The Peshastin Pinnacles have a bad reputation, but I'm here to tell you not to believe it. There is some awesome climbing there, both sport and trad. Yes the rock is sandstone, and it can be crumbly in places but those places are easily avoided. The Pinnacles are an awesome place to learn friction climbing. If you have ever done the 5.9 Bliss route at exit 38 at Gun Show wall, the Pinnacles is just like that: very smooth, leaning over friction based slab climbing.

There are many routes under 5.9, enough for a couple full weekends of climbing, which is what I've been doing the last couple weekends...working on my friction technique. Friction climbing is completely different from steep face climbing, or crack climbing. Having your toes jammed into a shoe 2 sizes too small will not help. You need your shoe to be able to smear on the ball of your feet.

Imagine standing on a very smooth leaning over slab of rock, there are absolutely no foot or handholds, all you have is the friction under the ball of your foot, and you are 5 feet (or more) above the last bolt. That's the Pinnacles.
It's true that many of the routes have long run outs...but guess what, so does the Yosemite Apron, so does the Squamish Apron and many other places. Many of Victors routes up the Icicle have similar run outs.

The Pinnacles has run outs on 5.4 climbs, which are so easy that you won't fall, but you will begin to get comfortable with climbing high above a bolt while keeping your cool.

There are also routes at the Pinnacles that are so closely bolted it's almost ridiculous (Potholes  5.7, West Face Grand central tower 5.8).  Many of these bolted routes will also take cams to reduce the run outs (windward direct 5.8, Potholes 5.7, Martian Direct 5.7, Sunset Slab 5.4 to 5.9). All the bolts have been upgraded to modern 3/8 inch or larger.

there are some very cool trad routes that take bomber pro and are very moderate (porpoise 5.6, tunnel route 5.6, catacombs 5.7, vertigo 5.8). In short, don't skip the Pinnacles. Because of their undeserved reputation amongst the young sport crowd, they are usually deserted. I saw 2 other climbers on a recent weekend, and I heard Vantage was crowded. No waits, excellent climbing, what's not to like?

These are pictures from a recent trip with Christine, Austin and Eric. Christine has a lot of experience with friction climbing back east and led a sweet climb called Gray Whale (5.8 old school)...glad we had a stick clip! It only had 2 bolts in 60 feet, but believe it or not, it's quite safe with a stick clip. The bolts are where you need them, but you do need to warm up your friction skills  on easy stuff before jumping on certain routes. You can also easily top rope many of the harder climbs (Austian slab, Potholes direct, West face grand central).

This is Christine topping out on the two pitch 5.6 called Martian Diagonal. This climb can be traversed onto to avoid the run out start. The runout 5.4 section on the "sidewalk" can be made safe with some small cams. I bought a red #1 c3 camalot specifically for this climb and it was bomber.




Christine topping out on the second pitch of Potholes 5.7. Bring some cams from one half inch to 3 inches to protect the top out chimney move. You have to protect in old angle iron pin scars, though there is a bolt 10 feet below.



Christine and Austin rapping off Orchard Rock (3 minute approach from car) after Christine's first gear lead up the 5.2 gully route. Austin cruised up  the trad routes: 'A Crack', a 4 star 5.7 overhanging hand jam crack.












This is Austin cruising up Windward Direct 5.8. A bolt protected crack climb that also takes cams from one half inch to 3 inches. If you can toe jam and friction climb, you will love this very safe climb. I give it 4 stars. Don't bring your aggressive Smith rock shoes.
















Eric following Austin's lead up Windward Direct 5.8. The guy's a natural friction climber



This is Christine following the bolted/trad route called Windward 5.6.  It's a nice easy bolted traversing route that takes some smallish cams up to about 2 inches. It tops out on a knife edge ridge that drops off 70 feet on the left, and 100 feet on the right. You can bail at the ridge from rap anchors, or you can "ride the horsey" up the knife edge ridge up to another set of anchors 60 feet away. There are no bolts at all along the ridge. If you come off, you will take a very scary king swing...but no one ever has because it's only 5.6 onto the ridge, and the ridge is 4th class horse riding. But it's still a heady horse ride with all that exposure and no pro. Fun as stuff!




Christine hamming it up on the ridge traverse

Austin, you could totally get comfortable at friction climbing. Think about how far you've come since Christmas. Friction is just another skill, like crack climbing. A couple days of practice and you'd be on your way. You didn't even try any of the pure friction problems over there.

Top roping Slender Thread (old school 5.9) would perhaps be the best and safest way to get your friction feet under you...you need two ropes to do it. And bring some long shoes, you can't front point friction. Sue and I will be there Saturday, maybe Sunday too.

That was an awesome lead you did up that 10c face climb near butterbrickle!  I still have no idea what you were hanging onto on that thing, it was all slopers. The only way I could follow it was to pull on the bolt, and that was below the crux...

Good times, Mark.  Thanks for the trip report.  I am too lazy to do something like this, ever.  I wish I was climbing with you this weekend as appose to being awaken at 2 in the morning and unable to fall back asleep at the hospital.  On the flip side, I just ordered a crap load of gear on line in my hazy mental state    You'll have to take me with you when you take on the scary slab routes!  

Hahaha no worries brett The ledge we were on was HUGE. It was safe man. Well alot safer then that "climb" we did in Jtree. remember that sketchy thing on that huge buttress?

You gota get your ass out here and climb! or vice versa. get you off your fat arse