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Pine Cone Dome
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Squid Face aka Pine Away 

5.7+

   

FA: Brent Kertzman, Dave Brower & Rick Westbay 1986
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.9- [details]
Views: 226 page views

Submitted By: Ben Mottinger on Sep 2, 2001


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Description 

At the right end of Pine Cone Dome, look for a large R-facing dihedral that starts behind the cluster of trees. Several variations are possible to get into the dihedral. The easiest is to start far right and traverse the ramp up to the dihedral. A second, spicier (and more difficult) direct start tackles the short corners and slabs just below the route. This variation goes around 8+ and with the hard-to-place gear it is even harder.

Once you've moved up the slab, make a few difficult moves to get into the corner (for the 2nd variation; easier on the 1st var.). This corner is awkward, a little loose, and quite strenuous and reachy for 5.7 (After reading these comments, I decided to just up the rating on this, but originally it was rated 7+). I would give it 5.8 for sure--a little insecure and the crack is flared, making gear placement more difficult. It felt harder seconding it behind my younger brother than leading Ben Dover (5.9).

Anyway, don't think this is going to be another 5.7 cakewalk. All in all, the route is worth doing, but because of the discontinuous start and loose, grungy nature of the dihedral it only gets one star.

DESCENT: walk off the back side of the dome.


Protection 

Standard rack with a few extra long runners.



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By Tradkelly
Dec 13, 2001

I have to agree completely with Ben on Pine Away - harder than the grade indicates, and although I'm happy to have climbed it, it's not worth my repeating it. Thought about adding this earlier but didn't want to sound whiny about the 5.7+ rating. Were it my world, I'd regrade it in the 8+ to 9ish range as well.

By Anonymous Coward
Dec 15, 2001

I am quite certain that Stewart did not do the first [ascent] of this thing..Sorry. Was done by Brent Kertzman and Dave Brower back in the mid 80's

By Anonymous Coward
Dec 14, 2002

5.7 my ass, I give it a solid 5.9

By Anonymous Coward
Dec 16, 2002

This sounds like the line Dave Brower & Rick Westbay followed me on the first ascent of 1986. The routes real name is "Squid Face".I believe it is documented in one of Climbing Magazine's Basecamps from that era.Brent Kertzman

By Kyle Martin
May 30, 2003

Pine Away on the southeast side of Pine Cone Dome is definately not a 5.7 as listed in the climbing guides. I would estimate it at a 5.10a with a long crux and poor gear placement stances.

By Larry Shaw
Jun 15, 2004
rating: 5.9

Sorry but this is not a .7 it's an 8+ or 9. the first half is fun but the dihedral proved difficult.

By Larry Shaw
Jun 17, 2004
rating: 5.9

Climbed this one again today and it seemed much easier...love those low gravity days.

By Stacy Bender
Jul 11, 2005
rating: 5.8+

I will agree that the upper dihedral is definitely an 8+, but I thought the real difficulty came with finding and placing reliable pro while holding a stem that had my right calf screaming. Unfortunately, the ratings don't take that into account.