Tucson Sport: The Aqueduct At The Colosseum
About a week ago, my friend TJ and I had plans to climb the beautiful and intimidating route Abracadaver in Cochise Stronghold. After a misadventure left me feeling a bit drained, I decided that another day of fun, low-commitment sport climbing was in order. Luckily, TJ was game.
He met me for breakfast at my winter home (the parking lot of The Bloc bouldering gym), I made us a nice little breakfast and we headed up the mountain. The Colosseum is a crag low on Mt. Lemmon. I had heard it had long, sustained routes, and the breathless report I’d heard about it was all the hype I needed to give it a look.
TJ “Bug” Aguilera looking rugged after we finished Full Circle into Whores of Babylon on Welcome Dome in Cochise, winter 2022-23.
It turned out to be a bit more committing than I’d originally hoped, just because the approach was a bit of an investment. Though it’s probably only half a mile from car to crag, the trail feels like an almost 1:1 slope. We slogged up to the crag, sweating through our shirts under a formidable winter sun, until reaching the base of the Aqueduct. The trail itself was fairly easy to find, and required no special chicanery, but it was stout.
As we donned our gear, TJ mentioned something about calling someone’s dog “bug.”
Pretty soon we were calling each other “bug” while on the route. “Try hard, bug!”
It was a fun way to take the intensity out of climbing. Nothing like cracking up while feeling like you’re going to whip because your friend is treating you like their eight-year-old son or daughter.
“Good clip, bug!”
We started on the right side of the wall with a tall 10-, then I on-sighted what felt like a super tricky 11b called Nero. It was cryptic, sequential and steep, and there was barely a smidge of chalk to guide me on the route. There were two sections that I had to make strategic retreats from and downclimb a move or two into better rests while composing myself. Honestly it felt like a more serious effort than The Wizard, and I felt pretty happy to have on-sighted it. After clipping the chains, TJ “Bug” Aguilera gave it a go. He wasn’t in form and had to rest his mandibles a few times, but he made it to the top in good spirits.
Then we tried the 12a/b, Fire on the Tiber. It was stellar! Tricky, pumpy, but positive holds flow up to ever-steepening face until topping out on holds that just don’t seem so good, even though they are probably the best on the route. My forearms were flamed as I grabbed what looked like jugs, but felt like the worst slopers I had ever had the pleasure of greasing off. I fell moving to the last bolt, with perhaps two more serious moves on the whole route.
I waited and tried it again, but I fell in the same spot. I felt sure I could get it, but wasn’t disappointed with my performance. Spectacular routes are their own reward, and the experience of climbing them was what I was after (But also I wish I had sent). We climbed another 11+ on the high left side of the wall, and I got lost on that one, too. I actually skipped a bolt while battling an awkward overhanging crack and flake section and made it to the final no-hands rest section before choosing my route poorly, and getting stuck at the last bolt. I found the right beta on the next try and pulled through to the chains but didn’t attempt the full route again.
All told, only 3 real sends that day for us (I got the 10- and the 11b, TJ got the 10-). I felt like I could have sent the 12a/b but it just slipped through my fingers. That’s showbiz, baby!