Triple Play consists of stereotypical Windy Point near-vertical crimping on delicate feet.  Frequent bulges provide no hands relief between continuously challenging sequences.  Start by powering up an intermittent, vertical crack of failed expectations for three bolts.  Bulbous slab gives way to quarter pad crimps.  Savor a jug outcropping before a second set of crimps.  Finish with amazing juggy, stemming.

Triple Play

Good To Go

JJ Goes to Hollywood

Power Hungry

Honeymoon's Over

Just Do It

Lizard Marmalade Direct

Lizard Marmelade, Girlie Man's var.

Lemmonade

Sheik Yerbouti

Mondo Bizzaro

One of the best trad pitches on the mountain and a must do. The gear placements are there but may not be right where you want them which provides for a real thrill.

A great route, but not to warm up on a cold day. The moves sweep side to side, are frequently on small but positive holds, and the rests are between sequences of crimpy moves- count on some sucker holds and false starts.    Despite none of the moves being very hard, the climbing is fairly sustained and pumpy, and adds up to a solid 5.11 by the end.

In honor of Johnny J. leaving Tucson for a stint in Hollyweird.  Before he was famous as the Access Fund's leader.   Rock rarely sees the sun, is covered by thin layer of slippery dust.  There would probably be some good sport climbs back in here on good red rock.  This is not one of those.  But it is sporty.  I seem to recall some full body stems here and there.     I suspect most climbers would curse this route.  It's for those of you who are somewhat twisted and like climbing wide and weird.   My recollection is it was 5.11 to 11+ but we did it onsight, ground up and I believe no falls (the benefit of 30 years later writing something up.  The mind can convince you it was total flash when it could well have involved multiple hangs.)   I think you want to be climbing in control on this one.  Falling off in chimneys is not a good idea.  This one does widen and turn into a face climb, eventually and I think that might be the crux?  Recorded just for the history of the area.  And for those looking for something different.

Interesting pumpy crux on the first pitch.  It is one of those routes that once you lead it you remember it unlike so many other clip ups.  I say that, but perhaps the battle was a good one for me and I won it and that is why I remember it.  The second pitch is run out but easy.  A cool way to finish it is to move right and finish on the upper part of Metro.  There is also a direct start that is 12c or 12d.  Rap down the back side of the tower doing two raps.  Don't go past the anchors as they are behind you when rapping.

A less-than-vertical romp up a crumbly face, Honeymoon's Over is a bit rough around the edges but ultimately worth engaging.  Stem 15ft past the first bolt before fully committing to the face.  Pull a wild, non-obvious series of moves to reach the third bolt.  From the third bolt to the chains the climbing is reminiscent of The Forgotten Wall. 

  While listed as a single sport pitch, Honeymoon's Over is actually a two pitch route.  The second pitch climbs to the top of the formation and requires traditional equipment.  I cannot comment on this pitch.

One of the better 11- climbs on Lemmon and should be on your tick list if you're after routes at that grade. Start in corner trending out and right onto face. Then up through crux to larger holds and slightly left to a rest. Up and over small roofs to finish. Anchors are just out of sight over the last roof. Most stop at the chains rather than taking it to the top.

Nice variation of Lizard Marmalade. Follow the original route up 35/40 feet, where the direct goes right and up. Instead follow original route left to chimney. Optional belay in lowere part of chimney. Chimney ~10ft, and commit to right side and clip a bolt. Continue up past a couple more bolts .9/.10a. A fun easier variation to LMD

Compared to other routes of the grade on Lemmon, this climb has less straight forward pulling. Delicate groove climbing leads up to two entertaining mantles before the going gets tough. Layback, compress, and smear your way up through the next few bulges to a high crux (unless you're an albatross like MH). Set your rhythm and don't stop 'til you clip the chains.

Follow the corner system for about half the climb, then finish on the face.  This climb felt pretty serious and sustained, but overall it protected well. 

  I descended from the pair of bolts for the sport route to the west.  You can probably walk off the back.

Mondo is yet another climb that apparently faded into obscurity as the result of changing ethics (this was put up from the ground, with no hanging), but also probably because of the stuck porta-potty discussed on the crag's main page (incredible).  When Paul led the crux pitch in 1984, he may have had the best crimp strength in the state, even rivaling that of Bob Murray.  Another local grown climber (he went to Tucson High with Grossman), Paul went to NAU (where he put up a bunch of hard routes, e.g., Sail Away & Davidson Dihedral at Paradise Forks) but came back to Tucson for a few years during the 80s before heading to New Mexico.  Paul is really, really old now.   Anyway, this was a test piece at the time -- crimpy and technical (I recall doing some funky, dynamic toe stab way out right). 

  The original start is in the chimney.  Cruise up it a short ways, clip a bolt, then step left onto the face.  Several bolts protect the crux section up into a corner.  Height is a definite advantage.  Climb the corner until possible to step left to intermittent cracks (5.10) and belay from bolts.  (2) Easier climbing finishes up the crack above.  The direct start (5.11-) avoids the chimney.  (Note: The FA party for Triple Play may have bolted over some of the upper part of the first pitch).

South facing cliff with plenty of sun. Not good on hot summer days. Good fall, winter and spring. It has a mix of fully bolted, mixed and all gear routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.13.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Punch and Judy Towers