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| - In a situation like this I don't like to recommend or not recommend something because I don't want to be a deciding factor as to whether or not you make this climb. You're climbing a mountain so its a personal choice. Do you have the endurance and will to climb a mountain? That is something only you can answer. All I can say is that I have lived here for the better part of a decade now and have seen most of what the state of Arizona has to offer, from north to south, yet I overlooked something so remarkable in my own backyard. I am so glad I made the hike up the Cholla trail to the top of Camelback with my girlfriend, my little sister and her girlfriend.
As a previous poster mentioned the Echo Trail is closed until later this year so we only had one option, the Cholla trail, and from what I understand it is the easier of the two in terms of intensity. I have done my share of hiking and climbing and to me the Camelback hike was very intense. My little sister was visiting us from out of town and had just done some very intense climbing out in Montana at Glacier National Park and she couldn't believe how intense the climb to the top of Camelback actually was and neither could we. It took us about an hour to reach the top, another 45 minutes or so enjoying the views from the top, another hour or so to get down and about fifteen minutes each way from the car, for a total of just over three hours invested in our venture.
There are some stretches of the climb where you need to be extremely careful and use good judgement. You should always use good judgment, of course, but there are some instances where you wonder if you should have some climbing gear. If you are in good shape and are somewhat athletic than its likely you wouldn't have any issues, providing you are not afraid of heights and have the basic ability to climb and balance, but this climb is not for people who are out of shape or clumsy or for those who fear heights or freak out when they look down at the conditions below them.
You can hike the first part of the trail and decide along the way if you want to continue on to the top or not. It gets more intense as you go and you can always turn around at any point along the way. Just make sure you do turn around if you have any doubts because coming back down is always more difficult than going up. We saw a lot people who did just that, went as far as they felt comfortable before turning around and there is no shame in turning around.
In summary, we went all the way to the top and there was a good crowd of people once we made it. It really is rewarding and the views along the way, as well as the view of the Phoenix area is absolutely amazing and a must see for anyone who likes to climb. If you are up for a great hike and have the agility to make it than the top of Camelback may be a good destination for you. I am really glad I finally hiked this mountain and would like to make the trek up the Echo trail when it opens again to see how it compares to the Cholla.
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