Pinnacles Route Information 

• Start Party of Three with 15 feet of class four up a mossy face with holes. This leads to a broad, flat terrace and the beginning of the roped climbing.
• From the terrace, climb 15 feet straight up over holes to a slab (sling a grapefruit-size knob for protection).
• An up-and-right crack at the top of the slab takes protection to 1 1/2 inches. Easy moves lead five more feet to a small ledge from which a bolt can be clipped.
• Continue up and right in a shallow groove. Easier moves lead a few feet more to the summit.

There is a two bolt summit anchor (with chains).

Source(s): Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.

• Eight bolts protect climbing straight up, then left and up, and then up and right. The crux is getting to and then past the second bolt.
• The traversing up and right near the top is 5.10.
• There is a two bolt anchor on top. Walk off.

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.

• Start 15 feet up and right of the absolute toe of the arete. Cams in holes (to 1 1/4 inch) protect the first 20 feet to a bolt.
• Four more bolts protect climbing to the top of the arete and then to the same anchor as The 800 Club.
  The crux is after the fourth bolt.

Walk off.

Source: Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.

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.

• Three bolts lead to an anchor-less summit. Walk off to the northwest.

• Approach the base of Hungry, Hungry Hippo and From Dawn to Tusk by walking to the right and uphill from the base of Lightning Bolt Crack. From Dawn to Tusk starts in a chimney/slot 50 feet to the left of the start of Hungry, Hungry Hippo.
• Move into this slot and then down a little to a stance at a small, separate pillar.
  Five bolts protect slab climbing in a water streak (the third bolt is on a large loadstone on the left, it faces toward a climbers rear-end and is hard to notice while leading). After this water streak the route nearly joins Hungry, Hungry Hippo at a flat "shoulder" of rock.
• Continue up a streak past four more bolts, gear placements and the route crux.

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.

• Start with easy climbing to the first bolt, which is 15 feet up, on the right side of a large hole.
• Four more bolts lead up and left.
• A sixth bolt protects moves straight up a headwall to a two bolt anchor.

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.

Source(s): Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.

• Fifteen feet up the chute is a fixed pin on the right. Above that, medium cams can be placed in holes leading up to the first bolt (take a few 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces).
• A steep bulge (5.9) through pockets gains the second bolt.
• Three more bolts lead to the route crux, a difficult, but well protected bulge (5.10b).
• The chute becomes low angle above the crux, quickly dropping the climbing to class four.
• Continue to belay at trees at the top of the chute. Walk off.

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.

• Third class up to the same ledge from which Original Route starts.
• Move twenty feet right of Original Route to a large lodestone which is 18 feet above the ground. Belay here from one old bolt.
• From the lodestone, climb to a second bolt 10 feet higher. Move past this bolt to a ledge (5.8, mossy).
• Move left on the ledge. Slung knobs and several two to four inch cams protect a second crux directly below the second bolt of Original Route.
  A fall from this second crux would be serious; the cams and slung knobs gain some quality only by their quantity.

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.

• Chute the Moon climbs a crack/left facing corner on the far right side of The Forgotten Sister. The crack/corner runs 60 feet before turning into a wide chimney.
• From this point, stay left of the chimney in a clean, easy, but unprotected water-chute. This chute quickly becomes fourth class.
• Continue to belay at a digger pine among the lowest of The Peanuts (the pine is 180 feet from the start of the climb).

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).

• Climb an up-and-right ramp with good protection
• About halfway up the ramp continue straight up in a water streak

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.

• Climb the obvious shallow and steepening water chute; two pieces of gear to three inches protect easy moves to the first bolt.
• Continue past two more bolts to a low angle, run-out class four finish.

Two anchor bolts are 15 feet left (south) of the top of the chute.

Source(s): Brad Young, part of the first ascent party.

Forty five feet, no protection.

Source(s): Discussion with first ascent parties; subsequent ascent of route.

Four bolts protect 65 feet of climbing.

• A few moves from the ground lead to an obvious hole in the rock.
  The first bolt can be clipped while standing in this hole.
• Two more bolts protect climbing straight up.
• After the third bolt the angle of the rock declines.
  One more bolt protects climbing up and left to the two bolt anchor shared with A Rock, a Hammer and a Black Eye.

Walk off to the southeast.

• Approach via the first pitch of the route The West Face (route # 811). Fifty feet past the end of this pitch (to the north, The West Face traverses after its first pitch) is a small meadow. Los Banditos starts from this meadow, 100 feet right of the start of Rock Around the Clock.

1. Pitch one (60 feet):
   start on a small pedestal of rock. Six aid bolts on an overhanging face lead up and left to a small roof which is at the bottom of a water streak. Two more aid bolts lead over the roof.
   Intimidating free moves from the eighth bolt (5.9) lead to a ledge and one directional bolt.
   The first pitch anchor is 5 feet to the right.
2. Pitch two (110 feet):
   This excellent pitch continues up the obvious water chute past 10 bolts (10 includes the directional from the first pitch).
   Getting into the chute is 5.9; two bulges higher in the chute are each 5.10a. The pitch finishes with 15 feet of easy slab to a stance and a two bolt belay.
3. Pitch 3 (195 feet):
   Continue up the chute past five bolts on increasingly easy and runout climbing. The crux is after the second bolt (5.7). Large knobs can be slung for additional protection.
   One hundred fifty feet up, the chute branches. Take the straight up branch (that is, don't take the branch to the left).
   A two bolt anchor is obvious on a low angle slab, 30 feet below the bottom of the water chute which is descended as part of the Old Original Rappel Bypass variation (route # 836).
4. Pitch Four (90 feet):
   Climb the deeper chute which is 30 feet left (north) of the chute which makes up the Rappel Bypass (these chutes are obvious on page 338 of the guidebook). Small cams (the only gear on the route) can be used to protect the moves into the chute (5.5); the chute then becomes class three and four (and can be further protected by slung knobs).

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

• Start in an obvious, dark, water streak (the streak can be seen in the photo on page 180 of the guidebook).
• Climb in the water streak (5.7 and 5.8, with some wild stemming) which takes some good gear to just below a bolt which is 60 feet off the ground.
• Move right onto a loose shelf from which the bolt can be clipped. A well protected, but intimidating 5.9 mantle/bulge leads to easy climbing and then to very easy climbing.
• Pass under a large chockstone before reaching a tree (belay here).

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.

• Start on Swallow Crack, but, when partway up, move up an obvious, overhanging arete/right-facing dihedral (a bit of both).
  This, the "R" rated crux of the route, involves interesting pinches and some finger crack. Protection here is possible, but not good.
• Join Jorgie's Continuation just below its crux bolt. Finish up that climb.

Source(s): Postings to MudnCrud Forum, June, 2009.

• Start on Stupendous Man
• From the ledge above the mantle section of that route, move up and slightly left to a single bolt
• From that bolt, move up to an obvious corner/arch which allows a side-cling/under-cling leftward (good gear here, one to two inches)
• Clip the last bolt on Lithium and finish on that route.

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.

• Clip the bolt on that route and immediately move right up a (different) low angle chute aiming for a large lodestone 20 feet above. Small gear (a bomber small/medium nut and a small cam) can be placed on the right side of the lodestone.
• Continue straight up 12 feet to a good stance and a second bolt.
• Fifteen feet of sustained, and run out 5.7 leads to a mantle onto a large block (The Microwave Mantle). A third bolt is five feet above the block.
• Move slightly right and then up to a stance just below a headwall. Clip a fourth bolt (it is six feet above the third bolt, but it is in a scoop, and is invisible from the start).

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

• Start at the large arete just right of Bushwackin Dave.
  The first bolt is visible 12 feet up.
• Continue up loose rock to the 2nd bolt which protects the 5.8 crux moves.
• From there look for a large knob; it is just above the 3rd bolt.
  You can use a small (and marginal) nut placement in a flake 10 feet above the 3rd bolt (this is a horizontal placement in good rock - a long runner can also be slung around a knob out left, and the two equalized).
  Climbing above the nut is run out 5.7 on good rock with a committing step left to a pocket and a mantle to a ledge.
• A two bolt, anchor with painted chain can be seen in the orange headwall above
  (good rock, both bolts are 3.25 inch x 3/8 inch Rawl 5-Piece)

Source(s): Josh Mucci.

FA Details:

• first bolt placed on stance: 2.75 inch x 3/8 inch Rawl 5-piece
• second bolt placed from hooks: 3.25 inch x 3/8 inch Rawl 5-piece
• third bolt placed from hooks: 2.75 inch x 3/8 inch Rawl 5-piece

• Three bolts in a scoop/water chute (third bolt is hard to see - look up and left from second bolt).
  Crux is passing obvious bulge.
• A fourth bolt protects easier climbing to the top of the formation (which climbing is done left and then up from that fourth bolt).

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+

• Start at the base of a north-facing slab (the main wall here faces northeast). Climb a mossy chute/groove in the middle of this face to a low angle "shoulder" of rock. A few 5.7 moves lead to the first bolt.
• Three more bolts lead to a two bolt (and chain) anchor.

Source(s): Mud'nCrud Forum, "Pinns - 3-16-08 TR," ascent of route by Brad Young, May 2, 2010.

• Start in the creek, move onto a pedestal, then climb straight up past six bolts.

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.

• Four bolts, the first 30 feet up, the fourth 100 feet up.
• Continue straight up past the fourth bolt, using several OK slung knobs for additional protection.

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.

• Approach this boulder, class two, from its uphill side (the boulder/high point is about 100 feet from the trail).
• A few moves over a bulge lead onto the top of the boulder (which is the top of the formation).
• There is no summit anchor (downclimb).

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.

• Start at the left side of the base of this face, left of an oak tree. Climb up and right, on an easy but getting-harder slab (5.6).
• Continue 70 feet to one bolt which protects crux moves over a steeper bulge.

Source(s): Brad Young, Bob Walton, Jennifer Wang, Josh Mucci, inspection and ascent, November 15, 2008.

• Climb the short right edge of its southwest side (starting in a corridor between it and the second highest pinnacle in the group).
  The rock on this route is very clean and hard. It is possible to get a so-so 1 1/2 inch cam in a horizontal crack halfway up.

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.

• Move 75 feet up South Side Shuffle to an oak tree
• Twenty feet farther look for a slot on the left
• Walk up this slot 20 feet to the base of a bulge
• A few moves of fifth class up and left across the bulge and into an obvious, watermelon size hole lead to easy ground.

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:

• From The High Peaks walk to the base of the route Eggshell (not The Egg, which is a different formation farther east). From that route continue downhill along the west side of the formation to its lowest point. Continue from that lowest point west across the hillside. The first pinnacle in this group is 80 yards from Eggshell and slightly lower in elevation (this first pinnacle has much shorter rocks on its east and west sides and a pronounced shoulder on its south side). The Keep is below (northwest) of the first pinnacle in this group, 100 yards from Eggshell.

• To approach The Keep from The West Side, hike to the back side of The Citadel. A fairly brush free approach can be made to The Keep and rocks near it from this point, 150 yards uphill along the top of a low ridge.

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:

• Loose 5.7 leads 12 feet to a basketball-size lodestone. A few feet past the lodestone is a ledge.
• Clip a bolt from this ledge (the bolt is 15 feet up and right of the lodestone).
• Crux moves above the bolt lead to a horizontal crack (protection to two inches) and then easier climbing to the summit.

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.

• Climb the rock immediately west of the main pinnacle (very easy fifth class).
• Once on top, throw a rope over the pronounced shoulder. Secure one end and jumar the rope (the length of this ascent is much shorter on the west side than on the east).
• Once on the shoulder, exposed climbing leads a few feet to a bolt.

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.

• Start Poached Pig by climbing to the first bolt on Abuela Cochinita.
• Continue straight up the (steep) face to the anchor bolts.

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.

• Obvious third class leads up six feet to ledges from which this and the next route start. Original Route climbs the slot which is above the ledge. The slot has sections of loose rock. It protects with one one inch cam, one five inch cam and two fixed pitons. An ancient bolt at the top of the slot then protects moves to the right, six feet, to a second bolt.
• From the second bolt easy slab climbing leads 20 feet up and right to an obvious, large hole/shallow alcove and a third bolt.
• Slab climbing then continues 30 feet up and slightly left to a fourth (ancient) bolt.
• Fifteen more feet of slab lead straight up to a large ledge and the end of the climbing.

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).

• Start from the notch on the south side of this pinnacle. Climb 25 feet to the summit.

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.

• Climb an obvious, quite knobby face 25 feet to the summit.

Walk off.

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.