Alone on the Third Pillar of Dana photo by Drew Smith.

All Locations > California > Sierra Eastside > Lee Vining Cany… > Dana Plateau > Third Pillar, Regular Route (5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a)

Alone on the Third Pillar of Dana photo by Drew Smith.

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Atop the huge, scary-looking-but-solid flake with great 10a fingers on pitch 4 (pitch 5 if you do the direct start like we did.)

3rd Pillar of Dana Descent.

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Brad G

Jul 21, 2016

“Alone on the Third Pillar of Dana photo by Drew Smith. ”

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The utterly striking Third Pillar of Mt. Dana.

Atop the huge, scary-looking-but-solid flake with great 10a fingers on pitch 4 (pitch 5 if you do the direct start like we did.)

Alone on the Third Pillar of Dana photo by Drew Smith.

3rd Pillar of Dana Descent.

Looking up at the route from the base. Most of the route is just to the right of the left skyline.

Not a bad view from the summit of the 3rd! -photo by Tim Klein

Roberto and Duke on the approach hike.

Current (as of Sat 15 July 2017) conditions of the snow field traverse to get to the base of Third Pillar.

Crossing the snow gully to reach the base.

Brian crossing the snow gully 7/22/2011.

Linda finishes up the last moves on the stellar final pitch of Third Pillar.<br>
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photo by danafelthauser.com

Top of first pitch

Starting up the first pitch of the Regular Route, Third Pillar of Mt. Dana.

Summit shot, topping out on 3rd Pillar of Dana. Photo by Ryan. Sun 4 Aug 2013.

All smiles on the last pitch

Jeff on the final pitch, dubbed by some as the "best 5.9 pitch in the universe"!

Looking down the route from the top.

Calvin Kilcrease leading above the 10a finger crack on P.4.

Found this towards the end of P4 after the crux. Not really needed as there were options for other placements. We ended up making an anchor here.

Finishing the chimney on P3.

An unforgettable climb and views while sitting out a few storms. Clear sunny skies in the morning got ugly real fast. Curtains of rain passed us and over Tioga Pass Road.

Tim Klein finishes the last pitch on the 3rd (summer, 2001?)

View of Mono Lake from the summit.

Jeff at the spectacular P3 belay!

Jeff past the crux section of pitch 2, getting into the wide 5.7 stretch.

near the top

Looking straight up the direct start.

Bill Geist following the upper section of the fourth pitch. Nice exposure!

third pillar on the left. approach/downclimb on the right

Roberto on the 4th class approach gully.

Tim Klein leading the .10a crack to the left of the detached flake

Eric Collins on 3rd Pillar, circa 1986

Downclimbing to bypass the snowy gully. Up high is some exposed 4th class but it gets gets easier and more obvious lower down

Eric Collins on 3rd Pillar, circa 1986

Having fun on the Third Pillar, Regular Route

The regular route as viewed form the approach. The red line closely follows the route.

Rob just finishing the 10b fingers section on the gorgeous last pitch.

Tristan on the final pitch

Eric Collins on the summit of 3rd pillar

Third Pillar.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.

Eric Burt leading just above the first crux on P.5.

3rd Pillar

Low down, I think it's pitch 1

Jeremy Freeman on the 1st pitch

Summit, with Mono lake

Kurt on top after leading the amazing final pitch.

Up up and away!

Ginger on p1

Third Pillar

Third Pillar of Dana looking mighty impressive on the approach

Rita on the last pitch.<br>
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Photo by S. Cox

Ginger following the final pitch of the Third Pillar of Dana

Pouring over Mono Lake and the Pillar. Took this picture real quick before ducking back under the tarp.

Ginger on Third Pillar of Dana with the route unfolding below

Topping out the Third Pillar on a perfect Sierra Day!!

Vincent downclimbing the prow to the right of the gully to reach the base of the route.

Looking east from the plateau past the top of The Third Pillar. Mono Lake is in the distance and 5,000 ft down.

the traverse that starts P2

About halfway down the descent.

Around the crux of P4