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Pinnacle Peak
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South Crack 

5.3

   

FA: Ed George, Bill McMorris 1947
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.4 [details]
Length: 2 pitches, 150 feet
Season: Probably too hot in summer
Views: 549 page views

Submitted By: Pete Hickman on Oct 1, 2007


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BETA PHOTO: Start of the second pitch. The unknown climber is...


Description 

First pitch: Left chimney 4th class scramble to belay bolts just below the sundeck boulder. It's easier than it might look at first sight. Second pitch: Go around a triangluar boulder and up another boulder to access a large crack. Follow wide crack to small chimney with a bolt on left face with which you can pass a sort of bulge and climb up to a large ledge/tunnell area with two belay bolts. If you stop here then this can be done in three pitches, or you can continue up the chimney area with plenty of protection placements to another ledge area, move left and up a sort of ramp to the summit. Here you will find three huge rappell anchors as well as 4 or 5 bolts and hangars.


Location 

The start is obvious at the top of the trail to the pinacle. However, Weekend Rock topo shows the line going up the right chimney on the first pitch but that looks much harder and all the other topos I had showed it going up the left side which turned out to be pretty easy.


Protection 

1 bolt besides the three sets of belay bolts. Many places for large nuts, I only had a #.75 and #1 Cam and I think I used both but probably didn't have too. A couple of slings around outcroppings on the second pitch. The first pitch (4th class) we used no protection.



Photos of South Crack Slideshow Add Photo
Evelyn scrambling up the start of the 4th class first pitch. Brian laughing at who knows what.

BETA PHOTO: Evelyn scrambling up the start of the 4th class fi...

Chimney second half of second pitch.

BETA PHOTO: Chimney second half of second pitch.

Looking down from the top of the 2nd pitch.

BETA PHOTO: Looking down from the top of the 2nd pitch.

Looking up at final chimney, just before the summit.

BETA PHOTO: Looking up at final chimney, just before the summi...


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By noburu
From: AZ
Nov 3, 2007
rating: 5.5

I know it's not the hardest thing to grunt through, but shouldn't this line get a little more respect than 5.3? The two roofs on the second pitch are definitely strong climbing moves.

By Pete Hickman
From: Phoenix, az
Dec 6, 2007

I think that compared to other climbs at Pinacle Peak 5.3 is fair. When I first came to PP I thought everything was much harder than rated but that was because I had never climbed on granite before.

By Debbie Vischer
From: Fort Collins
Feb 15, 2009
rating: 5.6

5.3?!?! My you know what!! Ratings are definitely sandbag'd in AZ. Tight off-width/chimney. Last chimney a bit tricky for a new climber - need solid stemming technique. Secure but strenuous. View worth the effort. Rap'd with single 60m rope (needed very last inch to make it to the bottom).