As I mentioned last time, Joaquin, Gavin, and I climbed Queen Victoria last weekend, which was a blast. The Queen is a 3-pitch 5.7 in the Moose's Butte area of Sedona (coincidence?) that presents a totally relaxing climbing experience. The approach was actually scarier than the climb because we had to scramble up some tough fourth-class rock that was covered in snow and ice, like shown below:
Being on top of a spire in Sedona is an experience that is distinct from any other experience I have ever had. I won't say that it transcends all other experiences (no pun intended), but there is definitely something special about it. The combination of being several hundred feet above the surrounding landscape with only a few square feet to move about turns the experience into something that combines the adrenaline rush of a hardcore adventure with a spiritual experience. Everyone should do this once!
