West Side Rock Climbing

Pinnacles West Side is home of a multitude of excellent multi-pitch and easier/moderate single pitch face climbs. Highlights include excellent moderate, single-pitch lines (5.6 - 5.10a) on the Flumes Formation, Elephant Rock and Machete Ridge. There is also an abundance of two to seven pitch lines in the 5.9 to 5.11 range on The Balconies, Machete Ridge, The Citadel, and Resurrection Wall.

The West Side has more of an adventurous feel to it. Many of the multi-pitch routes have a (no-longer-deserved) reputation for loose rock and scary bolts. Nearly all routes have been re-bolted with modern/bomber hardware. Much of loose rock has been cleaned off over the years. The setting of many routes more than offsets the occasional loose hold.

Please be respectful of other users of the West Side. Climbers have spent many years developing a working relation with the NPS. Please stay on the marked use-trails and leave the loud boom-boxes at home.

Please be aware of closures for birds from MLK Day to early July: https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/advisory.htm

IMPORTANT NOTICE: since 2018 a pair of condors has been trying to nest on the south end of Machete Ridge. When this happens all routes to the right(west) of Corona and extending west and south and around to The Hideout on the south face which includes Old Original are closed. More information is located here:

https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/advisory.htm