Need Pinnacles Dirtbag beta

Just looking for info on free camping, h2o, all that good stuff. This will be my first run up there.

Also route recommendations would be sweet, trad preferred but I’m down for some sweet sport lines

Thanks, Jeff
Watch out for turtles

More importantly, what level of choss are you looking for?

Do you like hot weather? Winter is much better. There is BLM land south of pinnacles, Laguna mountain. Hollister ohv has cheap camping. Things on discovery wall and the monolith are good. Otherwise there is pinnacle campground.

Peter J wrote: More importantly, what level of choss are you looking for?

That bad huh? Preferably not having to tip toe to avoid killing the belay but choss enough to keep things interesting is the best bad answer I can give ya.

Arrive late & leave early from the campgrounds. 

West side of the park has no camping. Much bigger routes, 5+ pitches, but with worse rock quality. East side of the park has it's own campground for vans, RV's, tents, or whatever. There is also free BLM land 20 minutes outside of the gate. East side has a small store that sells basic snacks. Both sides of the park have multiple water spigots. Otherwise, you will have to drive 30 minutes to the town of Paicines which has a small market. Hollister is further, but more developed.

Climbable this time of year, but know that it gets too hot by 11am. Mid day, there isn't really anything to do there. No river. The campsite does have some trees. Theres a pool that may or may not be open.

Route wise- Discovery wall gets early morning shade and has some fun stuff. Wet Kiss-5.9 being the best moderate there. If you want to scare yourself on gear, Jorgies Crack 5.9 is a fairly clean dihedral, but very slick. The Monolith is considered by most to have the best routes in the park. Terranian Tango 10a is classic, P.O.D 11a, Foreplay 11b, Feed the Beast 11c, Cataract Corner 12a/b. Easy to hide in the shade here as well. For easier stuff, The Upper Crust has a handfull of good ones.

All together.... Don't spend more than a few days here. You'll get bored and sunburnt. 99% of the trad routes are shit, don't bother.

Definitely appreciate that Max, good info man thanks. Looks like we may spend a few days there and head a little further north.
Thanks

theres decent (for the pinns) cracks at discovery wall, nothing crazy hard (ie no 5.11), jorgies, swallow, the ordeal. Some other ones I've never been bold enough to do also.
Discovery wall monolith, tiburcios X all easy to access and popular, and have decent (for the pinns) rock quality. There are a bunch of other obscure features, some with decent rock. But if you are truly dirtbagging yo wont be buying a guidebook(?) in that case stick to the 3 areas mentioned and get info from climbers since the route and rock quality varies a LOT even within an area

All trad placements are suspect, as are all the blocks/crystals.

rafael wrote:Discovery wall monolith, tiburcios X all easy to access and popular, and have decent (for the pinns) rock quality.

Tiburcios X has decent rock quality!?! Lol

Ciudado will be cool in the morning, even if it is raging hot outside. In the afternoon a lot of stuff at the flumes will go into the shade.

You can climb down there in the heat, you just have to find the shady stuff.

kevin deweese wrote:

Tiburcios X has decent rock quality!?! Lol

The smoke is much better now in the mountains. I was climbing up near Oakhurst on the weekend and the sky was pretty much clear.  Just go to Shuteye ridge instead ;)

Cory Brooks wrote: The smoke is much better now in the mountains. I was climbing up near Oakhurst on the weekend and the sky was pretty much clear.  Just go to Shuteye ridge instead ;)

Also good beta!