The Pinnacles Climbing Guidebook
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Please note! As of 2011, the "New Route" information presented here covers ONLY those routes NOT appearing in Brad Young's 2007 Pinnacles Guide.
The information provided here comes from a variety of sources with special thanks to Brad Young (2007 Guidebook Author), the Mud n' Crud Forum and Clint Cummins' excellent Pinnacles web site.
There is a two bolt summit anchor (with chains).
Source(s): Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.
Although the rock on this route looks good (and much of it actually is), there is enough so-so rock that no stars are given.
Source: Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.
Walk off.
By way of further detail, the formation Byzantium is very close (less than 100 feet) from Nitwit Knob (route #388), and is shown on the map at page 140 of the 2007 guide.
The route faces toward Chimney Sweep, and can be seen from near the base of that route, climbing is on an easy-to-see, slabby face just right of a water streak which is itself just right of a pine.
Shares a two-bolt top anchor with Hungry, Hungry Hippo. The route is 160 feet long. Nine bolts total, and a few one to two inch cams (especially a brown Tri-Cam)
Source(s): Mud'N Crud Forum, "Pinns - 3/16/08 TR," also, telephone discussion with Jeff Lane April 12, 2010, and ascent of route by Brad Young right after its first ascent.
Descend by moving over to the Miss Piggy two bolt anchor (placed by that route's first ascentionist in 2009), which is rigged for rappel.
As a further note, Bob's grandmother was given the nickname "Cochinita," or "Cochie," by her big brother when she was an infant. The name stayed with her for 80 years. In Spanish, Abuela Cochinita means grandmother little pig, or, grandma piglet; a play on the next route to the left, Miss Piggy.
This route is definitely one of the best in Condor Gulch.
Source(s): Emails and photos by Josh Mucci, March 18, 2010; ascent of route by Brad Young and Jim Lundeen, March 21, 2010. FA Details: All bolts were placed with hooks and are 3/8 inch by 3 inch.
It appears that this route was started but never completed (ample loose rock, the very bad - before replacement - quality of the second bolt, plus the extreme seriousness of the second crux all make it seem nearly certain that the party that placed the two bolts then abandoned the route).
The second bolt was replaced by Phillip Keller on March 7, 2010 (the original bolt pulled out with almost no effort).
Source(s): Brad Young, discovery of old bolts in 2007, ascent of route with Dennis Erik S. and Phillip Keller, March, 2010.
The Forgotten Sister is northwest of, and right below, The Peanuts. Although it cannot be seen from the trail, the whole Forgotten Sister can be seen well from Jamcrack Rock.
Note also, many pinnacles and sub-pinnacles dominate the area to the right/south of this slab, extending all the way to Doodlin' Dody.
Approach by walking from the Condor Gulch Trail around to the north of The Peanuts and then down along the base of the formation.
Gear: to two inches (no bolts).
Source(s): Phone discussions with and emails from Josh Mucci and John Godar; photo-topo from John Godar; ascent of route, February, 2011.
Approach the face by hiking down the east side of the formation (the side opposite The Lump).
The route is 80 feet long. Belay in a notch on the back side of the pinnacle.
Walk off (down a short chute to the east, then up and around).
Gear: small/medium gear, to one 3 1/2 inch piece (no bolts).
Source(s): Discussion with Mucci, photo/topo by Godar forwarded by Mucci; ascent of route, February, 2011.
Two anchor bolts are 15 feet left (south) of the top of the chute.
Forty five feet, no protection.
Source(s): Discussion with first ascent parties; subsequent ascent of route.
Four bolts protect 65 feet of climbing.
Walk off to the southeast.
End on the top of Machete Ridge, at a pine which is 30 feet from the end of Old Original's third pitch.
Source(s): Brad Young, part of the first ascent party. FA Details: Route was started in October, 2007
Walk off. Pro: Very small to four inch (the four inch piece is critical), including extra one and two inch. The one bolt was placed with aid. It is a stainless steel, 3/8 inch Rawl.
Source(s): Email describing route from Josh Mucci; also, Brad Young ascent of route, March 21, 2010.
Source(s): Postings to MudnCrud Forum, June, 2009.
Source(s): Postings to MudnCrud Forum, May, 2009. Additional sources: Consensus as to rating, stars, and quality of protection among climbers who climbed it March 20, 2010, including Brad Young, Alan Nilsson, Steve Dawson, "Jet," and about three others. On that date there were five separate leads of the route, and also several toprope ascents.
The route ends where it connects to the normal Shepherd walk-off. One bolt was placed for an anchor on the "walk-off" side of the sub-pinnacle near where the route ends. Use it with body-position for a belay.
All bolts are Rawl, 3/8 inch x 3 1/4 inch; all were placed from stance.
Source(s): Emails from first ascentionist, subsequent ascent of route. FA Details: Roped solo
Source(s): Josh Mucci. FA Details:
Shares a two bolt top anchor with Chimney Sweep (they merge toward the top; a second bolt was added to this anchor on May 1, 2010, by Jim McConachie, a first ascent author of both routes).
Source(s): Discussion with Jim McConachie; also Brad Young, Joe Denicola, Erik Bratton ascents and attemped ascents of route. FA Details: Originally rated 5.10+
Source(s): Mud'nCrud Forum, "Pinns - 3-16-08 TR," ascent of route by Brad Young, May 2, 2010.
There is a two bolt summit anchor.
Source(s): Discussions with first ascentionists; Mud'n Crud Forum, "S...'s new route (June 30, 2007): Peeling Away;" and "Superbowl Sunday (A Trip Report);" also, communications with/by Dennis Erik S, Mei Xi and Adam Long, February, 2011. FA Details: Bolt installation, on lead, and subsequent toprope.
First Ascent (TR) - FFA (02/06/2011)
Bolts reported as 2 1/4 inch Star Dryvin. No rating given.
Update: December 14, 2008: The route is 500 feet right (northeast) of Nexus, right of steep, broken cliffs and 70 feet right of a tiered waterstreak. Look for an obvious, low-angle, but high slab.
It is 170 feet to the rim. No belay anchors, use body position.
The walk down descent described for Nexus ('07 guidebook, page 297) starts 150 feet to the right (northeast) from where the climb ends.
Additional source: ascent by Brad Young and Erik Bratton.
Source(s): Ascent and report of route by Robert Behrens, March 5, 2011; subsequent viewing of route with Behrens and solo ascent; March 13, 2011.
The climbing route is on the downhill side of the rock; an up-and-right crack leads 15 feet to face climbing, which leads 15 more feet to the top of the rock.
Gear: this route takes surprisingly good protection to one inch.
Source(s): Ascent and report of route by Robert Behrens, March 5, 2011; subsequent viewing and ascent of route with Behrens; March 13, 2011.
The lower angle, long, east face has two older bolts making an anchor on top (and, now, that anchor has a third, newer bolt). The face has an "alluvial fan" shape.
Source(s): Brad Young, Bob Walton, Jennifer Wang, Josh Mucci, inspection and ascent, November 15, 2008.
There is no summit anchor (downclimb or use a pinnacles rappel).
Source(s): Discovery and solo ascents of route by Robert Behrens and Brad Young, March 13, 2011.
No summit anchor.
Source(s): Brad Young, Bob Walton, Josh Mucci, Jennifer Wang, inspection and ascent of route, November 15, 2008.
The group of pinnacles can be approached either from The High Peaks or from The West Side:
Also, from the back of The Citadel, looking south (uphill), The Keep and other formations can be seen as follows: a larger formation, called Sunkist Dome, is visible to the right a little less than 150 yards away (look for a very large, round area of orange lichen high on its north side). One hundred feet to the left of Sunkist Dome is a 25-foot high pinnacle that blends into the terrain behind it and which is between Sunkist Dome and The Keep. One hundred more feet to the left of this small rock is The Keep which is fairly uniform in shape, appearing like a steep, upside down cone.
The Keep has a route on its uphill (south) side:
There is a two bolt summit anchor (one bolt is new).
Source(s): Self, discovery and ascent of previously unreported route (ascent with Jim McConachie and Bob Walton). FA Details: FA unknown, but, given the style of climbing and bolting (very solid Star Dryvin bolts including one placed in an incredibly solid lodestone, a one bolt original summit anchor and very bold, runout climbing), possibly Glen Denny and Gary Colliver.
The summit is just under 15 feet above the bolt. There are three bolts on the summit, two are very old and one is new. Chains facilitate the rappel.
Source(s): Discovery of the lead bolt and a summit bolt by Jim McConachie, Brad Young and Bob Walton, January, 2011. Subsequent ascent of route by Brad Young and Jim McConachie, February 7, 2011.
Source(s): Discovery of the anchor bolts by Brad Young, April, 2010. Toprope ascents of route by Jim McConachie, Brad Young, Laura and Steve Dawson, Alan Nilsson, Joel Primrose, Joe Denicola, February 6, 2011.
In 2010, a huge oak fell down from right in front of The Jungle Slab routes; its fallen trunk now points directly at the start of Original Route.
A pine 10 feet left of the top-out provides a belay anchor. It is 98 feet from this pine to the start ledge.
It appears that this route was originally an aid climb and that aid pitons were used to get to the top of the slot (the amount of loose rock in and around the slot in 2010 was not indicative of prior free climbing, but apparent pin-scars and the bolt pattern above the slot indicate that the route had been climbed).
The second and third bolts were replaced in December, 2008 by Brad Young; the first replacement bolt was positioned approximately six inches from the original bolt. The second, due to rock quality, was placed 18 inches from the original bolt.
Source(s): Self, discovery of old bolts in 2007, ascent of route with Dennis Erik S. and Phillip Keller, March, 2010. FA Details: FA likely between 1965 and 1980.
Use the same approach as for Crowley Towers, but 200 yards before (south) of them, at an obvious saddle in a low ridge, stop. Turn away from the towers at this point, sharply right (southeast). The Balconies Bumps are to the southeast, spread out in an area 100 to 200 yards away. This route is on the south face of the north-most significant bump (the one closest to The Crowley Towers; there is one bump farther north but it is only 10 feet high).
Descend by downclimbing. The summit has also been reached from other sides of the bump.
Source(s): Posting to MudnCrud Forum December 29, 2009; subsequent inspection and ascent of route with Robert Behrens. FA Details: FA party unknown, possibly Robert Behrens. FA date possibly December 28, 2009.
Source(s): Posting to MudnCrud Forum December 29, 2009; subsequent inspection and ascent of route with Robert Behrens. FA Details: FA party unknown, possibly Robert Behrens. FA date unknown, possibly December 28, 2009.
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