3 cam
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.
Can link with P3 as 180′ total, 15 draws.
Starting P2 
Midway up P2 
Near top of P2 
End of P2
P3 – 5.9, 80′, 7 bolts
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.
Start of P3 
Following P3 
End of P3
P4 – 5.8, 40′, 2 bolts + #0.3, #1, #2
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 on the top and walk about 20′ right to the two-bolt anchor.
P4 
Topping out (actual anchor is about 20′ to the right)
Rappel
3 rappels. 70m or double rope needed just for the first rappel. Rappels the route (skipping P3).
- R1 – 120′: 70m or double rope rappel P4-3, skip the P3 anchor to avoid putting wear on the anchor
- R2 – 100′: Rappel P2
- R3 – 70′: Rappel P1
Rappelling from the summit