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| OverView |
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Buffalo Park is a city park in Flagstaff offering an amazingly quick getaway for the urban climber. Nestled in some small trees between a road and a meadow plateau the climbing almost feels like it is out in the forest, away from everything. The short, blocky basalt outcrops at first glance seem contrived and worthless. After you inspect the boulders more closely and get a little creative the real gems start to show themselves. Buffalo Park owns some of the best elimination problems around Northern Arizona.
The routes are any grade you design them to be but the established problems range from V0- to V12. The blocky basalt offers flat and incut edges, slopers and a few pockets. The rock is friendly and the movement is great. Watch out for the landings! Lots of pointy rocks want to leap out and break ankles so bring a couple crash pads. |
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| Weather |
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The weather is best during the fall, winter, and spring. The summer can get a little too hot with thunder showers sometimes ending afternoon sessions. |
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| Camping |
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The camping is best if you travel west on W. Forest, from Buffalo Park, until you reach Highway 180. Turn right on Highway 180 and follow it. Just after the Northern Arizona Museum turn right onto Shultz Pass Rd.. Follow Shultz Pass Rd. for a couple of miles until National Forest land is reached. Free, unimproved camping is found here. Please stay to obvious sites and don’t camp near No Camping signs. Remember to clean up garbage and dispose of human waste. |
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| Directions |
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Buffalo Park is located within Flagstaff city limits. From downtown Flagstaff, travel north on Highway 180 toward The Grand Canyon. Turn right on W. Forest and follow it past the hospital. Continue on W. Forest until it curves left. Just before W. Forest goes down a steep hill turn left onto Gemini Drive. Follow Gemini Dr. until it ends at Buffalo Park. Walk along the outside of the park boundary fence, traveling past the large green tank, until small outcrops of basalt form. Scramble down to the climbing.. |
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| Ethics |
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The ethics at Buffalo Park are as expected; Don't drill holds, be nice, don't feed the locals. |
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| Guide Books: |
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A Cheap Way to Fly by Tim Toula, Falcon Publishing, 1991. |
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