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Rattlesnake Pinnacles Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 5,625 ft | 1,714 m |
| GPS: |
31.93364, -109.99364 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 6,846 total · 132/month | |
| Shared By: | Aaron Davis on Oct 4, 2020 · Updates | |
| Admins: | adrian montaño, Greg Opland, Brian Boyd, JJ Schlick, Kemper Brightman, Luke Bertelsen |
Description
This area is an incredible NW facing moderate trad crag where all climbs are 2 to 4 pitches and most of the climbing doesn't go into the sun until after 12:30!
A couple of these pinnacles were climbed many years ago by someone that wishes to remain anonymous. In fact, if you look closely, you'll find stray bolts on other nearby formations. However, in an attempt to be completely transparent, we have tried to do our due diligence regarding the routes to be posted here. So far, we believe that only one route on the Boulder/Main Wall area and Forked Tongue Tower area were done previously and the rest belong to our crew.
The summer of 2020 was crazy for everyone. Normally, we climb at the Summit Crags on Lemmon this time of the year. The fire forced our hands though and Stronghold season had to start early. We wandered up to this Shady crag in early August and we continued to go back almost every weekend for 2 months. Because the Main Wall stays in the shade until 1, we would get early starts, put up 2-4 pitches and then be back to camp for frosty drinks when it started to get hot.
Getting There
Start by following the trail for the standard Whale Dome Drainage approach. Before the trail deposits you back in the wash, stop and look up to identify the pinnacles. They are directly across the wash from Window Dome. the pinnacles are the 1st group of rocks along the ridge below Westworld.
Approach via trail on east side of drainage:
Wander up wash like normally and after about 5 minutes start taking the right hand branches of the wash until a trail appears. Follow this up and around, right before it drops you down back into the wash at the base of the slabs for the Window Dome approach, get off the trail and head south through the forest towards the boulder gully. (If you miss the trail, continue up the wash as you might normally do. )
Approach directly up wash to near the start of Four Course:
As you get to the start of the slabs in the wash because you missed the trail, same slabs where the trail to Window Dome starts off of at the top. Look back up and right and find the trail that cuts back. Gain the top of the hill and take an almost immediate left through the trees trending left and south to a small wash. If you've gotten to the trail for Four Course you've gone about 50 yards too far.
Follow the small wash towards the cliff for a short ways and find the trail that cuts right to a steep boulder field. Enjoy the boulder hopping/scrambling straight up and watch for a cairn that lets you know when to move a little right and then straight up again to the base of the wall.
As you approach the base of the wall go around left of the big boulders and over and under and through and on top to the staging area. This staging area is great for setting up for routes on the Boulder and Main Wall.
Get to the Boulder starts by walking under the beautiful splitter in the Boulder and around right. 1st 2 routes, Hairy Hands and GMH quickly appear on the left or continue up and around to the left to get to the Forked Tongue Tower area.
If you nail the approach you can get up there in 25 minutes. Most might want to plan for an hour for their 1st time. This is a rough approach for dogs...
Classic Climbing Routes at Rattlesnake Pinnacles
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