| road, wishing we
had mountain bikes which would have been ideal for this approach. We had lunch
at the impressive tank, then Richard used his uncanny route-finding skills to
lead us to the summit. Much of the climb is on solid rock but Ken did encounter
bad footing on the descent which sent him wildly flying down the mountain for
75 feet or so. Fortunately he escaped with lots of scratches. We got to the
base of the mountain at dusk and then had the very long hike back across flat
terrain the old road was valuable with no landmarks. We passed the time
discussing how other ranges in this area could be accessed via management
roads. Next day we exited the Refuge and Range at exit 42 on 1-8 at Tacna after taking a frontage road W for several miles. Cabeza Prieta and adjacent areas is a fascinating place to visit with lots of camping and climbing possibilities and solitude for the seasoned desert traveler who is well prepared and seeks a new adventure. Tinajas Altas Climb: From the campsite at the base of the mountain drop into the large wash and follow it staying to the right side. After 0.3 mi. where the canyon divides, follow the canyon to the right climbing up to a saddle at 1980 ft.(ducks here). Then drop down slightly and stay on the right side of a canyon that drops off to your left. Climb to the next saddle with a knob at 2200 ft. on your right. From here the summit can be seen to the |
west. Head
toward the summit over small ridges. Head to the right side of the summit mass
then up steep 2nd class ledges to the ridge and then bear left to the top. A
really enjoyable climb! Data: 4 ml. RT, elevation gain is 1600 ft. Time: 3 1/2
to 4 hours RT. Cabeza Prieta Climb: We started near BM 1212 on the El Camino, approx. 6 mi. W of Tule Well. From here the peak is the dark pyramid to the NE. Head out across the flat desert toward the peak crossing the Management Road at about 2 ml. Climb up the SE ridge to a point at about 1720 ft. Then follow the ridge and contour right under the summit on loose gravel. Gain the ridge finally on good rock to the N of the summit. It is an easy scramble from here. Data: 8 ml. RT, elevation gain is 1300 ft. Time: 5 hours RT. Sierra Pinta Climb: Start at the "Heart Tank" sign on the road about 8 mi. N of Tule Well. From here it is a long 7 ml. hike across flat desert on the road to the base of the mountain. The road will fade out in a canyon. Proceed up the canyon and you will see Heart Tank on a bench in the rock. Just before the tank take the canyon to your right. Follow this up to the ridge maybe 0.2 mi. N of the summit. Follow the ridge and near the top there is some steep class 2 scrambling. Data: 16 ml. RT, elevation gain is 2000 ft. Time: 11 hours RT. |
